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?

SarahL, I'll send my dd round to explain the advantages of a Christmas birthday!

My friends who do the half birthday thing suggest we do cards in Dec and presents in June...when they have a party. I think they have a little family only do in Dec to mark the day.

My dad is 27th and he says he feels he only gets one big present rather than 2 presents lol but he's not got a problem with it.

My friend is the 17th and she hates it.

A colleague is the 24th and she loves it.

So I suppose it depends on how YOU deal with it to ensure it is kept seperate to Christmas.

As you may be be able to tell from my name my wee girl was born on Christmas Day. I was due on boxing day and the entire time I was pregnant had a similar amount of ear bashing from 'helpful' friends, to the point that when I went in to be induced on Christmas Eve, pretty much guaranteeing a Christmas Day baby, I was in tears!

HOWEVER!! I now absolutely love the fact she was born on such a special occasion. On her birthday we have a birthday lunch with cake and sandwiches and then a Christmas dinner later - so she does get to feel special for some of the day.

We also decided to have a naming day when she was about 6 months old and now, like the queen, she has two birthdays! We don't worry about asking for presents from friends or relatives on her Party Day (though nearly all of them do treat this as her 'official' birthday) but we give her all her 'birthday' presents from us then and invite all her friends over for a party.

It's great, honestly, everyone is so excited by Christmas babies and the midwives in antlers certainly distracted me at crucial moments. In fact the absolutely only negative side was having my photo in the bloody local paper pretty much straight after delivering. Did anyone see my wedding photo - noooo. Did anyone see my just delivered a baby photo? Bloody everyone. Even strangers stopping me in the streets to ask if it was me. Even more worrying that they recognised me TBH...!!

Go Christmas Go.

My DS3 was due on boxing day too. He was born on the 29 Dec though.

I also have a DS born on 6th Jan and my DD was 20th Jan.

Busy time of year for us

I find it all a bit difficult TBH. It takes so much organisation to make sure noone feels left out.

Christmas is a bit hard for us anyway because of losing DD. Then to have all the birthdays straight after arrrggghhh!

Sorry, dont sound very positive do I .

I dont think its a terrible thing. I hated all the comments though. What is the point of being so horrible about it when the baby is gonna come anyway?

It sounds as if your LO had a lovely birthday. I am hoping to be more organised for DS's 2nd. At least it means less of an anticlimax after the excitment of Christmas day. Its a good excuse for more fun and cake .

If I do manage to have a DC5 I think I will plan a summer baby this time though

Oops

I just answered the last post as if it were the OP

Soorreeeee .

DS is xmas eve, weirdly it was lovely being in hospital over xmas, I went in the day before Christmas Eve and came out the day after Boxing Day so really did miss xmas that year but all the staff were so jolly and came round with presents for Mums and Babies and the Christmas dinner was really nice!

To the person who was worried about giving birth at Christmas time, there were plenty of staff around where I gave birth, it wasn't an issue. I guess you can't really pull a sickie on Christmas Day can you?

My baby was born on xmas eve and it was wonderful. She enjoys a birthday at xmas and them we have an un birthday at the summer solstice when we tend to invite friends as they are usually busy at xmas. My dd is 5 now and thinks her birthday is extra special. i wouldnt change it for the world. xx

my Granny is 89 and her birthday is Christmas Eve and she's never been bothered. Her parents used to keep one downstairs room Christmas Free that became her birthday space and she got another party with mates in the Spring. The party thing is tricky, but it is the same for Summer babies, those born in theschool holiidays as no one is about, my DS2 is end Jan, one month after Xmas and I just think all his parties etc will be inside as the weather will bad!

Just don't call your baby Holly or Santa!

I'm planning to give DD (1st Jan) an unbirthday on my birthday (12th July). Really good excuse to get out of it being my birthday as I hate my birthday these days. Don't know why, just do. It'll be so much more fun with a dozen toddlers runnign round screaming and bursting ballons.

Hiya My No3 was born at 8.30pm on xmas eve, it was the best birth i've had. All the staff on the delivery suite were lovely, and I was home by 3.30am, prezzies under tree by 4.15 and woken up by the dc's at 7.30am.

Both children were convinced that Father Christmas had brought their lovely little brother and were more interested in him than presents.

We then spent about 2hrs hour opening presents, got dressed and went to MIL's for xmas dinner.

How can that not be superb?

Christmas made it more magical not less.

