The holiday season is upon us, and if you are pregnant the mere thought of all of the shopping, cooking, cleaning, and everything else that you usually do for the holidays might leave you feeling exhausted. Fortunately, as with many things, the expectations that other people would place on you during the holiday season are likely to be far lower than those that you might set out for yourself. Here are a few tips for making the holiday season a little bit merrier and a little less stressful.
First of all, make sure that your holiday schedule is realistic. Do you have invitations to a gazillion parties, cookie swaps, and other get togethers? Choose a few, place those and your family gatherings on your calendar, and decline the rest. Overscheduling yourself during a time when you need less stress and more rest is not a good idea. Instead, choosing to attend just a few events sets you up to have a good time at each of them.
If you are wondering why your normal drive to shop till you drop just is not there this year, it could be that you are dreading fighting for a parking space at the mall and standing in long lines with aching, swollen feet. You don’t have to subject yourself to torture to find gifts that your family and friends will love. Spend some time looking around online for great deals on gifts that you will be happy to give, and let the friendly folks at UPS, FedEx, and the post office bring them right to your door.
As for the cleaning and the baking, if you happen to be one of those pregnant women who is nesting like crazy, go for it. If not, don’t worry about it too much, especially if you are suffering from nausea. Certain food smells and cleaning products can trigger nausea, and that is no fun. Being pregnant during the holiday season can be fun, if you keep your expectations realistic, take care of yourself, and honor your needs, even though they may be different from your usual.
Photo by MagCindy on morguefile.com.