The Nesting Period: Preparing Your House For a Baby

Preparing for baby? Though not something all pregnant women experience, the nesting instinct is still very common. The natural urge to want to clean and prepare your home for the new arrival is a biological phenomenon usually occurring between weeks 38-39. The closer you get to your due date, the more likely the urge to want to start lifting the sofa and dusting those high-up shelves… but some things are probably best left to those not heavily pregnant.

Need a little direction for preparing your house for a new born baby? Use our guide below to keep your house, and your nesting instinct, in order.

Cleaning

The first stop on the nesting express train will be the deep clean. Depending on the size of your home, this may be more daunting than you first anticipate. But chunking the responsibilities can make it seem a little more doable…

Dust - Dusting is where your nesting instinct can really come alive, wiping down parts of the house that haven’t seen a cloth in quite some time. All shelves within reaching distance, window sills, photo frames and appliances can get the good wipe down they deserve. Just don’t get too carried away, and leave standing on the chairs to someone else.

Vacuuming - Vacuuming all carpeted floors is the best place to start, followed by anything else fabric finished, including the curtains, sofa, and sofa cushions. If you can get behind the sofa, even better – but best to get someone else to move it if it’s particularly heavy.

Mop - Finally, a good mop on all hard floors should satisfy the urge to nest, sterilising those heavy foot traffic areas throughout the home. Be sure to use a simple solution of soap and warm water, avoiding any bleach or chemical cleaners that are best not inhaled when pregnant.

Cooking

For many women experiencing the nesting period, cooking is not high on the ‘to-do’ list so getting ahead on meal prep before your due date is looming is a great way to prepare for when you have less time on your hands! Whipping up big batches of your favourite recipes you can then freeze is a good way of making sure you still maintain a healthy diet when baby arrives. Best of all, all you’ll have to do is put it in the microwave! Great recipe ideas for freezing include:

Beef Stew - warm, hearty, filling and heathy.

Sausage Casserole - A great one-pot dish that’ll last for a fair few servings.

Chicken Tikka Masala - It might be a while until you can prepare another homemade curry again!

Vegetable Pie - A classic you can bake, portion and freeze for the family.

And if you’re not a wiz in the kitchen? Deliciously easy meals you can freeze are just as good!

Washing

Two ticked off, on to the next. While your washing load is likely to increase with the new addition to the home, you can get ahead by washing your less frequents and getting them fresh and clean in advance. This includes all bedding in any spare rooms you may have, as well as any loose towels and tea towels. While you’re at it, if the oven gloves could do with a once over, why not throw them in too?

Shopping

Once everything that’s already in the house is done, it’s time to work out if there’s anything else you still need. If there are any last minute baby clothes and pyjamas for the hospital you haven’t picked up yet, these should be first on the list. After that, it’s all your everyday baby essentials…

Baby wipes - great for wiping down sticky hands and mouths after feeding

Cotton buds - good for gently cleaning ears and noses

Cotton balls - perfect for cleaning eyes, and sensitive baby skin

Cotton pads - soft and gentle for wiping baby’s bottom

Nappies - changing nappies for day and night use

Getting ready for a baby can involve a number of things – from de-cluttering the house and treating it to a full spring clean, to getting ahead on daily chores and making sure you’re fully stocked up. Make the baby preparation in your nesting period as productive as possible and find all the baby essentials you need at your local convenience store today!