Emotional Nesting: How to Honour Yourself in the Third Trimester
The third trimester is a magical, if not slight uncomfortable threshold. You’re about to cross into motherhood, perhaps for the very first time. It’s the shift from an inward focus—my child is growing inside me, how can I nourish and protect my body?—to an outward one—my child is in my arms, how can I nourish and protect them? It’s tender, transformative, and often full of both anticipation and anxious waiting and we’re here to encourage you to consider not only physical but emotional nesting in your third trimester.
Many mummas feel the pull of the nesting instinct at this stage: the urge to clean, tidy, and prepare the home before baby arrives. This powerful mammalian drive, sparked by hormones, is a natural part of the process. But while we often think about readying our outer world, what’s just as important and often overlooked is preparing our inner world too. Taking time to nurture your heart and mind for this life-changing transition. After all, especially if this is your first baby, you will never again be exactly this version of yourself. From here on, it can feel as though a piece of your body is moving through the world outside of you, first crawling, then walking, gently, slowly, and always a little further away.
In my own third trimester, I worried endlessly. Was I exercising too much, or not enough? Did I have the “right” things ready, and how could I even know what those were? Would my planned unmedicated homebirth unfold as I hoped? Were the fairy lights I strung in the lounge going to be too bright for my newborn? I fretted over the silliest details and yet neglected one crucial question: How was I, really? How did I feel in that moment, and how was I preparing emotionally for the immense changes ahead? How was I honouring the closing chapter of my life as a woman without children, and preparing for the new one about to begin?
Looking back, I see that what would have supported me far more than rearranging fairy lights was taking time to reflect, to pause, and to care for my inner world. I had the gift of time, my boy arrived two weeks late, yet I poured it into tasks instead of tending to myself. That’s what I now call emotional nesting, the quiet, intentional preparation of the self for motherhood and I encourage you, on the precipice of motherhood, to invest in this sacred moment of reflection.
What is Emotional Nesting?
When we think of nesting, we often picture cupboards being reorganised, tiny onesies folded neatly, or fridges stocked with meals. These are beautiful acts of care, but emotional nesting is something deeper. It is the practice of tending to your heart, your thoughts, and your spirit before they’re stretched and reshaped by motherhood.
It asks: how can I create space inside myself for this transformation? How can I soften into what’s coming, and let myself be held by my own care as much as I am by the preparations around me?
Why Emotional Nesting Matters
Emotional nesting isn’t just about feeling calm. It is about giving yourself permission to be whole, to grieve the endings, and to welcome the beginnings. It strengthens you in ways no pram or bassinet ever could.
When you take time for emotional nesting, you:
Build habits of reflection and self-care that will carry into postpartum.
Create space for joy amidst uncertainty and fear.
Honour the version of yourself that is shifting, while welcoming the one who is emerging.
It is an act of love, and of trust… in yourself, in your baby, and in the journey you’re on.
Journal Prompts for Emotional Nesting
If you feel the urge to fold laundry or clean cupboards, listen to it. But alongside that, give yourself the chance to turn inward. Journaling is a powerful way to explore what lies beneath the surface.
Here are some prompts to gently guide you:
What feels heavy in my heart right now, and how can I set it down?
Take a moment to notice what you’re carrying. Write it all down, and let the page hold some of the weight.
What does my body need most this week — rest, nourishment, movement, or gentleness?
So often we look outward for answers. Listen to your body’s whisper instead.
What boundaries do I want to protect in my postpartum season?
Consider what feels important to guard, whether that’s quiet time, privacy, or saying no to visitors.
What brings me comfort, and how can I weave more of it into my days?
Think of small rituals — a cup of tea, a walk in the sun, a favourite scent — and give yourself permission to lean into them.
What do I want to remind my future self on a hard day?
Offer yourself compassion in advance. Write down the words you’ll need when things feel overwhelming.
What traditions or parts of me are sacred and important for me to maintain postpartum?
It might sound trivial, but getting your fringe trimmed regularly, having a shower before bed, seeing your best mate for coffee once a week, getting your nails done or solo yoga twice a week might be your non negotiables but if you don’t earmark them now it can be hard to even remember what the things were that made you feel human pre-baby.
Soulful Reflections
As you explore these prompts, remember: there are no right answers. This isn’t about fixing or planning. It’s about allowing yourself to pause, breathe, and notice.
You might write pages, or just a few words. You might simply sit with a question in your mind. Each small act of noticing is a step in emotional nesting.
Creating Rituals of Care
Emotional nesting can be woven into your everyday. It doesn’t require grand gestures. You might:
Light a candle before journaling, marking the moment as sacred.
Put your phone away and take three deep breaths in silence.
Choose one song that soothes you and let it become the soundtrack of your evenings.
Sit in your baby’s room, not to tidy, but simply to feel and connect, reading a book or listening to a podcast in here is a nice way to set the tone for calm and connection in the space.
Small rituals ground us. They remind us that while the world prepares for your baby, you are also preparing for yourself.
Closing Reflection
Mumma, this is a time like no other. The home you are creating for your baby matters, but so too does the home you are creating within yourself. Emotional nesting is the quiet, intentional tending of your own heart before you pour it endlessly into another.
So take a moment today. Choose a journal prompt. Make a cup of tea. Breathe deeply. Honour the woman you are now, because she is carrying the mother you are becoming.
You are already enough.
Call to Action
If this resonates with you, you may love my Guide to Nesting, a free ebook filled with gentle wisdom and practical steps to prepare both your home and your heart for postpartum. You can download it here. And if you’re longing for more support, the Nesting Package is in the works to brings care, organisation, and presence into your home during this sacred season, sign up to our newsletter here to keep up to date with the Nesting Package launch.
Share this with a friend in her third trimester, and remind her she doesn’t need to do this alone.
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Warmly,
Hannah x
Another Mother acknowledges the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
