Kicks and Cankles: The Case for Nesting Early

There's plenty to not like about pregnancy, don't get me wrong. But in addition to some dynamite boobs and maybe extra-luscious locks, pregnant women may enjoy another advantage of child-carrying: nesting.

Whether you nest early, late, or not at all, consider the following: nesting earlier rather than later in pregnancy can serve you well. Just think about it, if you get your home squeaky clean and organized by 25 weeks instead of 40, you'll have that much more time to sit back and relax before baby comes.

Reasons Nesting Early Is Great

I've heard many women (myself included) sheepishly admit to going through closets and cleaning everything in sight before entering their third trimester. Even though I got teased for this, I think it's just fine! In fact, it's more than fine. I think it's awesome!

I know that some of you might be thinking, "Nesting early isn't a good idea. Then my house will be messy again by the time I have the baby. And I already have kids so they'll wreck anything I do within days. I should wait until the last possible minute." But hear me out.

At the end of your pregnancy, you are a special brand of tired. Your body is literally stretched to its limit. And although stress-cleaning might provide a distraction from how extremely pregnant you are, it can also push you over the edge. When it comes time to push that baby out, you're going to want every single ounce of energy you can get ahold of. That involves conserving said energy!

Deep Clean Now, Light Clean Later

Another reason that nesting early can serve you well is that if you do the deep cleaning at 20ish weeks, you can hopefully maintain with light cleaning until after the baby comes. For instance, here are some deep cleaning tasks to do before your belly reaches epic proportions:

• Wash the walls and baseboards
• Clean your ceiling fans
• Vacuum under beds and furniture
• Polish doors and other wood surfaces
• Scrub grout in your shower and on other tiled surfaces
• Organize closets (including moving heavier items)
• Disassemble and clean appliances like the toaster, vacuum, etc.
• Clean the oven

This way, you can just wipe down surfaces and sweep during the last trimester knowing that, deep down, things are still pretty clean and organized!

Take Time to Pamper

In my humble opinion, at the end of your pregnancy, you should pamper yourself instead of trying to clean your house from top to bottom. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Read a good book
• Get a mani-pedi, or just a pedicure
• Meet a friend for lunch
• Go on a fancy date with your spouse
• Plan a night in with your spouse with games and food
• Plan a staycation babymoon playing tourist in your hometown
• Go on a weekend getaway
• Do a girls' night
• Take a nap
• Eat a snack
• Treat yourself (whatever form that takes)

Just remember, as excited as you are to meet your little one, the third trimester is a precious time that is baby-free (even if you already have little kids), so take advantage! Clean now and relax later when you need it most!

Featured Header Image PC: @taliapearson_