Pregnant at Christmas!

Christmas Pregnancy

Christmas time is the most wonderful time of the year but it can be manic at the best of times, and if you’re expecting there can be a whole new world of stress and emotions to contend with! But don’t worry; you can still enjoy your Christmas just as much as you always have with just a few tweaks. On one hand, of course, you feel extremely fortunate, content and full of love but on the other hand, you may feel like you are missing out on some of the festivities.

Your usual Christmas day may consist of bucks fizz for breakfast…wine with dinner…and a fair few glasses of baileys to finish off at supper….but, not this year…not for you and your bump! But you can still enjoy yourself and make the most of being at Christmas! There are some gorgeous flavoured cordials out there now and many mocktails that you can make to still feel involved and join in the festive spirit (with the bonus of not suffering from a hangover the next day!)

Eat little and often to avoid indigestion and heartburn. There are of course certain foods you must avoid eating when you are pregnant, such as pate, undercooked meat, raw fish, blue vein cheese…etc. but there’s plenty that you can still indulge in! So go ahead and enjoy! Christmas is simply the best time to take full advantage of “eating for two”, get a pair of stretchy leggings on and a comfy jumper and relax! Grab a selection box (or two) and enjoy without feeling guilty…If baby wants chocolate who are you to argue!

Pace yourself as you are going to get tired a lot quicker than usual, use this as a great opportunity to allow people to help you if the other half offers to do the food shop or the cooking let them!

Go easy on the Christmas shopping, maybe do it from the comfort of your home this year with your feet up by doing it online, the last thing you want is to be lugging heavy shopping bags around and battling the high street crowds!

Snuggle up on the sofa and watch a movie or two, tis the season for some seriously soppy films, so indulge those hormones and have a good cry fest! Even if it’s just the adverts that set you off, don’t worry: you can simply blame the hormones!

Take time out to relax and pamper yourself, a nice walk in the crisp winter air or a pregnancy yoga class will do wonders for you. You will feel brighter and more relaxed with a bit of gentle exercise. Or just take time out in the bath…light a candle, put on some music…..and relax

Be prepared; Make sure you and your partner have your midwife, GP and the local maternity wards telephone numbers to hand should you need to call them for anything you may be worried about. Check the weather, keep an eye on it in case the snow is forecast, plan the route to the hospital with this in mind, pack towels and blankets and even snacks just in case you do get caught in the bad weather.

Here at Peek a baby, we can carry out reassurance scans for early pregnancy; these can be done as early as 6-15 weeks to give you total peace of mind (one less thing to worry about at this time of year!) If you are worried at any time, just pop in and see us for a growth or early pregnancy scan. We can carry out same-day emergency appointments and are open EVERY DAY except for Christmas day.

And lastly, look forward to this time next year…it will be baby’s first Christmas! How exciting! You will have the best Christmas present ever! You can look forward to celebrating and creating new memories for you and your new little family.