Nesting instincts can kick in at any point in your pregnancy. If you have a strong urge to begin nesting and you feel like it may be too early there are still things you can do to satisfy your nesting urges.
If you start to feel like nesting early on in your pregnancy it may be a blessing. Typically in the second trimester, you feel better and are able to do more than the first and third trimesters. So take advantage of feeling good and get everything you’d like to do done.
There are things you can’t nest early on or you’ll have to do it again before your baby makes their arrival. Things like food prep, sterilizing, and washing clothes are things you will need to do closer to time. If it doesn’t bother you that you’ll need to redo things, you can do all the typical nesting things.
If you want to wait to do those things until closer to time here are things you can do to nest early on that is productive.
Things to do when nesting early
- Do what you have the urge to do
- Declutter your home
- Get simple rhythms and routines down for when baby is here
- Do projects for the home or for baby
- Do research or plan things
- Start shopping
Do what you have the urge to do
It seems simple to do whatever you feel like doing to prepare, but for whatever reason you feel like you shouldn’t or can’t do something yet. This may be because of outside thoughts and opinions or just thoughts of your own. Whatever the reason, if you have the means to do whatever you are wanting to do to prepare, allow yourself to do so.
If you have a strong urge to do a specific thing, do it. Sometimes you may have a strong urge to prep something right then. Use that motivation to get it done. If you are ready to do a project there’s no reason to hold off until you feel like it’s normal time to do a specific task. Use your nesting urges to your advantage so that you aren’t stuck doing those things when you are tired and have no motivation to do so.
It may feel funny leaning into the urges if they’re like scrubbing your baseboards clean, but why not do it? It can’t hurt to get your home as clean as possible. So if you want to, go ahead and do it, no matter how weird a task may seem to you or others.
What to do when you don’t know what to do
Sometimes you may feel anxious or ready to do something to get prepared and you just don’t know where to start or what you can do. This is completely normal and okay. Having a baby and the anticipation of bringing them home and having a completely new normal to get used to is a big deal. So when you have many months where you feel like you are in a season of waiting it can be hard to know what to do or even where to start.
You may want to prepare and you just need some direction. So if you have the feeling of nesting and you don’t know what to do here are some ideas of what you can do.
Declutter your home
This is an amazing project to do when you feel like nesting that is productive at any point in your pregnancy. Getting rid of things in your home you don’t need or have too much of. This may be a big project for you to tackle or a smaller one depending on your tendencies, non the less it’s still an important project to tackle.
Getting rid of things to have your home become easier to clean, keep up with, and manage may be just what you are needing once the baby is here. The goal is to set yourself up for success once the baby is here when nesting. So, doing things that will make your life easier should be a priority, and not only prepping the baby’s things.
Get simple rhythms and routines down for when baby is here
Just like decluttering your home creating and getting down simple rhythms and routines you can follow once your baby has arrived is a great use of your time preparing. If you don’t have great systems for managing the family’s needs and running the home you may want to get this in order.
Things like having a cleaning routine down that doesn’t take hours each day, meal prep, paying bills, or working everyone’s schedules together are things you may want to take some time to get systems together to have your home running smoothly easier.
Do projects for the home or for baby
With your extra time, you can tackle all the projects you’ve had ideas about doing. If there are any projects you have been wanting to accomplish around the house it’s a great time to get these done. You can also do the projects and the DIYs you’ve seen for your baby or their room.
You probably won’t want to do these things when you are feeling more uncomfortable in your third trimester or have to dedicate your time to doing the more important things closer to time. So why not do all the things you probably wouldn’t have gotten to otherwise?
Do research or plan things
Spending time researching and planning things you’d like to do for your baby is a great way to spend your time while pregnant. Being able to make informed decisions as they come and not being stressed because of not knowing anything will be so helpful!
Take some time to research all the questions you currently have. Try doing this research with your partner. Research what they have questions on as well. The more you can learn prior to dealing with the situation in real life will help you make the best decisions you can make for yourself and your family.
Start shopping
If you are wanting to nest early and prepare by getting things for the baby, just do it if you’re able to! Buy the things you can when sales happen throughout your whole pregnancy this will help save money. If you have a registry instead of buying you can shop and and add the things you like to your registry.
This also gives you time to research the items and brands you’d like to have and use for your baby and postpartum.
How are you going to begin nesting early?
Hopefully, you have some ideas of what you can do to begin nesting early. Start whenever you’d like! There’s no right time to do really anything during pregnancy to prepare for your family’s newest arrival. Just remember to do what makes you feel good and prepared. Having a new family member is a big deal so enjoy preparing in whatever way you’d like to.
If you need more ideas for nesting early…
Preparing for baby
Click here to see ideas on how to prepare your home and family for your baby. Click here to get 50 ideas of what to research before having your baby.
Running your home well
Click here to learn about running your home well. Helping you not get overwhelmed or behind on things. Click here to see a simple weekly cleaning schedule you can follow.
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