Nesting during Pregnancy: Symptoms, When Does It Start, & more

If you wake up one day and find yourself thinking about cleaning your house, organising your wardrobe, repacking your hospital bag, arranging the tiny clothes in your baby’s newly purchased dresser, then it could be due to the nesting instinct.

Nesting in pregnancy is basically an act of preparing your baby home for your baby’s arrival. This sweet maternal phenomenon might make the soon-to-be mom doubt every single aspect of the house, and think about whether it is good or harmful to the baby. This instinct usually strikes in the third trimester, a few weeks before the due date. Instead of enjoying the well-deserved rest like you are supposed to, you might find yourself rearranging and scrub diligently. If your baby’s arrival is due in a couple of weeks, you may get the nesting instinct anytime. Read on to learn more about it.

What Is Nesting Instinct in Pregnancy?

Nesting refers to the process or act of preparing your home, or ‘nest’, to welcome the baby into your world. Nesting is a common instinct in moms-to-be; expectant birds have this instinct, expectant cats feel it too, and so do many other animals during pregnancy. Generally, a nesting mother prepares the home in order to ensure the safety of the newborn. She might engage in baby-proofing the home, deep cleaning it, sometimes even doing loads of laundry. Female nesting is not harmful in any way. Women have also been observed to stay closer to their home when the nesting stage during pregnancy arrives.

Does Every Pregnant Woman Nest?

Not all expecting mothers go through the nesting period. In fact, it was found in a survey that three-fourths of all expecting women go through the nesting phase, while the rest did not. It does not signify the health of a pregnant woman in any way; some women nest, and the others do not.

When Does Nesting Start During Pregnancy?

In many cases, the nesting instinct can strike a pregnant woman as early as the second trimester. This is because the energy levels of a woman that stage, and she might find herself channelling all this energy into cleaning her home. However, nesting is sure to affect a woman closer to the due date, in the last weeks of pregnancy. Adrenaline flows through at high levels during this time, and a woman usually tackles that by improving her living conditions. It is even said that when a woman starts cleaning her home in a frantic manner in the third trimester, it can be taken as a sign that she is about to go into labour.

Causes of Nesting While Pregnant

Nesting during pregnancy is a natural urge experienced by many expectant mothers to prepare their homes for the arrival of their baby. It often occurs in the third trimester and is influenced by physical, emotional, and hormonal factors. Below are some common causes:

1. Hormonal Changes

Pregnancy hormones, particularly oxytocin, play a significant role in triggering nesting behavior. These hormones increase the desire to create a safe and comfortable environment for the baby.

2. Instinctual Preparation

Nesting is believed to be an evolutionary instinct. Similar to how animals prepare nests for their offspring, humans may feel the need to organise and clean their homes as a part of survival and caregiving instincts.

3. Upcoming Delivery

The anticipation of labor and delivery motivates many women to ensure everything is in place. This can include setting up the nursery, organising baby supplies, and deep cleaning the home.

4. Heightened Focus on Safety

Pregnant women often develop an acute awareness of potential hazards. This heightened focus drives actions such as childproofing, removing clutter, and arranging furniture to create a safe environment for the baby.

5. Boosted Energy Levels

For some women, a surge of energy in the third trimester can lead to increased activity, including cleaning and organising. This burst of energy is often directed towards nesting activities.

6. Emotional Preparation

Nesting may also be a way to emotionally prepare for motherhood. Organising baby clothes, setting up the crib, and other activities help mothers-to-be connect with their role and feel ready for the baby’s arrival.

7. Anxiety and Stress Relief

For some, nesting serves as a coping mechanism for managing pregnancy-related anxiety. Completing tasks and organising the home can provide a sense of control and calm.

Symptoms of Nesting During Pregnancy

Nesting during pregnancy is a psychological and instinctive response that many women experience, often in the later stages of pregnancy. Here are the various signs of nesting in pregnancy.

1. Intense Cleaning Urge

One of the most noticeable symptoms of nesting is an overwhelming desire to clean. You may find yourself scrubbing floors, wiping down surfaces, or organising every room in your house, even places you’ve neglected for months. This intense focus on cleanliness is often linked to the instinct to create a safe and welcoming space for the baby. It is also attributed to a surge in energy, making you feel restless and unable to sit still.

2. Organising and Reorganising

Along with cleaning, you may feel an uncontrollable need to organise everything in your home. Whether it’s sorting baby clothes, arranging the nursery, or even tackling areas like the pantry or closets, this need to arrange things perfectly can be a sign of nesting.

