Nesting
Why is it called nesting, why is it done, and who does it?
Well this thing called nesting is called nesting because it’s kind of an animalistic behavior to prepare for the arrival of the baby. Not that we are animals, well, perhaps we are, but we are civilized so we won’t be filling the bottom of the bathroom closet with dirty laundry to have a litter of puppies in, or fetching scraps of sticks, grass, hair, yarn and feathers to lay eggs in either.
According to the polls, about 73% of pregnant women “nest” shortly before they go into labor. I say, they must me blessed if they only nest shortly before they go into labor. I go through cycles. If people thought I was nesting because I was close to labor, then I’d be “close” for about 3 months.
Nesting comes it a variety of forms I think. Sometimes, just setting up the nursery is enough, other times, the whole house must be made spotless, from top to bottom. In my own case, it’s both and neither, which perhaps is why it goes on for so long.
I recently got on a cleaning kick. I notice more when I’m pregnant. The way things look and smell, even if it’s not all that bad, I’m disgusted by it.
Take our shower for example. I wipe it down almost every time I take a shower because if I don’t the soap scum builds up really quickly and pretty bad, to where even scrubbing with a brush does little. It’s incredibly irritating, especially now. I’m going to be bringing this new, fresh and clean little being into this house and I don’t want the shower reeking and covered in soap scum. That’s right, it stinks too. The ventilation is poor, which I’m sure doesn’t help the situation and perhaps makes it mildew quicker, which is another reason why it is necessary to wipe it down all the time.
And the floors… it’s not even “mud” season. What the heck am I gonna do then? Eh, I’ll get the kids to do it, they like mopping for some reason.
And then to top that off, pets. I love our pets, but of course when you have pets that means their hair and dander is everywhere, unless you have reptiles or shave your pets. Maybe we should consider pet rocks next time?
My grandmother had a “nest” until the day she died. Actually, she had several. One
around her chair for the evening time, one at her desk, two in her work room, one around her bedside table, and one around her chair at the kitchen table. No, she wasn’t preparing for a baby, but she was being prepared. She had pretty much whatever she needed at her fingertips at any given time. That is what new mommies need to. They need to know they have what they need when they want it, and that they are prepared for their babies.
Is this “obsession” okay? Sure. Why not? As long as we aren’t hurting ourselves or our babies
by doing it. I know I use natural and gentle cleaning agents, so the fumes are mild and I’m not worried about something as strong as bleach (or stronger) leaching into my blood stream and harming my baby. And when I get tired, I stop, sit down or lay down and take a nap.
Pregnancy is not a time to do nothing unless of course you have a medical reason for doing so. Pregnancy is not a disease or disorder, so the fact that you are pregnant is not a medical reason. It’s better to keep yourself in good shape for the big day, not use it as an excuse to be lazy and just get fat.
So go ahead and indulge yourself in this thing called “nesting.” It’s just another way of saying “preparing for your baby,” and that is always good.
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-Sheilah
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