5 Tips to survive the holidays with a baby
christmas baby
The holiday season is always a crazy time of year. Add in a new baby and sleep deprivation and you have a whole new level of crazy. Part of my job as a postpartum doula is to relieve mom of her household duties so she can enjoy time with her baby. Or take a nap! So here's a list of tips I've compiled to help new moms through the holiday season.
Top five tips for all moms this holiday season:
Let go. This is not the year that you are going to "wow" everyone with homemade cookies and crafts or the perfect gift that you spent hours shopping for or making. This is the year that all you have to do is show up and let your baby do the "wowing".
Buy yourself a new sweater. Go out and buy yourself a nice baggy sweater that makes you feel beautiful. Maybe one with a big turtleneck and something sparkly to draw the eye away from your postpartum belly, dark under-eye circles and leaky boobs. Then put it on over your pants with the expandable maternity belly and your best nursing bra. No one is looking at you anyway, but it is important to feel beautiful.
The baby IS the gift. This year, tell Aunt Mary that her gift is fifteen minutes alone with your baby. Trust me, she'll by psyched. And you'll get to go to the bathroom by yourself.
Enjoy all the extra hands. Surrender to the fact that your baby is going to be exposed to a bunch of germs. Embrace it, ask everyone to wash their hands, and let all your loved ones hold your baby all day while you enjoy such luxuries as eating with two hands, talking to another adult and not having spit up on your shoulder.
Take lots of pictures. And take pictures with YOU in them too. Babies screaming on Santa's lap are my favorite. Pictures don't have to be beautifully staged or feature everyone in matching outfits. They just have to capture these precious moments of your first holiday season together. And your new sweater!
Bonus tip: If you need a gift for a new mom in your life, how about a nap courtesy of Dover Doula? You can purchase Dover Doula gift certificates here.
Darcy Sauers is a certified postpartum doula, certified lactation counselor and the owner of Dover Doula in the Seacoast, NH area whose holiday wish is that moms would just cut each other some slack. She is passionately committed to helping ALL new moms find the support, resources and information they need. Please do not hesitate to contact Darcy with any questions at darcy @ doverdoula.com or 603.988.5945. For more information on life with a baby, local resources and events for new moms, follow her on Facebook.