5 Tips to Survive the Christmas Holidays With a Newborn [From Your Midwife Bestie]

The summer holidays in New Zealand can be magical with BBQ's, family gatherings, road trips, and beach days. But when you're navigating the 4th trimester with a brand new pēpi the festive season can feel less like a holiday and more like a lot!

If you're breastfeeding, recovering from birth or simply adjusting to life with a newborn it's ok if you're not feeling very jolly. Here are five practical tips to help you actually enjoy the Christmas season while keeping things calm, slow and supportive for you and your pēpi.

1. Choose peace over pressure

Newborn life is full of unpredictability - cluster feeding, contact naps and witching hours don't stop for Christmas lunch. If you're feeling overwhelmed by invites of expectations from family remember that you are allowed to say no. You don't have to travel to very cousin's BBQ, especially if it throws your rhythm out the window. 

Tip: pick one or two gatherings that feel meaningful or manageable and give yourself permission to skip the rest. You can always say:

"We're keeping things really low key this year with the baby but we'd love to introduce them when things settle!"

2. Keep snacks and hydration easy [and tasty!]

If you're breastfeeding, pumping or just hungry summer can sneak up with heat and dehydration. Breastfeeding can burn up to 500 extra calories a day and with a baby in one arm meals can get tricky. That's why I always encourage having a stash of nourishing one-handed snacks on standby. 

Tip: try this

• Keep a large drink bottle with a straw full, aim for 3-4L of water a day
• Keep snacks in your nappy caddy like a jar of nuts and fresh fruit
• Our Lila Jasmine lactation bars were made for this, enjoy at 2am or 2pm

3. Prep visitors with kind boundaries

Summer often brings an influx of well-meaning visitors - friends home from uni, aunties popping by, relatives wanting cuddles. But in the early weeks visitors can be both lovely and draining. Before they arrive, think about what support actually feels helpful to you right now. Would you prefer someone to bring a meal over staying to chat? Are you okay with people holding baby? Or would you rather they help tidy while you feed?

Tip: try gently setting the tone. It's okay to say no. It's okay to say not yet. 

"We'd love to see you. We're just doing short visits at the moment while we adjust. Baby cuddles are absolutely on offer. You asked if we needed anything and we'd love it if you bought a simple lunch".

4. Create new traditions that actually serve you

This is your first Christmas with baby, the 4th trimester is not the season to perfect tablescapes, hand-stamped wrapping paper, or bake ten dozen sugar cookies. You just grew and birthed a human. That's more than enough. You don't have to recreate childhood magic from scratch.

Tip: start small

• Snap a photo in front of the tree
• Light a candle for baby's first Christmas Eve
• Buy a decoration
• Start collecting books for your advent calendar
• Write a letter to your pēpi and email it to them to read when they're older

5. Be gentle with yourself

Postpartum isn't paused because it's Christmas. You're still recovering, your hormones are still shifting, and you're still learning this new version of yourself. You'll probably push through because that's what mums do but there's no trophy for doing the most.

Tip: Even just naming what you need can change everything, try this

"Hey, I'm feeling a bit touched out, could you take baby for a bit while I have a proper bite to eat?" 

Or, just send them this blog with the subject line "Read this. It's me 💌