“Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or to hatch.” –E.B. White, from Charlotte’s Web
Let’s talk about ‘nesting.’ Nesting is typically a last-trimester phenomenon wherein a pregnant woman’s natural instincts “take over” and cause her to clean things to the standards of an operating room and organize rooms, furniture and clothing akin to a military maneuver.
You know that you are nesting if you:
-Panic if you don’t have a crib purchased by week 33. (I have done this in the past.)
You know that you are deep into nesting if you:
-Panic if that crib is not erected and placed in the nursery by week 33. (I’ve done this too.)
You know that you need to join a nesting support group if you:
-Scream and fall apart sobbing if ‘said crib’ does not have the matching sheets, bumper pad, quilt and bed skirt double-washed in Dreft, ironed, and placed on the crib with the perfect mobile suspended from the rail with a verbal threat of annihilation if anyone dares to move a single blanket or stuffed animal out of place. (Sadly, although not my finest moment…I’ve done this too…sigh….)
Strangely, with baby #5 on the way, my nesting looks much different than it did with my first four. Oh…I’m still nesting, to be sure…but it does not involve organizing onesies by size and color, nor does it include creating a checklist for my diaper bag. (Another one of the skeletons-in-the-closet of my nesting past.)
With this pregnancy, it’s the patio furniture. I have no crib. I have nary a diaper in the whole house. Not even one. The baby clothes remain unwashed in the Rubbermaid container in the attic. Sadly, I have no desire to scrub, wash, disinfect or sterilize any baby items, yet…. But, I am completely obsessed with making sure that I have an immaculate backyard seating ensemble. And flowers in their pots. And a tidy lawn. None of this has anything to do with preparing for a baby.
Of course, I am personally too tired to actually perform any of the cleaning, planting, mowing, and raking duties required to achieve landscape perfection. So, I’ve wearily begged my kind husband, Travis, to adopt my patio preparation frenzy. Out of the goodness of his heart (and because he is sick of hearing me whine), he did all of the work for me while I napped gratefully on the couch.
I told him that when it was all said and done, he too would be happy to have the backyard completed for cookouts with family and friends. (Because secretly, he really enjoys a nice looking backyard when company comes over.) I like to call it his ‘Guesting Instinct.’
Perhaps in the next week, I’ll start washing baby clothes…but more likely, I’ll reorganize my file drawers.
What’s happening to baby this week?
*Baby now weighs approximately four-and-a-half pounds.
*Braxton Hicks (practice contractions) are the uterus’s way of warming up for the main event. They can sometimes be uncomfortable and last up to 30 seconds. Rather than being frightened or concerned, consider them a ‘tap on the shoulder’ leading up to actual delivery.
*The hormone progesterone is being produced at a rapid rate (250 milligrams a day) vs. a few milligrams during a normal menstrual cycle. This combined with the increase of estrogen which multiplies by 20-30 times, can cause you to feel weepy, depressed and suddenly emotional. It is very normal. Don’t be alarmed.
What’s happening with ME this week?
*I am distracted and clumsy…moving from one unfinished project to the next.
*Surprisingly, I am not yet worried about the lack of preparation for the baby to come home…call it denial.
*I have made peace with my exhaustion; lying down whenever my body can’t go one more step.
Are you prepared for baby to arrive? Visit our Web site to sign up for classes, including Breastfeeding Basics and CPR for Parents and Grandparents.
Let’s hear from you!
What ways have you found yourself ‘nesting’ to get ready for your baby?