How to Throw Pregnant Bestie A Nesting Party

Around my 35th week of pregnancy with my now-18-month-old, I had the strongest, strangest, most overwhelming desire… to clean. It was my nesting urge kicking in - an overwhelming need pregnant women feel when their due date approaches to make sure their home is ready to welcome a baby. Naturally, that nesting urge - mixed with some serious cravings - led me to the fridge.  

I sat on the floor of my kitchen, my belly with its own gravitational pull, and I completely emptied the contents of our fridge. With miscellaneous perishables surrounding me, I deep cleaned the entire thing. As I was about halfway done putting everything back in, I was hit with that hormonal pregnancy tiredness only women in their third trimester would understand. That nesting urge was strong...but the sleepiness was always stronger. My husband found me out of breath, slumped against the door of the fridge and helped me up, and he finished putting everything away (he’s the best).

I had so many projects I wanted to get done before my baby was born. Actually, I had a list of about 40 things (no, I’m not exaggerating) I wanted to get done in the final month of my pregnancy. Some were easy, like folding baby clothes. Some were bigger, like cleaning out our storage closet. When I first heard of the idea to have a nesting party, I had wished that I had thought of that for myself. If you have a friend who is pregnant (or if you are!), a nesting party is a low-cost, productive way to help her feel at ease as her due date approaches. I’ve listed some tips to help make your party go smoothly: 

Five Ways to Make Your Bestie’s Nesting Party a Success

1. First things first…have an awesome snack and drink table (don’t forget the mocktail!)

This doesn’t have to be complicated for it to be amazing. Think: cheese and crackers, crudité and dip, bruschetta, assorted light desserts. Mix up a colorful, flavorful mocktail (of course, you can include some vodka on the side for the non-pregnant guests!). 

Tip: Use pretty disposable plates, utensils and glasses to make the clean-up simple! If you can avoid adding to your workload unnecessarily, it’s worth it. 

2. Make a list of what Mama-To-Be wants done

Laundry, sorting baby clothes, building a crib - anything to get Mama-To-Be feeling ready for her new addition to arrive. 

3. Delegate, delegate, delegate

This one is totally up to you and your planning style. You can pre-assign tasks based on what people feel most comfortable doing, or you can ask for volunteers on the spot. If you’re anything like me, I’m a planner. There is something about sending out a good ol’ Google Form, collecting everyone’s preferences, and making a list (type-A besties, who doesn’t love a LIST?). This is a party… I may even take the extra steps to Cricut an aesthetically-pleasing sign with tasks and delegations (maybe that’s going too far, but you get the idea!). 

4. Don’t forget the older sibling(s)

This one is more important than you may think. 

Don’t forget, if mama-to-be has children already, their lives are also about to change drastically. It is so easy for the older siblings to get lost in the shuffle of the excitement. During the nesting party, someone can help them feel seen by taking them out for ice cream, playing with them one-on-one at the house, or shopping with them for a new toy (after getting mom and dad’s approval, of course). Depending on the older childrens’ ages, you can even include them in small tasks at the nesting party to make them feel like they are helping to welcome their new brother or sister. 

Tip: If you don’t want to send one of your guests out of the house during the party with the new baby’s sibling, you can give this task to dad-to-be, or another family member! This is definitely a good one to plan ahead of time. 

5. Leave the house looking better than when you showed up.

The whole point of the nesting party is to help mama-to-be feel calm, prepared, and excited for the new baby to be born. Make sure the tasks are completely done and done well. 

 

If you’re throwing your pregnant bestie a nesting party, you’re probably a really great friend. Have fun with it, knowing you are playing a role in welcoming the new baby into the world.