Pregnancy Nesting: Satisfy the Urge – Safely
by Monica Gullon
It happens to every expectant mother in the third trimester of pregnancy: The powerful urge to nest. Suddenly you’re filled with a burst of energy. You feel the urge to refold all your linens, rearrange your entire pantry, clean out the basement and the attic, or paint the nursery a completely different shade of blue. No task seems too big or overwhelming. You can take on the world.
But there’s a downside to the pregnancy nesting instinct: Overdoing it can be dangerous. In the late stages of pregnancy, your placenta secretes a hormone to prepare you for labor that makes joints loose and ligaments unusually flexible. At the same time, your body also retains water, affecting your grip and sensory perception. The result can be a recipe for accidents.
“Slow down. Be easy and don’t push yourself too hard,” advises Mark Moore, M.D., an anesthesiologist in Tallahassee, Fla., with a sub-specialization in obstetric and gynecologic anesthesia. His advice: Avoid rushing and overscheduling, especially in the late third trimester. “Control the nesting urges — the feeling of needing to have everything perfect before the baby comes.”
You don’t have to fight the feeling completely. Here are some safe and fun ways to indulge the pregnancy nesting urge and prepare for baby’s arrival:
Make lists and delegate. Act as project manager and have hubby or helpful family handle strenuous tasks like installing shelves, putting together furniture or painting the baby’s room.
Organize your baby’s wardrobe by season, size or color — whatever works for you.
Play around with baby names. Pick a new moniker based on dispositions. Or find out if your baby’s name is available as a URL.
Decorate onesies using fabric paint and iron-on stencils made from freezer paper (easy and goof-proof).
Get your baby’s bath ready. Don’t lift a finger; order everything online.
Sew a simple baby blanket of super-soft “minky” fabric edged with basic bias tape.
Monica Gullon is a frequent contributor to Baby + You who writes about food, nutrition and health. Her work has been published in SHAPE, Women’s Health, Fitness and Fit Pregnancy magazines, among others. She was previously the food and nutrition director at VIV digital magazine.
