Preparing your house for your baby's arrival

Many women find that around the fifth month of pregnancy the nesting instinct kicks in. It’s often an irrational urge to spring clean the house from top to bottom and organise everything and everybody. This is a primal instinct that is also apparent in animals – it also makes you feel good and in control.

This unusual burst of energy occurs after the first trimester, when many women start to feel better as fatigue and nausea ease away. Some women get this instinct quite close to the birth, so if you are dying to scrub your kitchen’s floor in the last week of pregnancy, this can be a sign of the onset of labour!

Whenever and however the nesting instinct surfaces, it’s perfectly all right, provided you don’t embark into dangerous tasks such as painting the nursery walls perched on the top of a ladder (oil-based paint is not recommended and if you live in an old house, old paint contains lead, while latex paints contain mercury) or do heavy lifting in an attempt to rearrange furniture.

Start stocking your freezer with nutritious, homemade meals you can defrost and reheat quickly and your cupboard with good staples like canned tuna, chopped tomatoes, baked beans and pasta. When your baby is born, you will be providing round-the-clock care, so you might not have the time or energy for cooking nutritious meals and grab anything that is available, which might lead to eating junk food. In the last week, buy fresh fruit and vegetables to make quick salads, cheese and yogurts to snack on. Bakery products such as muffins, crumpets and toasting bread can be refrigerated or frozen. If you have to buy convenience food, opt for quality, organic meals and soups.

Remember to relax and take care – so leave heavy housework duties to your partner or relations.