Nesting During Pregnancy: 20 Moms Who Prove the Need to Nest When Pregnant by Donna John

Can’t walk by a closet or drawer without wanting to organize it? Have you gone through a few paint brushes and your walls a few different shades of yellow (ecru, daffodil and amber)? Are all of Baby’s onesies stacked by color, size and type of material? You’re nesting, Mom-to-be! Nesting, a strong desire to get your house ready for your new baby, is real. Nesting “is common and is considered to be an instinct to prepare for birth,” states the American Pregnancy Association.

The nesting instinct even has roots in evolution, according to a study done by researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. “The overwhelming urge that drives many pregnant women to clean, organize and get life in order … is not irrational, but an adaptive behavior, stemming from humans’ evolutionary past,” writes the researchers.

Not all women will experience this nesting instinct, but many (many!) do. So put down those cleaning gloves, that paint brush or file folders and read on to see how other women nested and prepared for their baby's arrival! 

• “I painted the baby’s room and bought cute clothes.”

• “Painted all of the inside doors in my house. They seemed dingy.”

• “Cleaned the floors. I figured it would be low on my totem pole of priorities after bringing an infant home, so I scrubbed them all!”

If any of you need Allison, she is currently mopping ceilings and hauling everything we own to the thrift store. Apparently I’m going to have to start bathing more, too... #Nesting

— Zach Whitsel (@ZWhitsel) January 9, 2019

• “What did I NOT do? I organized file cabinets (though I hate filing!), cleaned windows, steam cleaned cabinets (what??), vacuumed out the dryer lint catcher. Heck, I even vacuumed my curtains. Who vacuums curtains??”

• “Definitely [nested]! I cleaned things that I had never even noticed a few months before. I organized closets (and I am definitely NOT a closet organizer!).”

• "My nesting went beyond the four walls of my own house. I started organizing and cleaning other people's houses. And the gym! I would go early and clean the machines, tidy up around the check-in desk and even clean up the bathroom before I had to use it. Extreme nesting??"
  

• “Other than making sure we purchased, arranged and made ready all that we thought we needed for our new baby, I didn't feel that nesting urge. I kept waiting for it! Maybe the baby room prep satisfied my nesting need.”

• “Aside from having the ‘perfect nursery,’ I felt like we had to have the perfect living room and play space for baby. So, we bought a new living room set that had a table with rounded corners (no sharp edges), new area rugs, etc. I felt like a mama bird feathering her nest, for sure!"

• “I’m almost 39 weeks pregnant and nesting right now! I’m trying to get everything organized at home big time! Cleaning closets, the fridge, washing baby clothes and organizing. It’s getting real crazy! Ha! Ha!”

I’ve been cleaning so much the last couple days that I think my body is telling me to slow down & remember that I’m pregnant. I just have the urge to clean even though there’s no mess. I’ll find something to clean 😫 #nesting

— Brenda Alegria (@blm_molly94) January 10, 2019

• "I ironed my unborn baby's clothes! I repeat, I ironed my baby's clothes. I still laugh about that."

• “I decorated the nursery, supervised my husband's painting of the nursery, painted bookshelves, organized all the baby books and washed all the baby clothes. I also moved into a new house at eight months pregnant, so I guess I did some nesting in lots of rooms!”

• “When I was pregnant with [my daughter] Drew, we had just bought a house in Katy. I remember painting her room all by myself and hanging up Winnie the Pooh border and cleaning like crazy. With [my son] Kane, I just cleaned and with [my son] Jake, I organized everything because we were living in a much smaller house then.”

Anyone who knows me knows I hate to clean but here I am up at 5:30 cleaning house. #nesting 😂😂

— Darian Kiana (@Darian_Keesee13) January 9, 2019

• "Before my first pregnancy, I was all corporate. Traveling the country and climbing the ladder. It was my whole focus in life. Although I still did those things while expecting I suddenly had no interest in it at all. Which was weird for me. I felt conflicted and even found myself just wanting to be home."

• "Windows became my obsession. I wanted to see clearly outside from the baby's nursery. Spotty windows had never bothered me before. But starting in my third trimester, I cleaned windows probably every other day."

Tree down, house cleaned, and washing newborn clothes ready for the new arrival 👶🏼❤️ while the hubby makes Sunday dinner 😍 #nesting #38weekspregnant 🤰🏼

— Jenni Houston (@JenniMason5) January 6, 2019

Cleaned out all our closets in the house today in preparation for baby! Next up is the dressers. Donated 3 boxes already and it feels so good! #nesting #loveit #29weeks

— Laura Irle (@Laura_Irle) January 7, 2019

Me: I am so tired I could just nap and nap and nap.

Also me: CLEAN THE CUPBOARDS AND THE FRIDGE AND THE FREEZER IMMEDIATELY. #nesting #firsttimemum

— nic (nack paddy-whack) (@authorizeme) January 2, 2019

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Thank you to the amazing moms who shared their nesting stories: Ella Paynter, Alison Mountford, Tanya Kuzmanovic, Kathleen Whipple, Nicole DeAvilla, Elisa All Schmitz, Ann Marie Gardinier Halstead, Debra Taylor, Holly Budde and Lindsey Valiulis Fleischhauer. Share your nesting story below!

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community. Inspire and be inspired.