Can someone reassure me please that a Christmas birthday is not so bad

[SarahL2]

I'm due on the 27th December (adjusted by the sonographer from my pervious date of the 25th!) and am already sick of people telling me how awful it is to have a christmas birthday.

Even when I straight out asked for reassurance all I got was "sorry, no reassurance here - it's awful"!!

My MIL is similarly unsupportive. In fact, when we told her I was pregnant, she said "congratulations - bad timing though" -But then when we told her we were expecting our first child she said "but I'm not ready for number 6!" (DS was her 6th grandchild) It just sems she can never be happy for us!

My brother, bless him, just keeps quiet. His birthday is the end of November and I know he hates it being so close to christmas.

If I hear much more about how awful it is I will cry. We wanted another baby but were going to wait for another 6 months to have a summer baby - but this one kind of snuck up on us. We're blissfully happy about the prospect of another child but the negativity of people is really spoiling it for us.

So is it really so awful?

Should I elect for another section rather than a VBAC just to ensure it's not Christmas or New Years Day when the little one arrives?

Sorry but it sucks big green eggs - I could lie and tell you it's fab but in my experience it isn't.

Don't try to have a birthday party unless it's WAY after Christmas/New Year.

FFS my parents use to wrap my birthday presents in Xmas paper.

Moi? A little twitter and bisted

dxx

My best friend at school was born on the 26th, and they used to just have a small family celebration on her birthday, but have a bigger party on her name day in May, which always worked very well. I'm sure you will be able to work out what is best for your LO.

Speaking as a December 27th birthday... sorry but mine sucks!
But can I make one point clear.. it is because noone and I mean NOONE in my family makes the effort to acknowledge the distinction between Christmas and my birthday.
Take this year for example... I turned 30 along with DP and my friends. All my friends had all their family make a fuss, DP's family threw him a surprise party as he hates being the centre of attention and my family didn't even bother coming round.
Dp and my best friends got me stocked up on painkillers and flu remedies so I was well enough to go out for a meal (god love them).

So I implore you in all that is fabulous about the Christmas/birthday/new year season, Make a HUGE fuss about their birthday being a seperate event. They'll love you for it as they get older.

I know quite a bit about Christmas-y birthdays.

Brother's is Christmas Day. I cannot tell you the amount of times I forgot to get him a card on his birthday. He's nearly 50 now so I don't think he minds that it gets overlooked.

DD1's is December 2. Fine, always has had big treats and very few joint presents. Hate joint presents... very unfair.

And DP's is December 17. He always has a big night out all of his own to mark the occasion. Seems perfectly happy with his lot.

Niece's is Jan 2 (so just after New Year). Always forget that one too.

And yes, the wrapping paper issue is a bit of a issue in our house too...

My Ds's birthday is 4th Dec, The good thing about that is the zoo we go to on his birthday (now a birthday tradition) is always quiet and the staff really attentive when they find out its his birthday, usually because we are the only visitors that day lol!
The 4th is also my BIL's birthday. My nephews birthday is 2nd Dec. So we tend to have a nice party/meal out. Im due on the 11th Dec, which is my SIL's birthday. Oh and my sisters birthday is new years eve. Then its mine on 13th Jan. LOL
The best thing about it when I was a teenager was I saved all my christmas money till my birthday then combined it with all my birthday money and went on a hoooooge shopping spree.
What im trying to say is dont let peoples negativity get to you, its not about the date its what YOU make of it!

Tbh as I've never known any different I don't feel the lack of an 'occassion' in the middle of the year.

My brothers birthday is in June and for a long time I got a tiny pressie on his birthday but then he got a little one on mine too.

My parents were always a bit fierce with everyone about it being a birthday and I never got joint gifts or only 1 thing.

I am being fully truthful I promise, it always made me feel special as a child I didn't dislike it at all. In fact I do still quite like telling people my birthday as it's always remarked upon. [sad looser emoticon]

Also, after reading other peoples posts, maybe the key to christmas birthday happiness is parents/family making as big a fuss as they do other birthdays. I remember lots of childhood parties and sleepovers too.

Ooohh another good thing was that I was never at school on my birthday and we always had a special day out with lunch or dinner out and no Xmas food allowed.

I'm sure you'll be the fabby sort of parents who makes a real effort over making it nice whenever in the year it is!

OK, so what I've got so far is..

• Absolutely no joint birthday/christmas presents. Also stress this to all family members. (knew this one anyway. Brother hates getting joint gifts)

• Buy Birthday wrapping paper and cards well before the event as they're a bugger to get near christmas.

• Make a big deal about birthday. Do not incorporate it into christmas celebrations unless absolutely have to.

• Maybe have a half birthday party to make sure everyone isn't tied up with Christmas celebrations.

• Encourage all friends to stay celebate during the months of February and April to save this happening again

And, (sorry) dh's birthday is 15 Dec and he's never been bothered or felt hard done by either.

I promise to make a big fuss DrEvil.

I'm already madly in love with the little bean just from the scan photo so I'll do everything I can to make sure s/he knows just how special they are

I'm a couple of days before Christmas - I can honestly say that when I was little, it was SUPERB to have my birthday just before the 25th - I started my Christmas countdown about a week before and the excitement just got better and better what with my own big day first, then everyone else's big day - I loved it!

Now I'm ancient, it's still good because people generally like an excuse to go out around xmas that isn't purely xmas related - step forward the one with the December birthday and voila! An excellent excuse to go out and not talk purely about roasting dishes and table decorations!

