Throughout nature expectant mothers have taken comfort and pride in preparing for their babies. From birds hunting for the best tree branch to host a new family, to the protective measures taken by a mother tigress, an expectant mother’s efforts to prepare herself and her surroundings for a new baby are instinctive. While you may already know what room you’ll convert into a nursery and have installed numerous baby-proof safety devices in anticipation, your pregnancy may subconsciously stimulate your own natural drive to nest.

On their own, cleaning out closets, purging antiquated or unsafe household relics and selecting soothing items to place in a room are actions we generally take for granted. Typically thought of as strong organizational skills or examples of efficiency, sorting through household items or updating the color of a room are commonly discharged as tasks on a to-do list. When you blend several of these instinctive behaviors together with the physical expectations and effects of having a baby, questions regarding the phenomenon of nesting begin to surface.

We’ve all heard rumors, myths and stories relating to women supposedly nesting, but does anyone really know what "nesting" is? Are only expectant parents predisposed to exhibit nesting tendencies? Do expectant dads ever experience a male form of nesting and have the urge to clean out closets or make sure pillows are comfortably lofty?

Melissa Furuseth, a marriage and family psychotherapist from Boulder, Colo., explains the compelling desire to prepare or protect your home or "nest" is both instinctual and emotional. "The shift in a woman’s hormones and the understandable course of powerful emotions centered around having a child often trigger the instinct to nest," she says. For some, this behavior occurs in the waning days and weeks of pregnancy while others begin to contemplate nesting immediately upon conceiving. "Often the slightest lifestyle change can spark the nesting instinct," adds Furuseth.

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