Life
Among all the side effects that pregnant women can endure, nesting is definitely not the worst. In fact, it's kind of great if you really think about it. I mean, extra energy and motivation to clean? I will take that over constant nausea any day. I waited (impatiently) during the first part of pregnancy for my nesting instinct to kick in, but once it in, it did not disappoint. I was on fire; a ridiculous cleaning machine that waddled through even the most unnecessary chores. Thankfully, my partner is a grown-ass man who supported his pregnant partner through nesting, and did not roll his eyes when I insisted that the basement stairs be vacuumed right now, immediately.
At least, he did not roll his eyes in front of me, and that's really all the matters, right? Not that he didn't also benefit from dust-free basement steps, but I wouldn't have blamed him if he'd been like, "Who are you, and what did you do to my wife?" Prior to my nesting phase, cleaning parts of the house over and over again until I was satisfied wasn't necessarily, um, the name of my game. To someone who can't get pregnant, and therefore can't experience what it's like to feel a sudden urge to reorganize all your clothes or move furniture around your living room, my behavior probably seemed odd, at best.
But my grown-ass partner stayed quiet,and reaped the benefits of the cleaning spree, so really everyone wins and the world is awesome. Speaking of awesome, I have a few other suggestions for how a man can help his partner nest:
He Can Definitely Not Imply That She's Doing Anything Crazy
I've never lived with a pregnant woman (as far as I know), so I can't imagine how it feels to witness someone acting on her nesting instinct. Is it a beautiful site to behold? A lovely testament to what women are capable of? I mean, of course it is. However, it's probably a little bit strange, too, so it's probably best if he not question it.
He Can Read Labels To Be Sure That All The Cleaning Products Are Safe For Her To Use
I'm not sure about you guys, but getting used to actually reading all the labels I used to skip over took some adjusting. I mean, sure, it was a little intuitive that I should not ride roller coasters or smoke cigarettes, but the random soaps under the sink? I didn't what was safe, and what wasn't safe, memorized. This is where a grown-ass man can step in.
He Can Help In The Ways That She's Physically Limited
Here's the obvious punchline: in what ways aren't pregnant women physically limited? Seriously though, vacuuming, which requires one to stand upright, was much easier for me than say, scrubbing the floor, which involves a bit more elbow grease (and sitting on the floor for more than ten seconds at a time). I don't mean that a man should get down and do everything for his partner, but that volunteering to reach a cobweb on the ceiling or to move a couch a couple inches, can go a long way.
He Can Confirm That, Yes, It Is A Good Idea To Dust The Door Hinges
It's probably best if everyone just agrees to agree. Sure, he could try to dispute, but I don't recommend it. Nesting is something his pregnant partner feels the need to do to be prepared for the baby's arrival, so don't ask questions. Just agree.
He Can Make Her A Snack And Pour Her A Drink To Keep Her Energy Up
It's not like she'll need the energy, since the extra motivation that a nesting pregnant woman has is at the level of Jessie Spano taking caffeine pills to study geometry. But, just in case he's so inclined, offering a pregnant woman food is pretty much always a good idea (disclaimer: as long as she's not nauseous or it's not one of the foods she has suddenly grown an aversion to).
He Can Run To The Store For A New Dustpan, Or Sponges, Or A Laminator
Why does a nesting pregnant woman need a laminator, you might ask? Psh, it's not like that pinterest-worthy chore chart is going to laminate itself, guys.
He Can Look Up Instructions For Making Eco-Friendly Furniture Polish Using Only Ingredients In The House
So, speaking of Pinterest, I can't help but notice that there are some geniuses out there who can make crafts out of basically anything. Surely there's a way to use the old twine, hardened honey, and various jars full of half-used, expired spices that are just chilling in my kitchen, right? If using Pinterest to fulfill the destiny of these products that should be otherwise discarded is wrong, I don't want to be right.
He Can Make A Cleaning Playlist
I like my chores with a side of Justin Bieber and Janet Jackson. I make no apologies about either, my friends.
He Gets Out Of Her Way
At some point, in the same way that haters are gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, and players are gonna play, play, play, play, a nesting woman is gonna nest. It's in everyone's best interest to give her room to do so (with the utmost love and respect and support, of course).
