Are you pregnant and you feel an urgent need to clean, order and have everything ready for when your baby arrives? Have you ever had to paint the walls, polish floors, change the arrangement of the furniture or do any other work at home that you did not do before? If you feel identified, you may be living what is known as «Nest syndrome», a state of hyperactivity that some women experience in the final stretch of pregnancy and that most often affects new mothers. But does nest syndrome really exist or is it just a myth?
If we look at the animals, we see that many species, have a similar behavior before the imminence of the arrival of their young. Birds prepare their nests before laying and incubating their eggs, and many mammals seek shelter, isolation, and even burrows, in the days or hours before giving birth. It is not surprising that human females, as mammals that we are, feel the instinct to prepare the home to care for and protect our baby.
The nest syndrome also has a physiological explanation. In the last weeks of pregnancy, the production of oxytocin. This hormone, known as "Love hormone" is involved in multiple processes of sexual and reproductive life, including uterine contractions during childbirth, lactation, and maternal instinct that makes us fall madly in love with our baby and we want to give you the best of welcomes.
Emotionally, nest syndrome is a reflection of the anxiety and uncertainty caused by the arrival of the baby. Faced with a new and unknown situation, many pregnant women need to have the feeling that everything is perfectly controlled and have the peace of mind that everything will go well from the first moment. In this sense, performing some tasks can be beneficial. Of course, it is necessary to take certain precautions such as avoiding lifting too heavy objects that can hurt you, climbing into dangerous places or not using toxic paints and cleaning products. It is also important to respect the rest times since you will need to gather energy for the delivery and the puerperium.
Not all women experience nest syndrome. Some moms are a little more restless while others assume the pregnancy in a more relaxed way or have already had experiences with other children and feel more secure. The really important thing is that, whether you feel the urge to leave your home spotless, or if you feel more tired or calm, enjoy every stage of your pregnancy.