Prepping the Nest

One day you may wake up and feel a sudden burst of energy to clean and prep for you baby’s arrival. It’s nature’s way of giving you a boost to ensure your baby has a great home space when they arrive. The great thing about nesting is that once you do it, you can be completely ready and organized for baby so that you can focus on bonding once they arrive.

If you have that nesting feeling and don’t know where to start, how about you check out these tips!

15 To Do Items To Prepare Your Nest

1.            Declutter. Get rid of all unnecessary and unused items. If you haven’t touched in since you got pregnant then you probably won’t miss it.

2.            Scrub all windows

3.            Clean baseboards

4.            Vacuum under all furniture

5.            Organize baby’s clothes by size and seasons

6.            Assemble all baby items. (car seat, swing, baby bath, etc)

7.            Pack the diaperand hospital bag

8.            Clean out the fridge

9.            Get rid of junk food from the pantry

10.         Clean the car

11.         Get a camera ready

12.         Organize the laundry room

13.         Make sure you have a call list and/or babysit list for when you are delivering

14.         Stock up toiletries

15.         Dust furniture, fans, and clean air filters

Here are some last-minute details you want to check off your list before going into labor.

- Baby Clothes: Don’t go tiny clothes crazy but make sure you are well-stocked with the newborn essentials like onesies, booties, t-shirts, swaddles and sweaters. Put together a registry for all the basics and beyond you want for little one. Pre-wash all the baby clothes so they are ready to wear when you come home from delivery.

- Mama Clothes: Get clothes for delivery day and prep for your postpartum body. Nursing pads, bras and easy to open shirts will be essential if you are breastfeeding. Stock up on comfy cotton underwear. The thong days will be over for a while. And don’t get too fancy with the comfy cotton undies, they may become stained with discharge and blood during the postpartum period. You’ll want lots of comfy clothing to lounge wear when baby is here. Treat yourself to some stylish and comfortable pieces to wear around the house.

- Food: Stock up your pantry with your staple healthy snacks, dishes, and drinks. Grocery shopping will be the last thing on your mind once baby is home. You will thank yourself and your partner later when you come home to everything you need.

- Get the Baby Essentials: Such tiny humans need so many things. Make sure you have baby soap, digital thermometers, nasal syringes, rubbing alcohol, nail clippers,  nipples, bottles, bottle washers, bottle drying rack, Kleenex, bottle warmer, burping cloths, diapers and creams.

Most importantly, enjoy this time. Make decorating and organizing a past time to keep your mind occupied. Sifting through all the baby clothes and putting up nursery art will bring you lots of smiles.

Wishing you a great birth experience! Best wishes.

XO - Nandi, Postpartum & Birth Doula