Ask most any soon-to-be mama and she will tell you that nesting energy is R.E.A.L.
This somewhat sudden burst of energy and desire to prepare/clean/organize yourself and your home (think a mama bird making her perfect nest of sticks before she lays her eggs! swoon) is real indeed. It may have roots in ancestral wisdom (with a little kick from our hormones) to get ourselves ready for the giant change that’s about to go down in life as we know it.
Personally, I think nesting energy is fantastic! Frankly, after being pretty dog tired for so many weeks it’s nice to feel energetic and inspired again. :)
So if this is you, feel free to embrace the nest! Enjoy your time getting your home and life ready for your little one.
Here are seven activities that will harness your natural nesting energy to actually accomplish projects that will satisfy yourself now, AND make life easier down the road!
Do some meal prep and freeze it
I can’t stress enough how critical this is to your postpartum wellbeing. I guarantee you will thank yourself (and me!) later if you do some food prep now. It’s a complete game changer for your health as a new mother (mentally, emotionally, and physically). That’s why I created an entire 92 page Postpartum Freezer Meals ebook dedicated to helping you stock your freezer with the perfect healing foods before the fourth trimester.
Make a breastfeeding basket and a changing station
When baby comes, there really are just a few main activities on the menu: eat, sleep, poop, repeat. :) Make this easier on yourself and encourage rest by creating a diaper changing station (this can be a changing table or any designated area that holds all that diaper supplies in one space, ready to go!) as well as a breastfeeding station (cause if you are breastfeeding, you will be doing this A LOT). Learn how to make your own breastfeeding basket here.
Organize your postpartum Care supplies
Regardless of how you give birth, there will likely be some healing that needs to take place down unda for a few days at bare minimum, but likely several weeks, and in some cases, months. There are a few items you’ll do well to have on hand in advance so you’re ready to take care of your most precious body parts. It’s a good idea for every mama to have plenty of heavy duty pads, sitz bath supplies for discomfort and to encourage healing (learn everything you need to know about sitz baths here), a peri-bottle (you won’t want to wipe after using the bathroom for several days so use a spray bottle instead), and nipple cream to make breastfeeding more comfortable (find my favorite here and use “Wildflower” for 20% off). Other things you may consider are a physical sitz bath to use your herbs in, perineal spray to bring cooling comfort, and herbs to take in tincture form. Personally, I loved taking Milk Rich, Baby Blues, and AfterEase (for after birth contractions) from WishGarden Herbs during my own postpartum journey (find these tinctures plus more here).
Whatever you choose to invest in, purchase it ahead of time and keep all your materials in one place. I recommend keeping everything displayed in a single basket that you store under the bathroom sink until baby comes— then keep it out on the counter (within arms reach of the toilet) because you’re going to need it!
Stock up on shelf stable snacks
Eating quality meals that are nutrient dense is of utmost importance during postpartum recovery… but we also need to just snack sometimes! Stock up on lots of shelf stable snacks now. Think trail mix, beef jerky, nut butters, Lara bars, seaweed snacks, olives, etc. You may also like to make a written list of your favorite healthy snacks to keep on the fridge so your partner or other family members can easily restock for you later on as needed.
Stock up on household basics
Take your cute belly out on the town and get all the things your house uses regularly, like toilet paper, hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, trash bags, toothpaste, etc. Note, these are all things that won’t expire and contribute to your basic household function. As long as you have the space to store a few extra items, there’s no downside and you won’t have to drive to the store for random things later when you should be resting in bed. Oh yeah, now you can add diapers and wet wipes to your list too!
Clean out your closet
I know it sounds cliche, but this one is a crowd pleaser that actually really helps during the fourth trimester! Why? Because postpartum is messy business, my friends. Like literally… your clothes get super messy. If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll be leaking everywhere at first. You’ll get sweaty. Bloody. Baby will probably pee on you. And poop on you. And spit up on you. It’s just a messy time for clothes (and bedding!). You’ll want to be as comfortable as possible (remember, its rest rest rest during those first few weeks!) and there’s a few wardrobe staples to have on hand, like breastfeeding bras, breastfeeding camis or tank tops, comfy sweat pants, and super soft sweaters. Consider cleaning out your closet now and keeping these go-to items in easy to find locations.
Automate your financial life
This project isn’t as cute as the others, but it can really save you some stress in the future. Anything that can be automated, should be. This means setting all bills to autopay when possible. Think credit cards, mortgage or rent, vehicle payments, insurance, certain taxes, etc. Life can get a little wild with a newborn in arms, so it’s nice to not have to worry about being late on your bills. You can also set automatic alerts with your bank account to notify you if your accounts fall below a certain amount. While you’re at it, look ahead at your calendar a few months and set any reminders now for upcoming financial obligations (like property taxes, income taxes, etc.), so that there’s no last minute stress later. This is a great activity to do with your partner (you can divide tasks this way) and it gives you an opportunity to discuss any adjustments that need to be made in your financial lives with a little one on the way. Psst- this does not have to be stressful or scary, you can simply start by agreeing to check in with each other once a month for a casual “money meeting” after baby comes to make sure you two remain on the same page.
Which one of these activities did you find most helpful? Anything you would add to our list!? Share below.