Nesting: Prepping your house for baby
Woohoo! It’s almost time for your little bundle of joy to arrive. As your delivery day vastly approaches, you may notice the sudden urge to clean the house. Don’t worry Mama, it’s totally normal- you are NESTING! I began to nest when I was about 37 weeks pregnant. I created a list of house chores I needed to complete to feel like my home was ready for Baby.
What is nesting? Am I crazy?
During your last couple weeks of pregnancy, your body gets random bursts of energy to prepare your house for the baby’s arrival. Now keep in mind, every pregnancy is different. It’s completely normal if you don’t nest! You’re still going to be a kick-ass parent!
6 WAYS TO PREP YOUR HOUSE FOR BABY
1. Finalize the nursery
Okay, there are a million things we could talk about to have the cutest nursery but I am going to stick to the basics. If you are going to paint, make sure to complete this at least 2 weeks before your due date. This will give plenty of time to air out the fresh paint smell. Organize the room and furniture in a way that is easy to move around and leave some space on the floor for tummy time and play. I know the baby won’t be crawling on day one, but it’s always good to secure all furniture to the wall and hide any hanging cords.
As you organize your baby’s clothes, think of a system that works for you. For example, I purchased a closet organizer and only had Newborn to 3-month clothes hanging or in drawers to make more space. The rest of the clothes were in a storage bin. I purchased these storage bins from Amazon and I use them for everything!
2. Clean the carpets
This was one of my main concerns while I was pregnant. My husband probably got so annoyed because I would constantly ask when we were going to clean the carpets. I am 95% sure I also shed some unnecessary tears-(thanks hormones!) I just didn’t want my baby to be laying or crawling on a dirty carpet. We rented a Rug Doctor and were amazed at how much dirt came out of our carpets. Gross!
SIDE NOTE: Make some plans on your carpet cleaning day to either be a couch potato or go to a friend’s house. It takes some time for the carpet to dry.
3. Wash all baby clothes and bedding
The most common baby gift is baby clothes, because who doesn’t just melt when you walk through the baby section at Target!? Do you have a mountain of brand new baby clothes hanging in the closet with tags still on them? Go ahead and put them through the wash. It’s always good to wash baby clothes before. Always check for loose strings that could wrap around the baby’s finger or those super annoying plastic tag strings that get stuck in the clothes. I use Dreft baby detergent and absolutely LOVE the smell. I always wash baby clothes on the Delicate Cycle in cold water. If you dry your baby clothes, use low heat. If you have any outfits you adore, consider hand washing or hang drying.
4. Build your diaper/breastfeeding station
This was my FAVORITE task of nesting and made me feel like a KICK ASS MAMA! Using my changing table, I organized a ONE STOP SHOP for all my diaper and breastfeeding needs. My top drawer had diapers, wipes, ointment, and PeePee Teepees (must-haves for boys). The bottom drawer had my pump, bags, nipple cream, and nursing pads. I promise, your life will be so much easier if you have this done.
4. Food stash
When you have a newborn, ain’t nobody got time for planning and cooking meals! Make it easy on yourself. Have some frozen crockpot meals in freezer bags or consider hitting up Costco. It’s so easy to forget to eat, and Mama YOU NEED TO EAT! Your baby is taking so much energy and nutrients from you. Even if you feel like there is no time, consider buying protein shakes! My absolute favorite protein is Orgain’s Peanut Butter Cup! These plant-based shakes are Gluten-free, soy-free, and amazing! Check out these delicious protein shakes!
5. Deep clean the house
There are so many ways you can deep clean the house, but let’s not overwhelm ourselves. After all, you are very pregnant and need to take it easy. Invite a friend or family member over for a cleaning party! As you think about what needs to be cleaned ask yourself these questions: What places in the house will the baby be? Is this environment clean or safe?
Where are you going to wash baby? Consider deep cleaning your shower, sinks, or tubs. (Be careful with chemicals when pregnant!)
Where are you going to put baby’s bottles or store milk? Check that fridge, make sure to toss any expired items, and give it a quick wipe down. Make a small section in the fridge to store milk away from any raw foods.
What is the air quality like? Check your ceiling fans, do they need to be dusted? Clean the air vents. My husband and I bought this amazing fan that notifies us when the air quality is bad.
Don’t worry about going through the Black Hole of missing socks to find its partner! They will still be there a month… or a year from now.
6. Postpartum Station
Okay, Mama, we’ve done all this prep work to get ready for baby. Now it’s time to think about yourself for a minute. Whether you have a C-Section or Vaginal birth, we need to make sure we have everything we could need to take care of our bodies after the baby. I made some space in the bathroom for a MAMA section. Now you could go on a wild goose hunt to track down pads, a peri bottle, TUCKS, and a healing cream, OR you can purchase FRIDA MOM’S POSTPARTUM KIT for a one-stop-shop! This was the best gift I received from my registry! I am forever thankful to my mother for keeping my WHO-HA in mind.
I sure hope that reading this helped you refocus and took some stress off your shoulders. Please, Mama, DO NOT try to complete these tasks on your own. Yes, you are a wonder woman, but you are also carrying precious cargo. We are not perfect, and it’s okay to ask for help! Take care of yourself, Mama!
