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Original poster

Christmas baby - any tips?

28 replies

lowrib · 10/08/2008 02:09

I'm 20w pregnant and my baby's due on Christmas day. Really hope it's not actually Christmas day! The two most exciting things in the world when I was little were Xmas and my birthday - can't imagine not having one of them!!

Does anyone here have a birthday at that time of year? Did you really hate it or was it OK?

Does anyone here have kids with birthdays at Christmas? Do you have any tips?

Thanks

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spottyshoes · 10/08/2008 07:05

Before my m/c I was due 18/12 and that was one of the things I thought about. I guess they come when they come though and also, the child wont know any different growing up as s/he will always have had their birthday on xmas day.

My friends l.o is 25th and they have Xmas morning with prezzies and Xmas lunch at lunchtime. They then have birthday prezzies in the p.m followed by a snacky party 'tea'. As she got a bit older they had proper birthday parties on the next Saturday.

Othersideofthechannel · 10/08/2008 07:11

DD was due on Christmas day but was born a couple of weeks before. So my tip is make sure you do your Christmas shopping in November!

traceybath · 10/08/2008 07:31

My youngest will be one on boxing day - he came 3 weeks early.

I think it may be quite nice actually as we'll always have lots of family around and i'll do parties when he's older either just before school breaks up or before they go back.

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lizziemun · 10/08/2008 08:12

I know someone whoose birthday is christmas day so he has a 'half' birthday in June.

DD1 also a friend whoose birthday is christmas eve and she has her birthday at the beginning of dec.

Pruners · 10/08/2008 08:38

Message withdrawn

TheGirlWithGreenEyes · 10/08/2008 09:00

My birthday is at that time of year... absolutely essential that you mark the two separate occasions. I wish my parents had thought of doing the half-birthday thing as I always felt I never had the chance to get given summer toys, clothes, etc.

I also suspect that my parents often didn't have much money/energy left after Christmas and I often felt let down - for example one year I wanted a Sindy doll for my birthday but they couldn't find any in the shops after Christmas - so got me a normal type of doll - I was absolutely gutted....

Nemoandthefishes · 10/08/2008 09:04

My dd1 was due on 23rd dec but came on the 16th which also happens to be MIL birthday. She is 3 this year and we just make a fuss with happy birthday banners, balloons etc for her. WE do have xmas deccies up but as she gets older if she decides she doesnt want that then we will wait.
DD2 is 5th jan baby so unfortunately gets rawer end of deal as everyone was skint last year for her 1st bday..lol

Heifer · 10/08/2008 09:12

My DD birthday is the 20th December. To keep her birthday special we don't decorate the house for Christmas, until the 21st Dec.

That way she can have her party with balloons and banners etc and the next day we do the Christmas decorations together.

It works really well, as she doesn't ask for the Christmas tree to be put up in November (unlike my friends children)....

I also made it clear to family and friends not to buy her joint presents (was worried about how to approach that, but was easy as for her 1st birthday everyone asked what I thought she would like, and I said that it would be really good to do separate presents, so if clothes for birthday then toys for Christmas etc)...

We had planned to give her a 2nd summer birthday but she is now 4.5 and haven't done it so guess we won't bother now!

yomellamoHelly · 10/08/2008 09:23

My ds2 was born on 18th, 2006. (Was due 20th, but told him he could arrive early - on 17th!) Last year I left half our open plan lounge/dining undecorated (Christmas tree etc up one end only) and put up balloons, banners etc up that end and it worked really well. (Ds1 was delighted not to have to wait as long as Christmas for a party.) I quite enjoyed it because it was just us that celebrated it ifyswim rather than PIL coming down and giving him a massive stack of pressies and us having to share him (if that doesn't sound too nuts).

The year he was due I did all my Chrissie shopping early and had it wrapped by 1st December. Same with Christmas cards, food lists, shopping lists etc. House was also decorated at the start of the month and was all clean and clear ready for new baby and Christmas. It's also a good excuse to stay at home rather than doing the usual rounds of family etc.

flamingtoaster · 10/08/2008 09:46

My DS was due on New Year's Eve but born on 6th January. We always make sure all the Christmas decorations are down well before his birthday to make a clear break between the two celebrations. Also he always got some small presents on this birthday and then a big present mid year when he was ready for something new and bigger. We still keep to his pattern even though he is now at University!

Clayhead · 10/08/2008 09:52

My dd has a Christmas birthday but we deal with it differently to some people here, she is six now and for the last few years she has had a Christmas birthday party, with Christmas serviettes/plates etc. and we do Christmas themed party bags too. The main thing is that she really likes doing this and if that changes obviously I will think again. Even the other day, she was talking about how her birthday is special because it's a Christmas one (none of her friends are). She even has a Christmas tree cake which we made together last year!

In terms of the Christmas of her birth, I had all presents wrapped very early and had to write off Christmas as I knew it! dd was actually two weeks late too.

The most annoying thing I've found is how many people say to me, 'What bad planning to have a baby so near to Christmas.....' arghhhhhhhhhh

MarkStretch · 10/08/2008 09:57

My birthday is Christmas time too. Whatever you do don't give presents and say 'oh that's for birthday and christmas'.

It used to make my blood boil!

Surely that should be illegal. I have a right to two lots of presents on different days!

Pruners · 10/08/2008 09:59

Message withdrawn

onthepier · 10/08/2008 14:41

Hello, my ds was born on Boxing Day, his due date! Waters actually broke on Xmas Day and much as we were excited about a possible Xmas Day baby, we were quite pleased he waited until Boxing Day as at least his birthday is slightly separate!

