If you were due Christmas Day..

[Shemozzle]

Would you plan to spend Christmas Day with family, at home and invite family or at home and no invitations? I just can't decide what would be easier. We could have a newborn and be stuck with having to make Christmas dinner on our own, or I could be going into labour when we have guests due round?

[insancerre]

I wouldn't be making any plans to visit anybody or invite anyone over either

[HoneyDragon]

My due date was as day, we planned to be home just us. Ordered all then it's fromM&S that year to make life easier.

As it turned out madam was a week early so it was a lovely relaxed Christmas

[AlpacaLypse]

I'd assume worst case scenario, and only invite family members who will be helpful should you have a newborn/go into labour/be so uncomfortable in last stage pregnancy that standing up to cook will be a nightmare.

As for Christmas food, cheat. Make as much as possible in advance and freeze it. Book an idiot proof ready to cook turkey joint or similar. Something that someone else can cook for the family should you and your partner be busy in the labour ward!

[FeelingSmurfy]

With family, but family who live close by so near to the hospital you would be using.

If nothing happens then you have it as planned
If early and discharged then you don't have to cook and if necessary you can stay home and partner can bring you a meal back
If in hospital before, during or after birth partner can still have Christmas dinner and can bring you a decent Christmas meal to the hospital

[Tangoandcreditcards]

I was due 30th Dec last year.

I planned a home birth. (DC2). DC1 was a week early.

I would not have travelled (family is all an hour or so away).

MIL and BIL came for Xmas day (I bought a set menu from M&S so if arrival happened we could eat whenever). FIL died last year & BIL is single so didn't want just want to leave them just the two of them.

MIL then stayed until DS2 was born so she could mind DS1 whilst I laboured (not needed in the end as labour was about 30mins). But he didn't show until NYE in the end.

Up to you. Fine to have people over as long as no pressure to "host" I reckon. I wouldn't make any plans to be anywhere else.

[bloodyteenagers]

I had guests round. My place was bigger than guests so space wise it made sense. Guests also insisted regardless they would cook etc. If I went into labour on Christmas Day, plan was everything would continue so the children could enjoy it.

[FortyFacedFuckers]

My DS was due on the 23rd but born on the Christmas Day. I told DM we might be there but she's fairly laid back and I knew it wouldn't be an issue if we turned up in jammies covered in baby sick ate dinner & left or didn't turn up at all. Turned out we went on on our way home from hospital ate dinner & showed off the baby.

[OiWithThePoodlesAlready]

I was due just after Christmas last year. I went no where. My sisters came to me and they cooked while I sat with dd1 and ate chocolate. One sister stayed over but she is an extremely low maintenance guest so it wasn't stressful at all.

Baby ended up being a bit late but I'm still glad we didn't do anything stressful.

[Hulababy]

We have Christmas Day just the three of us (before dd then two of us) / chose to right from the first heist as we lived together. Seeing family the days before and after.

So I'd probably do for the same but all Christmas food would be prepared courtesy of M&S or Waitrose. Everything prepared present wise etc a couple of weeks in advance inc wrapping and delivering.

So Christmas Day could be a chilled relaxing day with no pressure whatever happened.

[lokahsamastah]

My DD was born on Christmas Day, as it turned out they kept us in over night so ended up having Christmas meal on Boxing Day. In Laws kindly cooked at their house then plated up and brought us our dinner when they came to visit. No way could we have cooked a full dinner on the day, or even any day in that first week/fortnight!

DH got a Christmas dinner in the hospital (ordered for me but I wasn't allowed to eat it as was being induced). He reported back that he had never had gravy that you could slice before

I would say plan to keep it simple - can you go to family/friends, or even book in to local pub/restaurant for the day itself, just in case labour doesn't happen?

And congratulations - don't listen to any negative comments from people, if it happens then there is something v special about a Christmas Day baby!

[NotAPuffin]

I'd book an armchair in my parents' sitting room for the day, personally.

[Shemozzle]

I think m&s type prepared side dishes is a really good idea. OH will be exasperating about that and promise he'll be able to make them just as easily but I'll make sure I get my way on that so I'm not potentially abandoned while he's cooking.

Hoping for another home birth, dd1 was born at 40 weeks and dd2 at 39 weeks so it's all a guessing game.

I suppose family will probably prefer if we don't invite them so they don't have to stay sober incase we kick them out!

[Shemozzle]

Thanks lokahsamastah I do feel very guilty about the Christmas time birthday!

[Karatecas]

I was born on Christmas Day (a very long time ago) but Mum tells me her MIL had invited them for Xmas so she didn't have to worry as she would have a new born baby (I was due on 18th and, apparently no one had considered I might arrive late!)

My Ds2 was due on 18th so I expected him to arrive on Christmas Day (seemed perfectly reasonable to me) so my MIL invited us for Xmas! We had a lovely time and, bless her, she wouldn't allow me near the kitchen - bliss, as I was able to look after my newborn and play with my 2 yr old and had a lovely Christmas.

