5 Important Nesting Tips + Checklists for Expecting Mothers
Nesting tips + printable nesting checklists to help you prepare for your newborn!
When a pregnant mama first experiences her nesting instinct, she can become overwhelmed and anxious with all of the tasks that suddenly need to be completed. After three pregnancies with serious nesting, I have figured out how to navigate this period of pregnancy with minimal stress and anxiety and now I am ready to share a few of my tried & true nesting tips with you!
Nesting Tips + Checklists to Prepare for Baby
5 Tried & True Nesting Tips for Expecting Mothers
Nesting Tip #1. Make Comprehensive Nesting Checklists
I consider lists a life essential… I thrive on checking boxes and crossing tasks off. There is a sense of satisfaction & completion when I can see my accomplishments (no matter how small) checked off of a to-do list. My admiration for lists is probably a little more exaggerated than a normal mama, but the effectiveness of keeping a good list is undeniable.
Start your list with a simple brain dump. Jot down everything that you can think of that you want to complete before your baby gets here. Then, you can categorize the items on this list to make it easier to work through.
If you don’t want to make your own list or you just don’t know where to start, then you can take a look at my Nesting Checklist pack where I outline all of the essential tasks plus a few extras for you.
Nesting Tip #2. Focus on One Task at a Time
Don’t add to the overwhelm by trying to complete everything at once. This will cause unneeded stress and you will burn out & lose motivation pretty quickly. Tackle your list one day at a time, one task at a time.
Nesting Tip #3. Create a Cleaning Routine
Your nesting instinct during your 3rd trimester will push you to clean and organize all.the.things. If you want to try to keep up the state of your home after baby is born (cut yourself some slack, it’s not gonna be perfect) then you should create a cleaning routine to help you keep you with your day-to-day tasks.
I like to have a Daily Routine that pulls tasks from a weekly & monthly cleaning list so i can stay on top of the deep-cleaning as well as the daily management. I have all of these lists (premade and blank for you to fill in) within my Household Management Notebook.
Nesting Tip #4. Complete the Big Tasks First
I have tried starting out with smaller tasks and working my way to the bigger ones… This resulted in the big things not being completed because I was on bedrest for the last few weeks of pregnancy. Start with the big stuff–> decluttering, deep cleaning, setting up nursery furniture, etc… Then move on to the smaller tasks that you can do when you are at the more uncomfortable stage of pregnancy or you can delegate them out to family & friends.
Nesting Tip #5. Make Freezer Meals
When you are recovering from childbirth, the last thing that you want to be doing is standing over a stove cooking meals. Pre-make several meals to keep in the freezer. You can pull these out and pop them in the oven or crockpot as you need them. You can grab my complete list of 24 freezer meal recipes with corresponding grocery lists by following the link.
Nesting Checklists for Expectant Mamas
My #1 Nesting Tip was to make detailed checklists. If you aren’t sure where to start, check out the lists that I already have made for you!
I am a mother of three awesome, beautiful, and messy children! My nesting instinct hit me head on (like a truck) with each pregnancy. I have overwhelmed myself with trying to remember everything that needs to be completed within the many jumbled file folders in my brain. My mind would jump from house cleaning to baby proofing to finances to meal planning and back again.
I am a sucker for a good list so I made a complete Nesting Checklists Pack to help expectant mamas overcome the overwhelm during the third trimester frenzy!
The Complete Nesting Checklist packet includes:
Master List
This is the general checklist for Baby, Mama, Finances, Home, and Siblings.
Stockpile Checklist
You can use this list for items that are worth stocking up on for the baby and for the home.
Hospital & Diaper Bag List
Don’t forget any of the essentials (or extras) for your bags! Diapers, Wipes, and a cream, balm, or salve are the obvious items, but what else should you pack to make your first few days with baby a little more relaxing?
I cannot recommend the Laiya Deluxe diaper bag enough! My youngest is almost 2 now, and I am still using it as a diaper/teacher/snack bag & a purse! LOVE IT! You can use the code T4THEART to get this bag half off!
Postpartum Needs Checklist
There are a few items that really come in handy for a mama during her postpartum recovery. Use this list to make sure you have all of these items in stock.
Nursing Needs Checklist
Planning to breastfeed? Look through this sheet to make sure you are ready for your nursing journey. I am on month 22 (what?!?!) of nursing my 3rd child and I occasionally used a pump in the beginning… With my first 2 children I used a pump all.the.time! If you are going to pump at all, I definitely recommend the Medela Pump in Style!
Baby Proofing Checklist
Think you have everything baby proofed? My guess is you have missed something (I always do!). Use this checklist to make sure that your home is baby ready.
Organize & Declutter Checklist
Get your home ready for that babe! Start with decluttering your closet and work out from there. Organizing and cleaning are MUCH easier when you have minimized your belongings. This checklist helps you to get the ball rolling.
Deep Cleaning Checklist
Although you don’t need a spotless home for a baby, it does help scratch the nesting instinct itch:)
I also use the Deep Cleaning Printable from Cornerstone Confessions to go a little more in depth. You should check that out. 🙂
Freezer Meal List
One of my top 5 nesting tips is to make freezer meals!
If I were a betting mama, I would wager that you aren’t going to feel like cooking meals for the first few weeks after bringing baby home. Get some freezer meals ready now and have extra time to love on that baby when he or she gets here! *Get the complete Grocery Lists and Recipes pack by itself here.*
Ready to get the Nesting phase behind you, mama?
You can get the complete Nesting Checklists pack for yourself here!
>>More Ideas for New Mothers<<
- 24 Best Easy Freezer Meals for Stress-Free Dinners
- Creating an Efficient Household Cleaning Routine
- How to Build a DIY Farmhouse Baby Gate
- 8 Simple Lactation Recipes
- Create a Family Mission Statement
- Homemaking Tips for Moms with Young Children
You know, back in the day, I did make lists near the end of my pregnancies.
Now I’m facing a mastectomy, probably in October, and I have so many things on my mind.
I am going to do the brain dump, and see what I want to try to accomplish before then.
I have my last chemo on Wednesday, and it knocks me down, so my list will have to be shorter
than I’d like. Unfortunately, right now, I don’t have a lot of willing help, so what I can do to
prepare will be what I can do. Maybe I’ll have more help later.
You look so adorable! I pray God will give you an easy delivery and healthy baby. I have four, and it’s a very good number. Be blessed!
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage
Yes on the lists! I am such a list person! I have a list that breaks down even larger things into smaller tasks, for example doing birth announcements is actually 3 tasks: pick out a template, gather addresses in a Word template for labels, buy labels for the addresses. Even if it wasn’t on the list before I will add it just so I can cross it off! 😉 I’m weird like that.