If you are pregnant over Christmas it can be a tough time. I had one of my pregnancies over Christmas (and a newborn over another so not much better!) and it seemed to be harder than the rest of the time to say no to a lot of food and drink. I’m not pregnant this year (this blog isn’t an announcement!) but I’ve been going to the Hull Women & Children’s Expectant Parent nights to talk about the things listed on Mumbler to do with their new babies (find details of Decembers here) and it’s reminded me that a lot of you will be with bump over the upcoming festive season.
With just some minor alterations, Christmas + New Year + Bump can be extra special, so here’s some Mumbler tips to make the party season bump friendly:
Be Hangover Free!
So, lets turn the lack of wine into a positive, no hangover!!
Don’t feel like you are missing out, aswell as yummy mocktails, you can buy some really tasty alcohol free drinks now, so start sampling. This includes beers, wines and tasty cordials and juices.
Here’s some mocktail recipies to try:
Christmas Mocktail: 4 cups Cranberry Juice, 2 cups Pineapple Juice, 2 cups orange juice, Ice, Sprite or sparkling water (optional) & Sugar (optional to decorate the glass rims)
Banana Smoothie: 1 banana, a pinch of nutmeg, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, a cup of milk and two cups of crushed ice. Put in a blender and whip up a deliciously thick smoothie.
Cinderella: 2 shots of pineapple juice, orange juice, lemon juice, ice, soda water and a dash of grenadine creates a lovely Christmassy coloured mocktail. Garnish with a slice of pineapple or a cherry.
Shhhhh!
If you are in the early stages of pregnancy, and don’t feel quite ready to divulge your special news, here are some top tips to disguise the fact you are avoiding the bubbly this party season:
Order Mocktails: No one need know the alcohol has been skipped – there’s loads to sample!
Spirit & a mixer – again, without tasting it, no one will be any the wiser that your vodka and coke is missing the vodka (I completely hid my last pregnancy at my work Christmas party by ordering G&T all night and just getting the barman to leave out the gin!).
Pass it on: If you have someone with you who is in on the secret and happy to be hungover on your behalf, then gratefully accept any drink sent your way, do a couple of fake sips if required and pass it on! (if you are stuck with a drink, a last ditch solution is down the sink during a loo trip!)
The good old “I’m taking antibiotics, so can’t have a drink” excuse
Say you are still hungover from night before / saving yourself for night after / have a busy day ahead and need to be on top form – all valid reasons to be avoiding the Christmas bubbly.
Designated driver:depending on where you are partying it might be quite reasonable to have chosen to drive to the event, safety first!
Saving the Pennies: Christmas can get expensive! So you may choose to have a cheap night and stick to the Lemonade.
Food, Glorious Food
You may be struggling with sickness, or heartburn, or both (hopefully not!). Eating little and often can make things easier and drinking lots of water is essential to help with digestion as well as keeping you hydrated.
Christmas Buffets can be full of tempting goodies, including cheeses, seafood, meats & pate. Whilst there are many foods you will be able to enjoy, it’s worth having a read of the NHS guide regarding foods to avoid when pregnant, so you can be confident your choice are enjoyable for you, and safe for baby.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx
Put those Festive Feet Up
With all the shopping, cooking & entertaining, Christmas is hard work! Don’t forgot you are using lots of your energy on that little task of growing a baby!!!! Therefore, you need plenty of rest built into the Christmas period.
– Lots of shopping to do? Get your feet up and order online
– Organise & plan ahead as much as possible to spread out all the to do list and avoid those manic days
– Build in time for rest, reading a book, having a bath or watching a Christmas film (or 2 or 3..)
– Delegate – sharing is caring, you can’t do it all!
Christmas Maternity Photo Shoot
Make the most of having a gorgeous baby bump at Christmas time, by capturing it forever in a Christmas themed maternity photo shoot ideas.
We like Tummy to Toddlers in Hessle.
New Traditions
With a new baby on the way now is the perfect time to start some new traditions that you can carry on as a family. How about a family mince pie baking session? Nothing beats homemade mince pies! Here’s some suggestions that I’ve heard from other mums:
I buy my daughter a Christmas bauble each year that she can put on the tree, I have a special box for her to keep them in and the idea is that when she leaves home she’ll have her own special Christmas decorations to take with her.
New Pyjamas for the whole family for Christmas eve to sit together and watch a Christmas film in.
Anlaby Churches do a crib service on Xmas eve and all the little ones dress up. We are going to do that every year as it was very entertaining!
Last year we went for a walk in the woods and scattered our reindeer food. The kids loved it so that is going to be the Xmas eve tradition in our house!
We started a new tradition of making our own gingerbread house.
Date Night
If this is your first baby, make the most of this special couple time and enjoy a date night or two. Soon the simple things like being able to go for a walk holding hands, or popping to the cinema for a date become a little more tricky! Even if it’s not your first baby, couple time is still soooo important, it just takes a little more planning and a babysitter to make it happen – but worth it!.
If you have just had your baby and are breastfeeding over Christmas check out the information on the Support & Services section of Mumbler here, advice from our local Health Visitors on breastfeeding during the Christmas festivities.
HO HO HO Happy Christmas
Wishing you and your family a fabulous Christmas!