[16augustholiday]

Stay at home with no invites.
DS was due 21st, ended up being born on 23rd and we spent Xmas in hospital. It was remarkably nice actually, just two couples and babies (and the other couple were people we knew from antenatal and got on with). The midwives made it special, put us in the same bay, a few choices of wine with the meal, tv brought in for us etc. It was actually lovely.

Put your foot down about DH cooking, tell him you want and need his time not the vegetables. M&S ready dishes to the rescue.

[RosaBee]

I was due Dec 12th with my first, he didn't arrive until 28th and waters went Boxing Day. We had Christmas Day on our own at home. We did like far away though so could y have travelled and didn't want a house full when that uncomfortable!

[Karatecas]

And if the baby does arrive on Christmas Day ensure they do HAVE a birthday each year. At school 2 classmates also had Xmas Day birthdays but 2 of our families had different ways of ensuring we had a special day. One had his birthday on Christmas Day morning and Christmas didn't start for his family until after lunch, I have my birthday on the Sunday before Christmas (Sunday was my Dad's day off work) and I still keep this tradition but the 3rd just had her birthday and Xmas presents together (always seemed very unfair to me!)

[DrHarleenFrancesQuinzel]

DD1 was due 25th Dec so everyone knew that any plans were subject to change.

I spent 9 months saying it will be fine no-one is ever born on their due date. Well she was. As she was my second and was born 7:30AM I was back at the in-laws for Christmas dinner.

In regards to birthdays we probably make more of an effort with her birthday than we do for DS and DD2 simply because it is on Christmas day. She will be 9 this year and so far she seems to like having her birthday on the same day.

[disneyprincesswannabe]

I was due on Xmas day with my dd, I spent Christmas with my parents and she didn't make an appearance until 10th Jan! Last year I was due on Dec 14th and again decided to spend Christmas with my parents as I didn't want to face cooking Christmas dinner with a newborn. But I didn't go in to labour until the evening of the 25th and ds3 was born in Boxing Day (and then we demanded to be discharged from hospital by lunchtime so we could do our second Christmas with the in-laws and dsd!).
Do whatever you feel comfortable with, and keep it flexible.

[BiddyPop]

I was due on Christmas Day.

No way were we travelling "down home" to our respective parents 2.5 hours away (which also would have meant eating 2 dinners - which we can manage most years but I would definitely have offended people that year by refusing).

So for the one and only time when we stayed "at home" in our city, we went to my DGPs house for dinner. (We always cook our own normally when we stay here - otherwise I offend my DPs! We enjoy it anyway.).

We did the usual - mass, visiting relatives living near us (more extended family than immediate DPs, DSiblings, but on both sides). We did a bit of a walk (not quite the long walk I'd have liked, but a shorter waddle as far as I was really capable of). Had a short while at home opening our own presents and ringing both families "down home".

Headed to my DGPs house, where we were very warmly welcomed and I refused to sit and make polite conversation as I was "making the gravy" in the kitchen (and chatting to others - I couldn't explain it but I really didn't want to sit, I needed to stand). DD dropped, and I had room to enjoy 2 helpings of turkey, and 2 helpings of pudding, with a small glass of wine (I had allowed myself a max of 1 small glass per week throughout the pg) and lots of laughing. That was so nice after weeks of being full after 4 bites!!

We went over to the sitting room to open presents after dinner (9pm), and my 5 month old DNiece was having a ball rolling on the carpet and showing no signs of sleepiness. I eventually pleaded exhaustion at around midnight and we were first to leave. DH only copped why I was so "exhausted" as we drove off, and while we did run home to get changed into comfy clothes, we were at the hospital before 1.30 and DD arrived shortly after 6am!! It was interesting hearing the reactions when we rang them all later that morning

[FuzzyOwl]

If your due date is Christmas Day then at least you know that is the date you are least likely to give birth, according to my midwife. I think about 5% of babies do turn up on their due date but the likelihood is this one won't. I wouldn't plan to go anywhere although I'd be happy for people to come over. I guess it depends how you would feel about visitors when heavily pregnant or if you are also looking after a newborn.

[Theonlyoneiknow]

I was due 20th December. We made plans to go to family for dinner subject to the arrival. As it turns out I went into labour on Xmas day and DS was born on Christmas morning. DP stayed with us then nipped out for a reheated Xmas dinner with family before bed!

[Shemozzle]

Awe, I love all your Christmas birth stories! Boxing Day baby would be nice.

[DesperatelySeeking2016]

Ds was due on the 22nd. Both sets of parents invited themselves to stay nearby in a holiday home for a week . It actually worked quite well. He was 5 days late so we had M&S Christmas Day, went out for lunch on Boxing Day near where they were staying and then he was born the next day. They all visited on the 28th and then buggered off for a week before returning the week after with other relatives in tow. It was useful not having to worry about childcare for dd!

[ridingsixwhitehorses]

I was due a week before Xmas and gave birth a week after Xmas. I was very grumpy for house two weeks. But you should make breakable plans for the day as if no baby you will be bored and grumpy. Also if baby here you will appreciate being fed and cooed over.