The holidays are undoubtedly a stressful time. Of course, it’s great to spend time with loved ones, share presents and eat good food while watching nostalgic movies. But along with all of that, comes spending time with people you’d rather avoid, eating too much, and – perhaps – family rows. So how do you go about surviving the holidays during pregnancy?
- Be realistic – you need to know your limitations. If you usually travel across the country to spend Christmas with your folks, but your baby is due on New Years, you’ll probably prefer to stay closer to home this year. If you’re suffering with backache or general discomfort, you should try to avoid unnecessary, long-distance travel over the festive period. If you’re feeling tired, you may want to leave your social calendar a little emptier this year, and give yourself time to recover after big events.
- Take it easy – whether you’re in the throes of the first trimester nausea, or exhaustedly lugging around a full term bump, you should try to take it easy this holiday season. Make sure you get enough rest, drink plenty of water, eat healthily and try to get some exercise each day.
- Staying sober – if you usually enjoy Christmas over the limit, you may feel left out sitting soberly on the sidelines this year. Just because you can’t drink alcohol, doesn’t mean you just have to drink tap water, though. Why not whip up some exotic mocktails for the occasion, and indulge yourself in a variety of fruit juices, flavoured waters and soft drinks? If you’re worried about feeling left out while everyone indulges, ask your partner to join you on your temporary wagon, and enjoy your last holiday together before the new baby arrives.
- Emotional turmoil – with the nostalgic Christmas films, emotion-fuelled television adverts, and countless family memories, Christmas has the potential to become a sob fest. Add to that the hormones, sleepless nights and anxiety of pregnancy, and you may just have a recipe for disaster. You may end up sobbing into your sprouts or even screaming across the spuds. Try to remember that the holidays are a time for heightened emotions, and so it’s easy for things to get out of hand. Stay calm, and try to enjoy your festive period.
- Eat healthily – don’t worry, you can have the odd treat, but do try to stick to a healthy diet over Christmas. Gobble up the occasional mince pie, but be sure to also eat your fair share of fresh fruit, nuts and vegetables. Eating little and often can help to reduce dizziness during pregnancy, so try to keep healthy snacks in the house for this.
Are you dreading the holidays with a bump, or looking forward to them?
Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.
