10 Ways to Enjoy being Pregnant at Christmas

Are you're busy re-arranging your furniture to accommodate a tree, juggling office parties and family get-togethers, or frantically trying to get all your Christmas shopping done when all you'd really like to do is nap? Stop! Forget the turkey, you've got something far more important 'cooking'! 

Whilst all these things may seem important elements of a 'to do' list, enjoying the party season as a mum-to-be relies on you listening to your body and not trying to do too much. You have full permission to look after yourself and your bump above trying to maintain regular Christmas traditions. 

You may be feeling fine, blooming even, but equally, you may be finding that the day-to-day juggle of work and general life is enough. Here are our 10 top tips to help make Christmas less exhausting and more enjoyable:

1: Avoid Over-Scheduling and be Flexible
 

Try to pace yourself. Remind yourself that you don't have to say yes to everything. Instead, pick the parties or get-togethers that you really want to go to and decline the others. Equally, you may find that on the day of an engagement, you're not quite feeling up to it. If that happens, try not to put pressure on yourself to go - you'll hardly ever regret doing what feels best for you in the moment and your friends and family will understand.

2: Embrace Convenience
 

Do as much of your present and food shopping online as you can. Embrace as many shortcuts as possible and try to scale back on errands. Make things a little easier for yourself by only doing the things you want to do and feel up for doing while enlisting the help of technology and loved ones.

3: Settle for 'Good Enough'
 

Plan ahead as much as possible and lower your expectations. It doesn't matter if you don't get the perfect pressies this year, or if you're not making your usual handmade gifts or everyone's favourite gingerbread biscuits. Don't put yourself under unnecessary pressure or stress. Good enough is good enough.

4: Reduce Your Travel Time
 

Travelling is tiring and nobody wants to spend hours on end in the car or on public transport - especially not a pregnant woman. Add a bad back or nausea into the mix and it can be just plain miserable. Try to keep long journeys to a minimum by inviting people to you, meeting out, or reducing the number of people you see during this time.

5: Get Mocktail Making
 

You might not be drinking alcohol while you're pregnant, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a festive mocktail or two. Check out these non-alcoholic Christmas drinks recipes.

6: Don't Be Afraid to Cancel Plans
 

Similar to point 1. It's easy to get carried away this time of year, but pregnancy can be exhausting and regardless of what you've arranged if you're not up to doing something, be honest and say so. You're not a 'flaky' friend - you're pregnant - and that's a perfectly valid excuse for cutting back on the social events. It's important you take things a little easier and your family and friends will understand.

7: Take Time Out to Relax
 

If there was ever a time to embrace the nesting urge, it's now. Allow yourself a lie-in when you can, run yourself a bath, stick on a Christmas movie - it's important to take time out to relax and unwind. Why not treat yourself to some maternity loungewear or pyjamas and get prepared for some Christmas chill time.

8: Make the Most of the Extra Attention
 

If you're still in the early stages of pregnancy, you might not have told many people, but those who do know will probably be happy to wait on you hand and foot. Make the most of it, because it won't be long before you've got a new teeny tiny boss to take care of. 

9: Eat Little and Often
 

We are all prone to over-indulging at Christmas. Eating little and often and avoiding too many rich foods such as Christmas pudding and mince pies, can mean you'll be able to enjoy festive food without suffering from indigestion or heartburn later on. But it doesn't hurt to have a bottle of Gaviscon to hand just in case.

10: Be Prepared
 

Make sure you know who to call if you become worried about anything over the holidays. If you haven't already, add the numbers of your midwife, GP, and your local maternity ward to your phone contact list. 

Remember, to ask for and, more importantly, accept help. It can help you take things a little easier and enjoy festivities this year.