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Original poster

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

158 replies

SarahL2 · 15/06/2009 15:08

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?

OP posts:
Original poster
SarahL2 · 16/06/2009 19:32

I miscarried in January so I am just relieved to be doing OK so far this time.

It's just the comments from others that had started getting me down

OP posts:
fucksticks · 16/06/2009 19:49

God, its a non issue, dont worry about it.
My birthday is a few days before christmas.
I still love the fact that its all festive and jolly around my birthday.
I always have to have the decorations up for my birthday!

mum23monkeys · 16/06/2009 20:18

My birthday is 22nd Dec, and I have loved it all my life!!!

My mother was very strict with the no joint pressies/correct wrapping paper and cards stuff. We also ended up with more traditions attached to my birthday which I felt quite special about. eg. dad and I always went to choose the Christmas tree on my birthday, and decorated it. And my birthday cards had a really special place to be so they were on show for everyone. Nobody forgot my birthday - how could they? But my brothers' birthdays were in the middle of the summer holidays and they just didn't have the same prominence as mine.

I think parties are quite easy round that time too. People are usually in the mood to party. As a child I had magicians and shows at home, then as an adult it's a good excuse to have a cracking party around Christmas without it getting too cheesily Christmassy.

My family would never have coped with having an official birthday some time in the summer. Would have been too complicated and potential for loads of upset, but it didn't stop me from having some parties in the summer, but usually for a different reason - finishing primary school etc.

There were always jokes about my parents trying to stick me on top of the Christmas tree when I was 3 days old, instead of the fairy. You are very lucky special to be born at Christmas, imo.

spenthen · 16/06/2009 20:36

My DS is 19 Dec. We all love it. He thinks that Christmas starts on his birthday. On his last birthday (his 5th) it really did cos his birthday was the last day of term, so all his friends came round for a party after school and it was fantastic. We had an extra little tree with choccy decos on as the party prizes, and seasonal variants of the party games (pin the red nose on Rudolph etc.).

OH always starts his Christmas hols on the birthday, so he's at home for that week up to Christmas and it really is the best week of the year. I think we make more effort to go out and do things cos we're celebrating two things, so it's more exciting for everyone.

And DS gets more presents than the other two do for their birthdays because all the family members are around over Christmas (it's much worse for the one born in March in that respect - though he's not old enough to have realised yet!).

Really you can make it extra special if you come up with some ideas and traditions of your own. My birthday's in mid-Jan and I know which one I'd rather have.

Enjoy your Christmas baby!

Original poster
SarahL2 · 16/06/2009 22:45

Aw, Thank you mum23monkeys and spenthen - those are really sweet stories

OP posts:
welshmuminessex · 24/11/2016 18:24

Sorry, I'd love to reassure you. I'm a Christmas Day baby and not one of my birthdays has been special 😔

SittingDrinkingTea · 24/11/2016 18:28

This is a zombie thread, the child in question is nearly 7...

Can someone reassure me please that a Christmas birthday is not so bad
RhiWrites · 24/11/2016 18:28

And you revived a zombie thread from 2009 to share this with us? Hmm

LineyReborn · 24/11/2016 18:35

Weird zombie shit.

ClashCityRocker · 24/11/2016 18:36

Wonder when the baby was born. It would be coming up seven now...

oldlaundbooth · 24/11/2016 18:39

DS will be three on Dec 26.

As far as I can see, family, friends etc will all be together anyway as it's Xmas, so easier to celebrate.

oldlaundbooth · 24/11/2016 18:39

What's with all the zombies? Confused

Lindy2 · 24/11/2016 18:40

My birthday is Christmas Eve. It always made me feel very special as a child. I also enjoyed the fact that I was always on school holidays on my birthday. You could say having to go to school on your birthday is pretty awful!

AgathaMystery · 24/11/2016 18:45

A Christmas birthday is fab! My daughter, BIL & MIL all share an Xmas birthday & it's lovely.

NavyandWhite · 24/11/2016 18:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
SarahL2 · 24/11/2016 18:54

Wow, this was a few name changes ago!! This was my old thread. DD is indeed about to turn 7!

She was born on December 17th in the end after I started showing signs of preeclampsia. That christmas was magical, sat under the tree with my newborn.

Birthdays since have been wonderful. I have to be a bit more organised than with DS's March birthday and book a bit further in advance to get in before the christmas parties but we've had no problems having fun. Internet shopping helps as they're still selling birthday stuff when the high street shops have all swapped to christmas stuff and generally I have to go to FunkyPigeon or similar for a descent birthday card but the only insurmountable problem we've had so far was when she wanted a Pizza Express party and they wouldn't do one in December (they make too much money from office christmas parties)

This year we've just moved house and I don't have the energy for party planning so we're postponing the party until June and having an Alice in Wonderland themed Merry Unbirthday party Grin

DD loves her December birthday so we must be doing OK so far.

OP posts:
ArcticMumkey · 24/11/2016 18:55

Mine is 29th and I like it. My Mum did a wonderful job of making sure it was both special and separate from Christmas when I was a kid. No joint presents, no Christmas wrapping paper etc. And I never had to be at school!
As an adult my close friends always make sure they're free to do something so I've rarely been let down or felt fed up.
My DD has an early January birthday.

As an aside, DH is militant about not having a summer born baby (I don't agree but hey ho)

ArcticMumkey · 24/11/2016 18:56

Aaghhrr didn't notice the zombie!

jay55 · 24/11/2016 19:02

As a kid it was fine, I'd have a party before the end of term and always saw relatives. Sure gifts would be wrapped in christmas paper but that was okay. Mum made sure I got something with my easter egg too so it wasn't a full year between gifts.

As a young adult it sucked as no one was ever free for drinks, restaurants full of chrismas menus and booked up for work dos.

AlwaysHangry · 24/11/2016 19:06

My birthday is Christmas Eve and my daughters birthday is 27th December. I never missed out as a child and my mum always made a fuss. I never felt left out and my mum always made sure I got two presents from relatives. I love my birthday. it is what you make it x

applesandpears86 · 24/11/2016 19:12

It's just a birthday and it falls whenever it falls... OP you are overthinking this Smile

My Birthday is mid December and I've never known any different hence have never given it a second thought.

Original poster
SarahL2 · 24/11/2016 19:23

Name changed back so that my posts will be highlighted again....

This is a Zombie thread! DD is now about to turn 7 and loves her December birthday. I have no idea why this has been resurrected.

OP posts:
redpriestandmozart · 24/11/2016 20:30

On the birthday front, we have one born very early January, from no age all the birthday money was saved until end of June when he could buy a super summer present. He has looked forward to this every year as he got so much at Christmas it was a long time until present time again. He's an adult now as still carries on the tradition. He still had a birthday party but all his money was saved until June.

maxfielder20 · 24/11/2016 20:38

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Sallystyle · 24/11/2016 21:02

My daughter's birthday is on the 20th Dec and it is a bit of a pain in the arse.

Her birthday often seems like a bit of an afterthought. People can't afford as much. People are often busy and aren't as available for parties. However, we make her day as good as it can be. It has its downsides for sure but it's not a huge deal. You can make it a great occasion yourself.

I have three summer babies and it's great because they only have to wait 6 months to get presents.

I have another one who is in early Jan. She is lucky in the sense that she gets more for her money because of the sales.