Nesting?.....

[timer lady]

I've never had the priviledge of delivering my own babies, however I've watched my own mother at the end of 3 of her pregnancies as well as my two sisters.

What struck me as I pondered it over the last week - how much the day or two before they delivered they accomplshed around the house.

Mom, before delivering the last of her 3 children, would be cooking up a storm & freezing food, like her family wouldn't be fed ever again. In the meantime, while cooking, she'd be relining her cupboards & scrubbing kitchen floors.

My younger siser got into laundry - she must have washed & ironed every piece of clothing in her home before heading to the hospital with the twins (which she didn't deliver for another month). brother in law commented that was the only time his shorts had been ironed.

My older sister did the same as my mother - except C delivered very quickly. She'd be mixing up some batch of pasta sauce or pesto & scrubbing the floor - all the while talking to me on the phone. I asked her how much time she had left before I had to come pick her up; she thought I should have been there an hour earlier but she hadn't showered yet. At which point, I put my mom on the phone - I couldn't take it anymore. The woman was a total hormonal fruitcake!

Which brings me to my point - I seem to be doing the nest thing a bit around here. I find the need to clear the clutter & have everything in place before I head out to Mayo Clinic. I even set up the finances in such a way a monkey, uhm husband, could sit down here & pay bills; heck see if we have any money left in the account.

I have weeks of menus, along with the accompanying shopping lists on the computer - again husband CAN handle this.

kt's list of reminders are all over the house. She's learned to cook & has been pitching in with of all things, washing the walls! I'll take it.

I just feel that nothing should be out of place before I leave town. That the house needs to be if not clean, at least not cluttered & people can find things that are needed. I need to know that bills will continue to be paid & I have a house to come home to.

All this & I may be down there the first time 2 to 3 days at most.

How many of you nested before delivering a baby? I've seen this as a fairly common phenomon.

 

[donna723]

I don't know if I did it right before my kids were born. No big bursts of energy for me - it was all I could do it get out of a chair by myself. I considered this an accomplishment.

I have found myself doing this when I'm going off on a trip though. With everything else I have to do, I'm also scrubbing floors and alphabetizing the canned goods in the pantry. It's just so nice to be able to come home to a clean, orderly house!

 

[dreamer]

I did do some degree of nesting...more with 2nd child than first, I think. The 2nd, I washed all the windows in the house, inside and out hours before she was born. Last child was a preemie and not sure I did as much just before he was born- BUT-
whenever I am leaving the house to go overnite or more- I am a frantic mess- setting everything here to rights. I am not sure it is becuz I think they will not be able to find things or do things, and I am pretty sure it is not that I care if they find things "nice" or not.....and I KNOW it cannot be that "I" expect it to be "nice" when I get back home- cuz I KNOW that won't be the case.....I guess it is just that I always did go into overdrive to make up ahead what I might not be here to do.

 

[crazymama30]

For difficult child (2nd child) I had planned day off work to clean house and get ready for the new baby. easy child was going to the babysitter, and I had plans of getting all kinds of things done. The night before I went into labor. No nesting for me, but it was not for lack of trying. I had to plan the nesting as I was too tired after I got off work. I was working in the nursing home and while very rewarding, it is very hard work.

 

[dreamer]

Considering this further- I think I do it to keep myslef busy, trying to keep anxious thoughts at bay. Most of the time when I am heading out, it is to take one of the kids to the university teaching hospital.....and even if it is simply for routine follow up I get anxious. Doing all the work here such as makeing sure every peice of clothing is washed dried ironed folded and put away helps calm me, and makeing sure every peice of trash is gone, and every dish washed and put away and every bill paid etc.....it keeps me busy, burns off anxiety....Reminds me of my role in our home and family, or something, and I draw comfort from that? Maybe it is my way of trying to have things be more "normal" dureing a highly stressful time?
And yes, I alphabetized cabinets before giving birth etc.....in my mind I was thinking "I might not feel like doing this AFTER the baby is born, so I beter get it done before hand" and also thinking, Oh I want my new baby to come home to a nice home. As if maybe a new baby might not want to come home to a less than perfect home? Plus I knew I would rather gaze at a newborn that be doing much housework for awhile, and I knew I would be busy in a new baby fog due to nitetime feedings etc. So I was trying to head off chaos. and overwork later.