If you haven't already figured it out, pregnancy can make you do some strange things, from forgetting your keys to craving peanut butter milkshakes. And even if you don't consider yourself the world's best housekeeper, some time around the fifth month of your pregnancy, you may find yourself cleaning and organizing parts of your home you've never even thought about before. But if you're expecting and haven't felt the urge to reorganize the closets or alphabetize your spices, you may be wondering what it means if you don't feel the urge to nest.
As Marla Anderson of the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour mentioned in Science Daily, a mother's desire to provide a safe and welcoming environment for her baby has been around since the beginning of time, and is not unique to humans. Most animals exhibit nesting qualities when they are expecting. And although birds use their waiting period to build a cozy new nest for their babies, nesting behavior can take on lots of different forms in human beings.
But not all pregnant women will get the urge to clean their baseboards — and that is totally normal. According to a poll conducted by the website, Baby Center, 27 percent of respondents did not nest at all during their pregnancy. Your level of energy, your body's response to pregnancy hormones, and whether or not this is your first pregnancy can all play a role in whether or not you feel the desire to nest.
If you're worried that you'd rather soak in your tub than clean it, check out this list of reasons why some moms don't get bit by the cleaning bug. It's important to remember that whether you nest or not will have no impact on your child's well-being or the kind of mother you will be. Instead, let your instincts and your body guide your behavior.