Nesting During Pregnancy

Nesting during pregnancy is the heightened urge to clean and organize things for the arrival of your baby.

It is not a vague old wives tale and instead has an evolutionary link. Just like birds, and animals, humans shoulder the responsibility of protecting their children.

What is nesting during pregnancy?

The urge to clean and organize your home is a manifestation of the anxiety to carry out this responsibility.

It is possible that you are doing it for your happiness and love for cleanliness. 

Nesting during pregnancy generally starts in the last stages. Some suggest that it is even more common for a woman to be nesting while pregnant during spring.

What is nesting when pregnant?

Nesting is the desire to clean, dust and organize your house near your baby’s arrival. You will have the overwhelming feeling which will get you in a cleaning frenzy.

Some women tend clean, paint and organize the house and others stock up things.

Nesting in humans is not limited to cleaning, and it can also be emotional preparation.

Do dads have nesting phase?

They show in movies that fathers go to moon rocketing with excitement after hearing the news. It may be true to some extent but exaggerated without a doubt.

Dads may feel like bringing a lot of stuff for the baby. But, cleaning and organizing rarely happen, unless you threaten them!

When they join you doing it, they may feel more acceptable to the idea which was not sinking deep before.

Nesting During Pregnancy
Nesting During Pregnancy

When is the nesting stage of pregnancy?

Nesting stage is not well defined, and it can happen at any time. The occurrence of nesting syndrome is not likely unless you have anxiety issues.

Extreme nesting indicates that you have some mental disturbance. The nesting phase will generally start during the second trimester.

There will be a dip in nesting anxiety after the second trimester only to come back by the end of the third trimester.

Winter mothers are not likely to have overrated nesting instinct during pregnancy. Mothers who have a due date near spring often have pregnancy nesting after the second trimester.

The nesting instinct will be strongest in last stages. Nesting pregnancy how far long before labor is not set pattern.

When a woman has it during her second trimester, it has no correlation.

When does the nesting instinct start?

Nesting before pregnancy can be because of high expectations. It is not uncommon for women to spend their lives waiting for their baby.

Names, nursery decor and kind of mom you want to be, all gets decided way before. So when you’re trying to conceive, you can be organizing things and buy stuff for the baby.

But that is not nesting technically and can instead be anxiety or hope.

Just like birds nest before giving birth, you too start doing it near the due date. When you are in the second trimester your energy levels sore high up.

During the first trimester, you feel lost. You were imagining things you’ll do for your baby after getting the news. But when it came, you are morbid and able to do nothing.

Anxiety builds up in your thinking that there is so much to do. Nesting happens at that time when you do things with the knowledge that your baby is soon to come.

When does nesting start in pregnancy?

After the first trimester when you enter the second trimester, you experience an increase in energy.

Nesting at 20 weeks is the most common time to have the symptom. Once you feel energetic to do purposeful tasks, there is no stopping.

It includes stocking supplies of food, diapers, soaps and cleaning the house.

Your pregnancy nesting may stop by the end of the second trimester.

When you feel that some work is done or you are tired, the nesting instinct leaves you.

When does nesting start?

Once again by the end of the third trimester, you have the nesting phase. In anticipation, waiting for labor, you feel that it’s the last opportunity to rearrange things.

Nesting at 35 weeks is still few weeks before labor. Does that mean you will have preterm labor? No!

Do all pregnant women do nesting?

No, it is not a medical condition necessary for the ongoing pregnancy. Some women may not feel like nesting. It is common for those who have some sickness or pregnancy complications.

History of miscarriage or infertility treatments refrains the mother from nesting. She may still feel like it but won’t do it due to reminders from last time.

When a woman has energy outbursts during pregnancy and is in her happy state, she feels like deep cleaning the house.

Everything seems like it is only her task. A small stain or crooked frame makes her clean and beautify the entire room or house.

Is nesting a good sign?

Feeling positive about the arrival of a baby is a good thing. Thinking about how you will have your baby around in nursery or next to you is normal.

However, if you are worried and under pressure then it is not good. You must not take it as a burden because then your mind will no longer be positive about it.

If you are doing the cleaning and organizing without satisfaction, then it could be obsessive.

What causes nesting during pregnancy?

Nesting pregnant women do it out of excitement or boredom. There is no such particular reason for nesting pregnancy that is not normal.

Nesting syndrome is the only state when extreme nesting points out to pregnancy anxiety.

Reasons for nesting are:

  1. Energy outbursts during second-trimester guide you to do extra work
  2. Having anticipation for the arrival of the baby now that your due date is near
  3. Boredom is typical in case of spring moms
  4. Feeling that once you have the baby, you won’t have any time left because you want to do so much for the baby
  5. Trying to get off the idea that being pregnant you can’t do things
  6. Wanting to freshen your home after the sick first trimester, get rid of the memory of morning sickness
  7. Motherly instincts make you feel the urge to protect your baby

What does nesting during pregnancy look like? How will I know that I’m nesting?

Pregnant nesting women don’t have any signs other than that they are arranging the things.

There is no fixed pattern of nesting during pregnancy. Some women may want to get more food, diapers, soaps and baby clothes.

Number of other pregnant women may paint, clean and tidy up the home. Some of the pregnant women merely arrange and organize their baby’s shelves and drawers.

Even if you don’t physically do anything and are just feeling cuddly and mom like, it’s enough nesting.

Is nesting a sign of labor?

No, nesting when pregnant is not a sign of labor. It is just a feeling and outcome of motherly instincts.

Labor has other signs like pregnancy water leaking or frequent Braxton Hicks.

Does nesting mean labor is near?

You can feel that near labor, not vice versa. Pregnant women nesting don’t have their labor near. In fact, some women might even stop nesting few weeks before labor.

Nesting before labor is the right sequence and not otherwise.

Will nesting stop after I have my baby?

Nesting after delivery stops due to preoccupations. The anxiety and expectations have their answer.

You will have a lot more to do at that time which will not let you think of it. New challenges are coming up like breastfeeding or cleaning the baby comes up.

Nesting during pregnancy precautions

While nesting isn’t a medical condition, it can lead to health problems.

Follow these recommendations for nesting while pregnant:

  • Do not use paints that are not safe for pregnant women. The volatile organic compounds can lead to nausea and headaches.
  • Avoid exertion and instead allot responsibilities. Relaxing will help others join you and enjoy the pre-baby arrival stage.
  • Never lift heavy things when you are pregnant. Ask for help while doing work that involves picking up such stuff.
  • Don’t go overboard with buying things which expire such as baby creams, lotions, soaps, and food. Your baby might be allergic to some of them, or you might not feel like eating all that later.
  • Ask someone to climb up the ladder and do the higher shelves. You can fall and have a severe injury because of change in the body after pregnancy.

Nesting not pregnant is mostly due to expectations regarding motherhood. It could be after a miscarriage to run away from the realization of loss.

If nesting doesn’t involve baby’s stuff, then it could be a temporary frenzy.

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here