Nesting Instinct

Nesting is the strong urge to clean and prepare your home, or nest, for your new baby's arrival. You may begin feeling these impulses as early as your fifth month of pregnancy; however, many women report feeling these instincts more acutely as their due date approaches, suggesting the nesting instinct may predict impending labor. Whenever you may feel the urge, the nesting instinct is a clear message that it's time to get your home ready for your baby.

Doctors have no medical explanation for this instinct but suspect mothers are trying to create a clean, safe, and healthy environment for their newborns. Some women hardly experience nesting instincts while others embark on cleaning rampages, disinfecting kitchen cupboard knobs and refolding their baby's clothing several times a day. If you experience this sudden burst of energy, try to channel your efforts into tasks that will benefit you later on.

Benefits Of Nesting Instincts

After you welcome your baby into this world, you will surely be sleep deprived and exhausted for the first couple of weeks. To help prepare for those first stressful days, consider focusing your energy into the following tasks:

• Purchase extra supplies of frequently used items such as soap, toilet paper, and diapers. During the first weeks, you'll want to make sure you're fully stocked on these items to prevent midnight missions to the grocery store.
• If your budget permits, cook some extra meals and store them in the freezer. After many sleepless nights, you'll be glad that dinner just needs a quick reheat.
• Pack your hospital bag and double check it. Even if you're only five months pregnant, this will help put your mind and nesting instincts at ease.

If you still have an undying urge to tackle chores, keep in mind that certain tasks can be detrimental to your unborn baby's well-being.

Warning: Beware of the following chores

Consider the following precautions when nesting to ensure you and your baby stay safe:

• In your final weeks of pregnancy, suppress the urge to paint the nursery. Certain paints contain lead or mercury, and if inhaled, will increase the chances of lead poisoning or mental retardation in your baby. If you simply cannot resist, choose a water-based paint and make sure the room is well ventilated.
• Cleaning and disinfecting the house is fine if you mind the safety of the chemicals in your cleaners. You should, however, avoid oven cleaners and dry cleaning products. What do you get when you mix chlorine-based products with ammonia? A recipe for disaster also known as toxic fumes. Wear rubber gloves and remember to not inhale the deadly fumes.
• If you own a cat, delegate the task of cleaning its litter box to a friend or family member. Cat feces can contain a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, a rare but serious blood infection. If your baby is infected, it can lead to birth defects such as blindness, deafness, or mental retardation. Also avoid yard work as the soil might host toxoplasmosis landmines.

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