As we gear up for the 2019 holiday season, I know a lot of you are wondering how to survive the holidays as a pregnant person or someone who just had a baby.

You may be wondering if you can do it all. If you WANT to do it all this year. Or if its fair that you want to just stay home and cuddle up with your partner and new baby and enjoy a peacefully, sweet holiday.

Here’s how to having a rocking holiday when your rocking a bump or a new baby

Be realistic

Take stock about what you can and really want to do. listen to your body and if you feel like you need to rest do so. if you feel like large family gatherings might be overwhelming that’s ok. if you feel like you need to attend large family gatherings for your first holiday season as an expectant parent or your baby’s first holiday season, that’s ok too. Deciding what activities or traditions are must dos and which can be put on the maybe list is totally up to you

Set boundaries

Be clear with your families and friends about your plans. Especially if they have expectations or hopes about how you will spend time together for the holidays. While you definitely want to commemorate this time and season of the year and your life, you also want to make sure that you are not overwhelming yourself.

It’s fine to say you want to spend your first christmas morning as a new family at home. Maybe you visit extended family later on in the day or week.

Whatever you decide, it’s so important that you and your partner are on the same page. That way there are no arguments or hurt feelings when its time to visit family etc.

Simplify

Keeping it simple can save your santity during the holidays. You can chose to go as big or as small as you’d like. And that goes for every aspect of the holidays. Gift shopping and giving, cooking and baking, home decor, activities and traditions. You don’t have to do ALL of the things, and buy gifts for EVERY single person you know or bake each and every recipe passed down from your grandmother this year.

Simplify you holiday and simplify your life. Decide what 2 or 3 things are most important to you this holiday and let them be your guide. For example you might say, celebrating our first holiday as a new family and spending time with extended family. With those two themes you can prioritize your time and budget and do the things that really matter to you. So you might prioritize taking a holiday family portrait and scheduling a brunch or dinner outing with family.

Plan it out

Write out what your ideal holiday season looks like for you this year and as a new family. This is a great time to start setting some new traditions or to reinforce family traditions that are important to you.

Think about 2-4 traditions or activities that are important to you and let that guide you holiday plans. For example, decorating for the holidays, baking family recipes, taking holiday portraits and brunch with Santa are all great traditions to establish for your new family. Then for each tradition, write down the key elements and what tools you need to make it happen.

Schedule out each activity or tradition in a way that works for your schedule and so that you can gather any necessary decorations, ingredients, tools etc. well ahead of time.

Keep track of gifts, budgets, menus, and important details in one place, like a binder or dedicated pinterest board.

Self-care. self-care. self-care.

The holidays are all about giving, that’s one thing that is clear. However you must first give yourself love, grace and gratitude before you are able to spread it to the most important people in your life. Be sure to give yourself time and space this holiday season to show and feel gratitude. to relish in simply “be” ing with family and friends. and in the sweet experience that is life.

And after all of the rushing around make sure to put your feet up at the end of the day with a nice mug of warmed cider and a cinnamon stick stirrer. The holidays are a whirlwind but that doesn’t mean you can’t find peace and joy.