Have you felt the urge to start nesting during pregnancy? You heard people talk about it, ask you about it, and even tell you their own stories. What has it been like for you?

First off, let me say that nesting during pregnancy is real!

The American Pregnancy Organization wrote that it is the overwhelming desire to get your home ready for your new baby. It could be the desire to clean, organize, or even prepare the nursery!

Preparing for baby can be important for you as a mom. Nesting is instinctual and usually comes later on in your pregnancy. It can be triggered by boredom, excitement, and anticipation.

But don’t worry if you don’t feel it.

It is completely natural to not feel the nesting urge while pregnant. Not feeling the urge does not mean you are not prepared. And it most certainly does not mean you will not be a good mom! It simply means you may already be more prepared than you thought.

Everyone nests in different ways.

Some women want to paint the entire house, some want to build the baby’s crib, and others just want to take the tag off of all the baby clothes from their baby shower. The last one was me! I created three piles of clothes so large that I wasn’t sure we’d ever get it all clean (or baby would ever wear it all).

However you decide to prepare for baby, be safe!

When you get swept up in cleaning and preparing your home, you may also get the urge to do things too quickly or possibly dangerously. Standing on a chair to dust the corners of the room is an unstable and unsafe practice, especially while pregnant. Your center of gravity is off when you are carrying a baby, and falling while pregnant is not an option!

My recommendation is, ask for help. While you feel like you need to do it all yourself, you don’t, and shouldn’t! Ask your partner to do the more dangerous and cumbersome tasks. Try to keep your tasks to ones you can sit, do safely, and are needed first. Baby could come at any time and they rarely sleep in their crib when they come home from the hospital. Instead, start with all the newborn clothes, and set up the baby gear you know you will need and use immediately.

Unpack your baby swing, set up the pack ‘n play, and install the car seat.

You can even have your local fire or police department do that last task and make certain it is correct. Nesting during pregnancy is a great way to prepare for your new life with your new baby. It will be the most fun you have cleaning in your life!

And one more thing you may consider while nesting is to get maternity pictures. You may not know it now, but you will want to remember this special time in your life. Never again will your baby be so close to you. You will never be one with them the way you are while you are pregnant. So head to my maternity gallery to see some examples of the beautiful photos you can expect to capture. Or read up on how to plan for your newborn session. It is the perfect way to “nest”!