3. Preoccupation with Future Caregiving

During the nesting phase, many women find themselves thinking far ahead about motherhood. This includes planning for the baby’s arrival, researching parenting styles, and becoming hyper-aware of their future responsibilities. This mental preparation helps women adjust to the life changes ahead.

4. Staying Close to Home

Nesting often leads women to stay home more frequently, as they feel the urge to focus on preparing their living environment. You might find yourself avoiding social outings and wanting to stay in, concentrating solely on getting ready for the baby.

5. Focus on Baby-Related Purchases

Another sign of nesting is the sudden urge to buy baby-related items, from clothes and toys to furniture and baby gear. Expectant mothers may feel compelled to ensure they have everything ready for the baby’s arrival, even if they’ve already acquired the essentials.

How Long Does Nesting Instinct Continue in Pregnancy?

In most cases, the nesting instinct reduces after the newborn baby arrives. However frantic the mother may have been in the nesting period during pregnancy, nesting is sure to stop after pregnancy. This is because parents spend most of their time after the baby is born tending to the child and so they have no energy left for any other activity. This also means that they don’t have enough time for normal household chores, so they may not get the sudden urge to clean the house as they did earlier. Due to this lack of energy, time and motivation in the mother, nesting instinct drops down dramatically after the baby is born.

Will Nesting Re-occur in Every Pregnancy?

If you had the instinct your first time, there is a huge possibility that you will experience it in subsequent pregnancies, too. ‘Expanding the nest’ is more the focus for the first time, and mothers may find themselves preparing for the eventual arrival of the second child. However, it is usually mellow in other pregnancies. You may find yourself repeating the previous activities to satisfy the craving. The second time around, you may find yourself getting the old baby clothes out and installing the toddler seat in the car.

Do Expectant Fathers Also Nest?

Male nesting is not a common occurrence, but you might find your partner helping out while you frantically clean the house. This is not due to any biological conditions, as they are just helping you out and become more comfortable. Fathers only have a theoretical understanding of pregnancy until the baby comes around, so it can be hard for them to feel the same thing you feel.

Is Nesting Harmful to Pregnancy?

Nesting on itself is not harmful in any way, but the activities you do as a result can be harmful to you. Avoid the following while you go about organising and cleaning your home for your baby’s arrival:

• If you feel like painting or cleaning using chemicals, make sure that the area is always well-ventilated.
• Never climb ladders for any reason, whether it is to dust your old painting or to hang a calendar.
• Do not overexert yourself with the chores. Stay hydrated and take regular breaks.
• If you experience anxiety and are losing sleep over minor things, be sure to talk to a doctor regarding those problems.

FAQs

1. Is nesting a symptom of labour?

Nesting instinct before labour is not a symptom of it as it does not mean that the baby will be arriving soon. There have been women affected by the nesting instinct as early as 5 months into their pregnancies and women who are affected only by the 39th week. Some women may not get the nesting instinct at all. It is not connected to labour in any way as it is merely a psychological condition. Doctors say that the burst of energy in mothers occur as a result of them trying to get everything in order.

2. Do expectant fathers also nest?

Male nesting is not a common occurrence, but you might find your partner helping out while you frantically clean the house. This is not due to any biological conditions, as they are just helping you out and become more comfortable. Fathers only have a theoretical understanding of pregnancy until the baby comes around, so it can be hard for them to feel the same thing you feel.

This was all about nesting and pregnancy. Nesting is beneficial in most ways, as it gives you the energy and the motivation to make those last-minute arrangements to welcome your child into the world. However, if you feel that things are getting out of hand with all the fretting, make sure to visit your doctor.

References/Resources:

1. Anderson. M, Rutherford. M; Evidence of a nesting psychology during human pregnancy (Evolution and Human Behavior); Science Direct; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090513813000706; November 2013

2. Lang. M, Krátký. J, Shaver. J, et al.; Effects of Anxiety on Spontaneous Ritualized Behavior (Current Biology); Science Direct; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982215006521; July 2015

3. 10 Things That Might Surprise You About Being Pregnant; Nemours Kids Health; https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/pregnancy.html

4. Registering for Baby Clothes; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/prenatal/decisions-to-make/Pages/Choosing-a-Layette.aspx

5. Nesting During Pregnancy; American Pregnancy Association; https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-health-wellness/nesting-during-pregnancy/

6. Driven to clean: Nesting instinct among pregnant women has an evolutionary backstory; Science Daily; https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130916090426.htm; September 2013

7. Shahvisi. A; Nesting behaviours during pregnancy: Biological instinct, or another way of gendering housework? (Womens Studies International Forum); ResearchGate; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338325430_Nesting_behaviours_during_pregnancy_Biological_instinct_or_another_way_of_gendering_housework; January 2020

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