Navigating the Holidays While Pregnant

The Holidays have always been my favorite. I remember as a child, how much I looked forward to the family gatherings, the festivities, and the snow! The presents were never the best part for me, as my birthday is two days after Christmas, and by the time we got through the first celebration, I was overwhelmed.

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Now, married with a toddler and one on the way, holidays should be considered an Olympic Sport. We have 4 families to celebrate with, to enjoy, and to travel too. Before kids, it could be stressful trying to squeeze everyone in. There was always the voice in the back of our heads that someone’s feeling would be hurt if we couldn’t make their celebration. We had to get over that real fast with pregnancy and kids though. I’ll touch on Holidays with Kids, later though. When pregnant, it is important that you don’t stress, you relax, and you don’t overdo it. This is my second holiday season pregnant and I’ve learned a couple of tricks.

Spread It Out

If you have multiple families to visit, do NOT try to squeeze them in all in one day. You are going to be stressed and exhausted. Your hormones are already crazy so there is no reason to add any heat to that fire. During B’s pregnancy, we squeezed three celebrations into one day. It was just too much.

During pregnancy you get a ton of unsolicited advice – family loves to do this! With one family, you can brush it off, with three in a day, you turn into a crazy person who you’ve never met before. This holiday season, there are two families MAX per day. We will celebrate on days other than the holiday or we may just not get together at all. But by doing it this way, we get to spend quality time with our loved ones without rushing and we get to relax while we are celebrating. There is no overload.

Be Honest With Yourself

I am a people pleaser by nature and this can really bite me on the butt sometimes. During the holidays, especially when you are pregnant, you need to put yourself first. This means you don’t over commit. Be sure to listen to how you are feeling, physically and emotionally. Opt in to bringing a side dish or dessert over making a whole meal. Don’t overdo it traveling. High stress is not good for you or for the baby. Listen to what you need and create your plan around that. You might be interested in reading my article on Self-Care for New Moms, it has great tips on implementing self-care that you can use while you are expecting.

Don’t Take It Personally

This one is hard for me still. I have to constantly remind myself that I do not have to accept advice and opinions given. When you are around family, they are going to want to support you whole heartedly and are going to inundate you with outdated advice and opinions that do not support yours. Just remember, it is out of love. Bottle up any emotion, cry or scream it out on the way home, and let it go. During pregnancy and when your baby gets here, you are Mom. You will ultimately ALWAYS call the shots.  A great way to relieve some tension and have a great conversation starter would to talk about these 5 Ways To Help A New Mom.

Enjoy The Food

You are getting a gourmet feast for free and with great company. If you are on a restrictive diet due to health concerns, let the family know and see what can be done (my family is amazing and everyone would be accommodating). Eat, drink cider and juice, and be fat! Let yourself be merry!

Share The Excitement Of Your Pregnancy

This is an exciting time for everyone. Family will want to talk about the bundle of joy that will be arriving! People may want to touch your belly. Have fun with them and join in on the happiness. If it gets overwhelming, ask family about their memories with you or your husband during the holidays and ask about pregnancies (I’d avoid birth stories though). Reminiscing is healthy and it takes the overwhelm off if it gets sticky.

Show Your Thanks

Be thankful. Simply said. Share with your hosts and family the gratitude for the meal, their hospitality, and any gifts received. You will likely be exhausted but doing this is easy. Hugs and love go along way.

Conclusion

The holidays are meant to be filled with laughter and cheer. These tips should help to keep you sane, comfortable, and festive! I’d love to hear your tips and tricks and even your Holiday pregnancy stories. Don’t forget to subscribe for our newsletter and follow us on Social Media.

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