Ways to Survive the Holidays While Pregnant
Have something extra-special to be thankful for this season? Read on for ways to get through the most wonderful time of the year with a baby on board!
The halls are decked with boughs of holly and the stockings are hung by the fire with care. It’s the most wonderful time of year- the holidays! There are parties to attend, gifts to shop for, get-togethers to be planned, cookies to be baked… The list goes on! The holidays are wonderfully, joyfully exhausting, and, if you’re spending this holiday season pregnant, you might feel that exhaustion double time.
While we always stress that the holidays are a time for giving and a time for opening our hearts and homes to our friends and neighbors, if you are with child this holiday season, it’s okay to put yourself front and center! While the holidays can still be celebrated in a big way with a baby on board, it is important to remember that there will be other holiday seasons if you don’t get to enjoy this one to the max because you are simply trying to take it easy. Take care of you, mama!
If you’re still ready to kick your heels up and partake in the all the holiday festivities pregnant, you go girl! Here are a few tips and tricks for surviving holiday parties (especially work holiday parties!) while pregnant.
Your Guide to (Holiday) Partying while Pregnant
- Find a few favorite mocktails so you can sip something fancy at holiday parties without feeling like you’re missing out. Who says you can’t order a Shirley Temple (Sprite and cherry juice) or a sparkling water with a splash of cranberry? Ask the bartender to serve your drink in a cocktail glass and you might even forget you’re not drinking an alcoholic beverage! Even better- you won’t have a hangover in the morning.
- Invest in a few party-wardrobe essentials. You may need to ditch the heels this holiday season and opt for some comfy and cute flats. Rothy’s has some super stylish, super comfortable flats to match any holiday dress. Also consider a belly brace to wear under dresses for extra support, especially if you won’t be wearing leggings or panty hose underneath. The belly brace will hug your bump and may help prevent back aches.
- Skip the craziness at retail stores and shop online. Sure, it can be fun to see stores all decked out in red and green and hear holiday music playing on the loud speakers, but holiday shopping can be chaotic and exhausting. This year, skip the hustle and bustle and check your list twice from the comfort of your couch. Even better? You can shop while you binge cheesy holiday movies in fuzzy socks!
- Stay hydrated! This one is super important because we oftentimes don’t feel thirsty in the winter like we do in the summer. But the air is dry and dehydration can sneak up on us in the colder months. Buy yourself a cute holiday-themed water bottle to keep with you (and keep filled!) and all times. Experiencing nausea? Reach for carbonated or sparkling water, which can help keep nausea at bay.
- Take a seat- literally! Don’t feel compelled to stand around at a holiday party just because everyone else is. Mix and mingle and then find a comfy chair to take the load off. Don’t be afraid to ask the people you are mingling with to sit you with… But it’s also totally okay to take a seat on your own. Allow your body to relax, it’s already working hard enough!
- Most importantly, ask for help! Don’t feel compelled to host a holiday party this year just because you have in the past. Or, if you really want to host, ask for your guests to bring dishes to share or have the meal catered. Hire a cleaning crew afterward, if it’s in the budget, or ask a few friends to stay after the soiree and help you get everything cleaned up. Everyone feels more generous during the holidays, so don’t be afraid to take people up on their offers.
While you’re enjoying all of your holiday fun pregnant, don’t forget to capture those memories on camera and preserve them for a lifetime with BabyPage. Compile all of the photos of you enjoying the holiday season with a baby on board in an album that you’ll be able to enjoy long after your bun in the oven heads off to college. BabyPage makes the process so simple that you can make your holiday pregnancy journal while you’re on the couch online shopping in fuzzy socks. Don’t forget the hot cocoa!
