Harness your natural nesting instinct and it will help you get
ready to be a mom ... and clear out the kitchen cupboards!
12 | SEPTEMBER 2019 | L&LI
t’s kind of crazy – you’re heavily
pregnant, feeling exhausted
and, instead of taking it easy
on the couch with your feet
up, you suddenly feel the urge to
scrub the kitchen floor with an old
toothbrush – now! And it’s not just
cleaning – the urge to refold your stash
of newborn sleepsuits, redecorate
your kitchen and throw out anything
that looks out of place (partners
included) can feel alarmingly urgent.
“This need to clean, tidy and
organise your home is a very primal
instinct and completely normal,”
explains perinatal psychiatrist
Dr Rebecca Moore. “It’s what would
have urged our cave-women ancestors
to create a safe place to give birth
in – and it’s what many animals do
to prepare for their new arrivals.”
These days, our homes are our
nests and, while we don’t need them
to protect our babies from predators
anymore, we still feel the need to make
them as safe and clean as possible.
“It’s absolutely fine to embrace
your nesting instinct,” adds Rebecca.“Take the time to enjoy pottering
around at home and getting it ready
for your baby’s arrival. Just make
sure you’re resting regularly and
avoiding tasks that involve heavy
lifting, strong chemicals or heights, to
keep yourself and your baby safe.”
Now is also a good time to think
about how you’re dealing with this
strong instinct, and how you can
channel it to help you prepare for
motherhood in lots of other ways, too.Prioritise your
baby’s needs
If you weren’t the most organised
person before you became pregnant,
this overwhelming need to rearrange
your house from top to bottom can
take you by surprise. “It’s easy to feel
overwhelmed and that there’s simply too
much to do and not enough time to do it
before your baby arrives,” says Rebecca.
This is just how you might feel once
your baby has been born and you’ve got
a lot of jobs to do in a short time. Use this
as an opportunity to become really good
at prioritising the most important tasks.“Focus on the essential things that
your baby will need in those first few
weeks after he’s born – to be safe,
warm, clean, fed and be able to get
to know you,” says Rebecca. “Split
your to-do list according to these five
essential needs, jotting down what has
to happen to ensure they are met.”
The last need – of you and your
baby having the time and space to
get to know each other – is just as vital
as the rest. “Let this natural instinct to
protect your baby extend to looking
after yourself, too,” adds Rebecca. “So,
as well as ensuring your home is ready
to welcome your baby, think about
what you can do to make sure you’re
prepared, too – both physically and
emotionally. Fill up your freezer with
pre-cooked meals to ensure you’re well
fed and have the energy to care for your
baby. Also, talk through any worries or
concerns, because it’s vital you feel
happy, confident and ready to welcome
your baby into your warm, safe nest.
Once you’ve done this, make
another list for jobs that can
be done another day. »NEST
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