We always plan his party for his friends at the beginning of December, before it all starts getting to hectic!

I would start your Xmas preparations as early as possible this year!

Liz79 · 10/08/2008 15:16

My birthday is 12th Dec, DDs 17th and DH 20th! DD hasn't had a birthday yet, I was due 2/12/07. What really irritates me is getting birthday presents wrapped in Christmas paper, which is petty but it annoys me. I don't know when we'll put the decorations up. I had all my Christmas shopping done by the end of October last year. I started mat leave the start of November and spent it writing Xmas cards and wrapping presents. I still ended up trawling round the shops (spending nothing) as I was bored and I thought the walk might help baby come (it didn't). I also ended up in Tescos on 20th Dec with 3 day old baby. Bad idea.

macdoodle · 10/08/2008 15:41

My DD2 was due Boxing Day last year - I had a planned section for breech on the 28th Dec - so this xmas should be interesting

newpup · 10/08/2008 15:51

My dd2 was due on Christmas Eve . I was so determined that I was not going to have a baby on that day. Serves me right that she was not born until the 1st week in January!!!

biscuitsmustbedunkedintea · 10/08/2008 15:53

Totally agree with Liz on the paper issue! My birthday is 23rd Dec, and I hate
A) being given a joint pressie for birthday and Christmas (have made that clear to family/friends so it's only happened twice)
B) being handed birthday pressies wrapped in crimbo paper. Why? Why? Why? One year my aunt even went to the trouble of crossing out the word Christmas on the paper and writing in Birthday, so it read Happy Christmas Birthday!! Is it too much trouble to buy a sheet of birthday paper?

You will need to shop for Birthday card a few months beforehand as my family have discovered. All the Christmas cards take up the shop space so smaller selection of Family Birthday cards

I always used to hate my parties when I was small and was very envious of friends having treasure hunts / bouncy castles outside in their gradens. Until a good friend said everyone loved my parties because all the Christmas Decs were up and the tree and it was a more partylike atmosphere My parents always made sure there was plenty of space to display my birthday cards (Stuck to the glass lounge door)

Downside as you get older, if you go for a meal to celebrate you birthday, it's inflated prices and always the option of Turkey I now traditionally go for a chinese!

My Friends hubbie is a 25th baby and similar to others, he has Birthday in the morning, then Christmas in the afternoon.

Last point, should you actually give birth on Christmas Day, there is a good chance the local paper might be round to take your pic. Remember seeing the paper last year with pics of exhausted looking mums, proudly displaying their new babes with huge bags uder their eyes and wearing their best Primark nighties

LittleMoosh · 10/08/2008 17:41

My youngest was due on 5 December 2006 but was late and was born on 12 December 2006. I really didn't want his birthday close to christmas and was panicking at the time thinking what if I go 2 weeks overdue, it will be too close to christmas (plus I have another son, now 6, so I really didn't want to be in hospital or at home feeling tired at christmas). Not so bad now though, only down side is his birthday is very close to christmas and he probably won't get as many presents for this birthday with christmas just around the corner - never mind

Guitargirl · 10/08/2008 18:06

DD was due on Christmas Eve but arrived 2 weeks late. I was pretty organised that year but remember feeling like a beached whale on Christmas Day - especially after lunch.

mylittlepudding · 10/08/2008 18:10

DD was 5 weeks early on Christmas Eve! I was in hospital from December 2nd with pre-eclampsia. So I agree shop really early!!!

And we do a half birthday for presents - my mum has finally caught on, no one else does, though. Maybe as she's older it will be seen by other family members to have benefits - but people do buy things to grow into, so I put some of them away.

I've always hated Christmas, it has improved for me a bit since having dd.

christiana · 10/08/2008 18:28

Message withdrawn

bettythebuilder · 10/08/2008 18:31

dd was born on Christmas Day, (3 days early) she's now 5...we've tried the half birthday party thing in June, but it just didn't work- seemed a bit 'false' iyswim, and to be honest so far it's just confused her, so we've kicked it into touch!

However, we don't give her a big b'day pressie (it's not missed in all the chaos!) and do get her a 'proper' pressie in June, something to play in the garden, a bike, etc. We just don't have a party then, have the party a couple of days before Christmas but not 'Christmassy'.
I agree with a prev. comment about buying birthday partyware well in advance,(or online) it's only Christmas plates/cups in the shops from November

fin42 · 10/08/2008 20:28

My ds has his birthday on Christmas Eve. We always have a party for him on Christmas Eve which is nice as all his cousins live abroad and they're all over for Christmas so it means they may not be there if it was another time of year.
If people ask what he wants for Christmas/Birthday I ask them to give him money for Christmas and then we save it until later in the year and buy him something more summery.
We don't give him a summer birthday but I have got a cake for my birthday (in April) with candles for him to blow out and gone on a treat for both of us so he feels included. He's an only child so I guess this would be a bit tricky if I had others.

MrsMattie · 10/08/2008 20:34

I'm due late Nov / early Dec (depending on which doctor / midwife I listen to!) but seeing as I went 18 days over due last time I am bracing myself for a possible almost-Xmas baby this time. I'm planning the following to keep Xmas shopping to a minimum and do most of it online, and to book a restaurant for lunch. I refuse to cook a massive meal for my family being either heavily pregnant or just having given birth!

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