Nesting, or when the mother-to-be makes her nest.

Washing windows, doing laundry after laundry, sorting baby's onesie by size/color, lining up shoes in ascending order... Many expectant mothers go through this “cleaning frenzy” phase - which is often (and wrongly) attributed to an early sign of childbirth.
But why do pregnant women start to love sorting, tidying and cleaning from the 3rd trimester onwards? We take a look at this “nesting” instinct.

Nesting: a very common phenomenon among primiparous women
This state of “hyperactivity” generally occurs in the last weeks of pregnancy. Pregnant women start doing all sorts of jobs around the house that they've probably never done before... With just one goal in mind: to have everything “ready” for baby's arrival.
She wants to redo the wallpaper, clean the ceilings, strip the baseboards, wash the baby's entire wardrobe, iron...

The result of an instinctive mechanism

This need, known as “nesting”, is in fact a very rational and natural mechanism, which drives the mother-to-be to protect her baby. In fact, as the name suggests, it's similar to the instinct of birds to prepare their nests before incubating their young. The result is a reassuring environment that helps create the necessary bond of attachment between mother and child.

Nesting and household frenzy: beware!

Nesting takes place when the mother-to-be's belly has grown considerably. Pregnant women must therefore be particularly vigilant: avoid sudden movements, lifting heavy objects... or even climbing a stepladder to reach higher areas.
Ideally, a mother-to-be should rest and concentrate on her well-being during the last few weeks/days of pregnancy.
However, if you can't sleep at night wondering what color you're going to paint the living room walls, don't hesitate to ask friends and family for help!