Hi SarahL2. I'm expecting DC3 on 2nd Feb but am having a scan soon and expect the date to be brought forward by about a week as it was for DC1 and 2. Have been thinking the same thing about Christmas birthdays. I'm not convinced with the half birthday idea as they would end up getting 2 sets of presents when the other children will not, but I think I'll do a party on the last week of term when they're school age and something with the family on the actual day. If I'm honest I'd rather they arrived before the 24th or after the 1st. But as long as they're healthy I'll be happy and grateful. Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy.

Oops! 2nd January, not 2nd Feb. Hate to think how huge I'd be going a month over!

ds2 is 27th dec. Not kken on half birthday idea. Like the idea of a party a couple of weeks before though, or even after.

I had DS3 at home. It was great.

My DS2 didnt have a very good grasp of time. We kept telling him his little bro was coming at Christmas. He was really put out when Christmas arrived and DS2 didnt!

Caused all sorts of confusion

hi sarah congratulations!

my birthday is Jan 1st and it is great....
never had halfbirthday parties when i was little - our family celebrated on the day

then as i got older always had a BIG hangover on NYDay but when everyone singing happy new year i get happpy bday song too

the only real problems have already been posted - people still forget/ always get a combined pressie/ use of xmas paper/ no money left after xmas?

look on it as a positive and remember IT IS a lovely time of year

Giving birth in hospital around Christmas was really nice.

As I said earlier, DD2 came early - and once it started she came very quickly. My midwife said it made her day as things were very quiet.

DP was a bit miffed that we missed Christmas Day and having a picture in the local paper - I was perfectly happy not to be photographed for all to see!

DD2 arrived at 12.46 pm and I was home by half seven that evening. Baby was kept in NICU for 10 days but, as it was the second one we had had in NICU it was all much easier to leave her behind as I knew how safe she was and how it wouldn't make a difference if I went home to her but it would make a huge difference to DD1 (aged 2.5 yo then).

Was sorting stocking and wrapping presents until 1am - back to hospital at 9am after much excitement at home with stocking and then lunch with my sister and BIL (rest of my family had gone away for Xmas!)

And Santa visited DD2 in NICU so she already has gifts from her first Christmas - we had bought her nothing, as were not expecting her to be here.

And she is not named Holly but does have a name sort of linked to the time of year.

And I do love telling people when her birthday is as it always gets commented on - and usually in a positive way to be honest.

My DH's BDay is the 27th Dec and he loves it - He says that on boxing day when everyone else has 'finished' the Christmas clelebrations, he has still got his birthday to look forward too. We also find that being after Christmas, most people are able to make parties / celebrations that we have for him, as it is usually that post Christmas lull between Xmas and new year.

Also, some students had a great 21st Birthday party a few years back - they all went to the panto for some guy's 21st. They all joined in the booing and hissing and seemed to have a wail of a time. I was actually quite envious that I could never do that for my July birthday!

I'm due xmas day and everyones just said that it will be a nice pressie. And i'm told new mums get xmas dinner and a pressie in hospital. My brother was born on 23rd and DP on the 14th and I don't think they mind too much. I mind though as you have to wait all year to buy gifts, lol.

My sister is christmas eve, and she likes to moan (but that is just in general ) but never ever has she had combined or christmas paper on her birthday pressies etc (important that to some!!) DH's birthday is 22nd dec and he doesn't car either way, but I always make it special for him just like I would if it was in May.

One word of advice though, get cards before the end of september as there is such a rubbish selection in December for birthdays

My middle sister's birthday is 27/12 too, and it is true that it will definitely not be forgotten, cards etc will also be sent in due time.

I just missed Valentine's Day by 15 minutes, and my birthday wasn't missed either, though in one case it was a court date for home being repossessed by Halifax (plus bankruptcy, now just waiting for something else to go wrong with my situation to make the set!)

My dd is Christmas Eve (she wasn't due then) and we celebrate her half birthday instead. So she gets twice the fuss and loves it. Go for your VBAC!

God...on the grand scale of things ...no it doesn't matter at all.
I too was due on 27th dec. dd came on 2 Jan (i was determined not to have her in Dec!)
Yes it's a bit of a pain in the arse...(for me mostly in terms of being organised with parties). The only thing dd dislikes is that she has to wait so long (like a whole year) before she gets to have new things...and she hates getting birthday presents wrapped up in xmas paper.
People do forget a lot too...because they've just gone back to work after the holidays plus they are all a bit skint and they think she's probably had lots anyway...so she misses out a bit (compared to ds whose birthday was the other day)
But the plus side is i don't have so much plastic crap in the house

Congratulations btw

ds2 is dec 26th....it's wonderful imo.. (takes the edge off christmas)....