Nesting – if you’re pregnant you have probably heard the term, along with “eating for two” or “strange cravings.” There’s no science behind when nesting will hit, or even if you will experience nesting. Each pregnancy is different and each mom will have her own experience. But what does “nesting” mean and how do you know if you’re nesting?
Nesting is your natural instinct and impulse to prepare for your baby’s arrival. Check out a few signs that you may be nesting.
Cleaning & Clearing
Even if you’re not a natural cleaner, when you’re nesting you will probably want to clean. It makes sense that you want to have a clean environment to bring your baby home to so naturally, your definition of clean prior to being pregnant may not hold up to your pregnancy version of clean. In the process of cleaning you may experience the urge to just throw everything away. Take a deep breath, and think twice!
DIY & Decorating
You might have the sudden urge to Feng Shui the living room, or Pinterest the entire new nursery. The American Pregnancy Association confirms that “all mammals, including humans, begin decorating, fixing, or rearranging their home during the nesting phase.”
Lots of Energy
No need for a shot of espresso or any other sort of caffeine, you may experience bursts of energy. Again, every pregnancy is different so you may not experience bursts of energy but often times when you are nesting you will experience the energy that encourages you to do the aforementioned cleaning and creating.
Avoid Risk and Becoming a Hermit
According to The Huffington Post, “nesting behaviors include a tendency to retreat.” It’s common sense to think you will gain extra self (and baby) preservation, but you may have the tendency to be overly introverted, wanting to stay home and do the cleaning and rearranging you’re itching to complete. Try to maintain your connections and keep in touch with your support system.
Again, you may not experience all, or any, of these while nesting. But if you are experiencing these, you are probably nesting. Still have questions? Call the SCV Birth Center and ask a licensed midwife if what you are experiencing is nesting.
What else did you, or are you currently, experiencing?