Baby on the way: 11 nesting activities that will make you feel ready for bub
As a woman nears the end of her pregnancy, and has almost grown a tiny human being, the “nesting” phase kicks in. This signals that not only is a baby imminent, but that it’s time to prepare the nest for that little chicken!
Nesting serves a number of very important purposes at the end of pregnancy. For starters, it helps to prepare a woman for labour and the days that follow. It also helps the rest of the family – and friends – switch mindset and get ready to welcome a fresh little life. And! It can be really fun and reassuring to finally feel super-ready for what’s coming.
Here are just a few of the nesting activities that will make life easier, once a baby arrives.
1. Wash all your baby’s clothes and bedding
Washing everything before baby arrives is a sensible idea so everything is all folded, soft and smelling lovely. It’s also a special kind of mental prep, because pegging onesies and baby leggings on the line provides a pretty amazing “this is actually happening” moment!
2. Prepare the nursery
Before baby arrives is the very best time to snaffle the things you need to be sorted and safe. Once your baby comes it gets a bit harder to get out and about, at least in those early weeks, so get your cot/bassinet, monitor, change table, muslins, clothing, bottles, dummies, bedding and all the other bits and bobs you deem necessary well before your due date.
3. Meal preparation or meal service
Some parents do a mega-cook-up and freeze meals in portions, ahead of the birth. Others lock in a meal service for those hazy postpartum days. Some meal services deliver the ingredients and you whip the finished product up yourself. Others deliver the meals ready to heat and serve.
Choose what works for you, but know that a little bit of forward thinking is usually a godsend in those early weeks. (We also recommend a slow cooker, so you can fling things into it at breakfast time and easily have dinner on the table many hours later!)
4. Baby-friendly your home
Envisage yourself at home with your newborn bub. Where will you sit to feed her? Can you make that spot more comfy and practical? What will it be like when you arrive home from taking your baby out in the car? Is it easy to get inside? Can you make things easier? Where will you bathe her? Is everything you need within arm’s reach?
Fast-forward your life a bit and rearrange things to make life easier, post-bub. Too easy!
5. Stock up on baby products
Grab everything you need for your newborn, well before your baby arrives, and you’ll feel instantly more prepared and calm. Think nappies, wipes, baby wash, super-soft washcloths, nappy cream, and you’re off to a very good start. This is also a great time to make sure you have all the grown-up staples a tired mum and/or dad might need later – think painkillers, bandaids, nipple cream, antiseptic and any other medications you take on a regular or semi-regular basis.
6. Install your car seat
Buy or hire a newborn appropriate car seat and install it – or have it expertly installed – according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Do this well ahead of your due date, to allow for early arrivals, because you just never know! Babies have minds of their own and hospitals require you to have a properly fitted restraint to transport your baby home in, post-birth.
7. Pack your hospital bag
Packing your hospital bag is a vital no-brainer and definitely part of the readying and nesting process. It’s also a really helpful necessity when you’re hospital-bound or in the delivery room and need that scented candle or pawpaw cream or protein bar to get you through.
8. Organise extra help
It really does take a village, and thinking about enlisting help with shopping, cleaning or baby cuddling before your bub arrives will make the days after she’s here MUCH easier – and more social – too. You could turn to family or friends – or hit up a service like Airtasker if you’re looking for a cleaner. Most supermarkets will deliver your shopping and there are a number of independent grocery services too.
9. Write a baby wishlist
Ahead of a baby, you’re often inundated with kind gifts. Get smart by creating a wishlist of the things you actually need. Not only will this ensure that you have the things you need once your little one arrives, it’ll mean you don’t end up with 27 teddy bears and 12 copies of Where The Wild Things Are. There are heaps of online registries you can sign up for – and add the things you really need to. Just Google it!
10. Investigate childcare
It might seem a bit bonkers to be thinking about childcare before your baby arrives, but in many parts of Australia, childcare places are highly sought after. Checking out centres within your area and putting your child’s name down (if you have a name confirmed!) on the waiting list is just smart thinking – and one less thing you’ll need to do later.
11. Rethink your routine
Think about the flow of your day, once you have a newborn. If you have other responsibilities like work or children, plan ahead to absorb them as easily as possible into your day. Maybe you need to organise for some extra help with pick-ups or get someone to take on some of your usual chores to make things work better? Do that sooner, rather than later, to stay stress-free post-baby.