Nesting: The Do’s and Don’ts

Pregnant women often feel the urge to prepare the home for baby’s arrival. You might want to clean the bathrooms twice a day, or suddenly feel the need to organize all of the baby clothes. It’s easy to go overboard with this combination of nerves and hormones, so here are some Nesting Do’s and Don’ts.

Do: Buy the essentials ahead of time. Go ahead and get that car seat, some diapers, baby wash, and the crib ready.

Don’t: Break the bank preparing. Your baby won’t need a million toys, and might never get around to wearing every outfit you buy. Buy as your baby grows, and you will save money and headaches in the return line.

Do: Tidy up a bit. Vacuuming, dusting and sweeping are normal routine chores. Maybe take an extra sweep under the couch for lingering dust, and put away all that clutter in the spare room.

Don’t: Clean obsessively. Your pregnancy is not the time to be on your knees scrubbing baseboards or using chemicals to clean surfaces. Clean as much as you are comfortable, but don’t break out a black light to look for germs.

Do: Enjoy decorating a nursery. Take all the time you want to organize your baby’s room, getting every little pair of shoes in neat rows. It’s a great bonding experience for you and your baby, even before they are born, to prepare this special place.

Don’t: Take on a huge project. If you are wanting to replace the cabinets, knock down that wall, or redo the windows- take a beat to think about it. Don’t make major remodeling decisions right before the baby comes, unless you are prepared for some chaos.

Do: Request reinforcements. Your family and friends might be happy to help with some baby-prep tasks. If you are overwhelmed with a to-do list, call in for back up.

Don’t: Try to tackle it all alone. You don’t need to prepare a hundred freezer meals, or have every piece of baby clothing laundered before your due date. Let your partner pitch in when you feel a nesting urge coming on. It will keep some stress off of you, and can bring your partner closer as you get ready to become parents.