25 Ways To Prepare For A Christmas Baby

If You’re Due In December, Read Our Post On How To Prepare For A Christmas Baby

If your baby is due over the festive season, here are 25 ways to prepare for a Christmas baby.

Help your holidays be as stress-free as possible if you are pregnant!

Having a baby is a busy time – buying all the essentials! Packing your hospital bag! Preparing all the baby things! – but if you’re due over the hectic Christmas period, then it can seem even more daunting.

Especially when you’re heavily pregnant and can’t face leaving the house.

My first baby was due in January, so we had to make sure everything was ready ahead of time for Christmas, just in case we had an early arrival and the baby came during the holiday period.

If it’s your second or third baby, you will already have children so things will be even busier and you will want to make sure everything is as magical – and normal – as possible for them, so we’ve included so tips for how to prepare for a Christmas baby if it’s not your first baby too.

The Key To Preparing For A Christmas Baby

The secret to preparing for a Christmas baby is planning and preparation. Try and delegate as much as possible, too. And let go of as much as you can.

This way you will feel as ready as possible for Christmas and can relaxed over the holiday season and think about the priority this year – you and the baby.

Read our tips on how to prepare for a Christmas baby if you are due over the holiday season.

25 Ways To Prepare For A Christmas Baby

1. Plan And Prepare As Much As Possible Ahead Of Time

Plan and prepare everything for Christmas ahead of time. This way you’ll feel much for organised and less stressed when it’s December. Or delegate to someone else to plan and prepare. Clear your schedule as much as possible.

2. Accept All Offers Of Help Before And Over The Festive Period

This is key – if anyone offers to help over the holiday time, accept it! You shouldn’t be doing everything yourself during the third trimester, so make sure you don’t.

3. Don’t Worry If Your Christmas Isn’t Not Perfect

Christmas doesn’t have to be Pinterest-perfect. There are much bigger priorities when your baby is due in December! Do what you can, when you can, and it will still be lovely.

4. Make Sure Everything’s Ready For The Baby First

If you are due over Christmas, make sure everything is ready for the baby ahead of time so it’s one less thing to worry about over the busy holiday period.

5. Pack Your Hospital Bag Pre-Holidays

And pack your hospital bag ahead of time, ideally in early December so it’s good to go whenever the baby arrives.

6. Buy All Your Gifts And Decorations Online

No-one wants to be traipsing round the shops and stood in long queues when shops are pre-Christmas busy – not least when you have a big bump, are exhausted and your feet hurt! One effective way to prepare for a Christmas baby is to order all your presents online so they will be delivered to your house.

7. Write Holiday Cards Early

If you love sending Christmas cards, it can help to get these done as far in advance as possible. Then all you have to do come December is post them out.

8. Wrap Gifts As Early As Possible

Ditto for presents. Help prepare for your Christmas baby by wrap as much as possible ahead of time. Wrapping can be painful on your back, so the earlier you do it the better.

9. Use Easier Wrapping Methods

Instead of wrapping each present individually, think of easier ways. Gift bags are less labour intensive. Fabric wrappings – which are usually tied around the gift – are much easier and more environmentally friendly, too.

10. Buy One Nice Maternity Party Outfit

If you are pregnant over Christmas, you might have parties to go to. It can help to have one nice pregnancy outfit that feels and looks good, so you’re all sorted.

11. Buy A Baby’s First Christmas Outfit – Just In Case

A first Christmas outfit is a must for new parents to dress their baby in. It can help to stock up on one just in case, even if you are due at the very end of December.

12. Stock Up On Leisure Wear

Make sure you have enough comfortable clothes in for you to wear once the baby is here. This will be easier than dashing out to the shops or ordering something last-minute online.

13. Book Grocery Slots In Advance

Book your food delivery slots as soon as they are released. This way you won’t have to worry about buying groceries last-minute when supermarkets are rammed full of Christmas shoppers.

14. Stock Up On Household Items

One way to prepare for your Christmas baby is to make sure you have stocks of basic household essentials, so you don’t have to worry about running out when shops are shut over the holidays when your baby is due.

15. Stock Up On Baby Essentials Ahead Of Time

As well as buying everything for your new baby, make sure you are stocked up on essentials – nappies, nipple cream, formula if you are using it – as shops are more likely to be closed over Christmas and this way you are all stocked up.

16. Make Sure Some Else Cooks Christmas Dinner

Christmas is not the time for a heavily pregnant woman to be cooking, unless you want to of course! You might have nausea around certain food and aromas which could make it a nightmare. This is as year for you to have your feet firmly up. Make sure someone else cooks and washes up.

17. Prepare Food And Freeze It

If you still want to have your festive favourites for Christmas dinner, lots of things can be made ahead of time and frozen. Make sure you defrost them thoroughly ahead of time.

18. Don’t Worry About Seeing Holiday Visitors

Seeing lots of visitors over Christmas is lovely but can be exhausting. Don’t worry about seeing everyone this year! It’s OK to set boundaries.

19. Make Visitors Come to You

If you do want to see people, tell them to come to you instead. If you’re heavily pregnancy, car or train journeys could be uncomfortable, and you don’t want to be away from home when labour starts.

How To Prepare For A Christmas Baby If You Already Have Children

If you already have children, here are some ways to prepare for Christmas when your baby is due in December.

20. Again, Ask for Help!

Ask for help and don’t be afraid to say yes. Ask friends to take your children to any festive events, to give you a rest. Let other people go shopping. People will want to help and that’s OK.

21. Cherry Pick Your Favourite Festive Experiences

Hand pick the top things you want to do this year with your little one, to help conserve your energy when you’re tired and heavily pregnant.

While you may have previously gone on lots of big Christmas trips out, make sure everything is closer to home. One easy thing you can do is go on a Christmas light safari trip. Wrap up warm and walk around your local streets looking at lights.

22. Have Cosy Christmas Movie Sessions

If you need to rest, an easy Christmas activity to do with little ones is to snuggle up on the sofa and watch Christmas films together (they might not even notice if you take a nap).

23. Stock Up On Christmas Crafts

Stock up on Christmas craft packs ahead of time. This is a fun and festive thing you can do together while sat round your kitchen table, which is low effort for when you’re heavily pregnant and just want to nap.

24. Help Them Buy A Christmas Present For The Baby

Make sure you buy a special present for your older child for the baby, and help them wrap it.

25. And Buy A Christmas Present For The Baby From Them

Make sure you also buy a present for them ‘from the baby.’ It will make it a Christmas to remember.

Make sure you also read:

Elf on the Shelf names / Your baby’s first Christmas traditions / November names for babies / Christmas names for girls / Follow me on Pinterest.