A December birthday is the way to go!

dd's birthday is 22nd Dec. Often her friends are either away or have other commitments with family, so she's normally disappointed by turnout for parties. We have done them earlier in the month, but it's not really the same!

Agree that you should buy birthday cards well in advance as they are not available around Christmas.

You never know - the baby might not come so close to Christmas anyway!

We've just celebrated half birthdays this year.

Make sure all birthday cards are kept up as long as possible.

My brother's birthday is Dec 25th and I swear it's contributed to his admirable lack of materialism.

From a fairly young age, he's not been fussed for presents at all and if he does give or wish to receive them, he does so ad hoc, when the mood takes him rather than when the calendar dictates which I think is much more meaningful.

Of course birthdays are more special for the little uns and I'm sure you'll make a lovely fuss of him/her, but it is great not to get hung up on them being this major deal, so ignore those pesky people who diss Christmas birthdays and enjoy every day with your baby.

DD2 arrived on Christmas Eve last year. She was 5 weeks early so we had given no previous thought to an arrival around Christmas (we must have been in denial as DD1 was 8 weeks early!).

In my family we have several December birthdays - sister is 29th and nephew (vis other sister) is 30th. FIL is 19th. then twin SILs are Jan 29th, my mum is nov 27th and i am nov 28th.

With all these birthdays I have been wondering what to do for DD2 - especially in a few years. (DD1 will be 3 in Sept and has not had a party yet but she has just started pre-school so we think it's getting close!)

What I am unsure of is whether us choosing to have a half-birthday in June is making too much of a fuss when no one else does.

My sister never had half-birthdays - less fashionable in the 70s - and DN is only 2 and has not had parties yet.

I have taken a note of some of the comments on here but how do we make 24th december special when it's all last minute dashing around for the next day?

It might have to be a feat of organisation - try to get organised for Christmas in advance, not put decs up till dd is in bed, that type of thing. My dd's birthday is early Jan so have the too close to Christmas issue but thankfully not as much of a PITA (sorry!) as 24th.

EDD is the 27th. It might end up being the 24th I suppose.

For anything other than xmas day, I guess we'll just put up decs late or take them down early (DH will love that - he hates xmas decs)

Maybe do something as a family on the day and then have a half-birthday in June.

Will have to wait and see when DC arrives before we'll know for sure just how hard it's going to be to ensure birthday is separate from Christmas.

My Grans birthday was 24/12; my nephew is 29/12 and my goddaughter's is 19/12.

Every year they get/got different presents for birthday and Christmas; it doesn't take a lot of effort, especially with Amazon.

My birthday is mid January and that's OK as well, as all the money/booktokens etc can be spent in the sales.

In my family we have 4th, 6th, 10th, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28th all December. Something in the water in March [amile] It's not so bad! Just make sure you have separate Christmas and birthday presents - including different wrapping paper and you'll be OK. We do half birthdays for my dc but that's just to get over the problem of getting all gifts at once - not really necessary.

I really wouldnt worry, concentrate on enjoying your pregnancy x

I think people can get very opinionated on due dates and times of year.
I am currently 29 weeks pregnant and due 27th August and everyone started on about how I needed to make sure I didnt go over because of the start of the school year!! (like I actually have any control over when they arrive lol)
I have since found out its twins so they wont let me go past 39 weeks and will definately arrive before the end of august lol

I think the main thing is to make a special effort to celebrate the 2 seperately.

My Bros Birthday is 4th december and my Dads is 29th so we just spend most of december celebrating lol

Hi . . .and congratulations

My dd was born on 28th December -3 weeks early.
It honestly isn't a problem and we all make a big fuss of her -she loves having the anticipation of her birthday as the excitement of Christmas is dying down.
I second the advice you have been given re no joint presents/christmas wrapping paper etc. My birthday is on Dec 11th and I love it!

Oh, and buy your dc's birthday card in September, while you can still get a decent one! Come October, there will be a paltry selection, to make way for the festive cards.

Hi Sarah

My b'day is the 11th December. It can't be that bad as I am quite happy that my EDD with this one is the 15th . My mother gave me the "bad timing" line as well when we told her but tbh, she just needs something negative to say

I have to say having a December birthday has never really bothered me. I agree that there's sometimes a shortage of decent birthday cards around but apart from that, its always been fine

MY BD is right after xmas, my sis just before never bothered us.

My DS was due on December 25th and came on Christmas Eve in the end.

I wasn't keen to start with, but have really warmed to the idea after speaking to lots of people with Christmas birthdays. Some do hate it, but I've become convinced that if you make a bit of extra effort to make it special despite the Christmas festivities then it will be just fine.

The DS of my parents' friend had a Christmas birthday. Growing up, his mum threw a birthday / Christmas drinks party for adults and children - her mates basically, particularly those with children - a couple of weeks before Christmas. They did it every year and it became part of all of our Christmas traditions, it was a lovely part of my childhood, and I'm sure made her DS feel special. He certainly got lots of presents! (I think he got a party with school friends too).

I think I'm going to do something like this for my DS.

Also I met a teenager with a Christmas day birthday who said he loved it as it made him feel special.

I'm not convinced about the half birthday idea (although I may change my mind!) - do you give a half birthday to all your DCs in that case?

The only reason that the half birthday appeals is because a lot of the stuff we have done for DS's birthday, we wouldn't be able to do just before christmas.

So far he's had a pottery painting (well hand printing) party for his first birthday and we rented out the local community hall and got a bouncy castle for his second birthday.

We'd be OK if it were a few weeks before christmas but not if it were only days before. Family parties are lovely but I don't want DC2 to feel left out cause DS has a different sort of party...