Down with the kids

Everyone knows the obvious symptoms of pregnancy, morning sickness, cravings and fatigue. But what about the more obscure symptoms that get less publicity? Today I’m dedicating my post to one of these - the innocuously named ‘nesting’ urge.

The thing about the third pregnancy is that you know exactly what happens next. The first time it was all a surprise, and the second time you feel that things might be different this time around. The third time you know what this ride is all about, you are familiar with every twist and turn, and aware that there are no shortcuts! So DSO wasn’t surprised when he returned home to find that I had written a 3 page list of ‘jobs’ around the house!

The list methodically goes through each room in our house and sets out furniture to be moved, cupboards to be tidied and items to be purchased. As most of the list is about storage, the items for purchase are all accompanied by page references from the latest Ikea catalogue. Have you noticed when you visit Ikea the number of heavily pregnant women wandering, as if sleepwalking, doting partner trailing behind with a carry cart full of flat boxes? Our Swedish furniture friends have really done their research!

The ‘nesting’ doesn’t end here though, there are probably about 6 weeks (Week 26-32) of tidying, moving and storing. The next phase focuses on the minutia of daily family routine. Star charts will be prepared for the kids, and behavioral plans put in place. We’ll have goals, like both kids going to bed at the same time, Big Sis eating broccoli and Little Bro walking beside a pram without running off. This will take us to about week 36.

Once this subsides then the really crazy stuff starts as I become increasingly convinced that I will be unable to leave the house, even to shop, for at least 12 months after the baby is born. Possible because Little Bro hasn’t responded adequately to his star chart requirement of not running into traffic when walking next to the pram!

The activities which characterise this third phase (week 36-40) of nesting are mainly shopping, cooking and freezing. Before Little Bros birth I had 2 slabs of tins of tomatoes,20 kg of rice and 15 kg of pasta delivered to the shed (just to name a few items ). I suspect the neighbors thought we had joined a survivalist sect. In my defence I will say that we did eventually get through the 12 frozen lasagnas and vats of pumpkin soup.

Insight doesn’t help. The only way I can describe it is as an inevitable and overpowering primal urge, like the one that makes you push the baby out! I better go, another job just occurred to me - now, where was that list?