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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Anyone survived a Xmas birth?

48 replies

PetiteMum · 22/06/2013 19:50

So I'm due on boxing Day and really nervous about the whole thing as I'm convinced there will be less staff and decent medics will all be on holiday......... Am I being irrational with this fear?

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WeAreSix · 22/06/2013 19:52

It's no different to a Sunday. And you're unlikely to deliver on your due date anyway.

See? Nothing to worry about :)

StyleManual · 22/06/2013 19:54

I'm facing this situation too and hoping I can pop baby out on time just before xmas and avoid the holiday! There's no point worrying though. There will be midwives and Drs a plenty and plenty on call too.
I am focussing on the fact that the best telly of the year is on in December, so that last month will be spent feet up on the sofa stuffing myself with delicious festive treats and watching crap on TV.

LondonBus · 22/06/2013 19:58

I was due on the 21st Dec, but DC was born on the 2nd of Jan....so who knows when your baby will arrive.....The 1st of Jan isn't a good day to go into labour......not many folks around, and those that were were tired.

Lydia161290 · 22/06/2013 19:58

It's double pay on the holidays, I don't see why there wouldn't be staff!
You'll be fine, don't worry.

MummyTheresAfireBeeOnYourHead · 22/06/2013 20:06

My dd1 was due jan 4th and arrived dec 27th I went in Xmas day as thort waters dribbling!!!!!! Tmi wee waters whatever? I couldn't tell, they sent me home but I went back Boxing Day as was more obvious than a dribble ifykwim! In active labour box day late eve and in pool, midwives still had decs up and post natal ward some had funny Xmas headbands on and dd born 2am on 27th so was nearly a Boxing Day babe. The ward was quiet but that was a random fact not due to Xmas and plenty lovely staff, one midwife even gave my dd a cute Xmas teddy, I think they had given them to pre box day babies but had some left over.

LondonBus · 22/06/2013 20:14

And I reckon more NHS workers celebrate new year than Christmas.

QueenofClean · 22/06/2013 20:22

My DD2 was Ben 22nd Dec. Was taken in for induction on 21st due to waters breaking 24hrs previously and not going into labour on my own. It was busy on 21st & 22nd but had midwife 1:2:1. DD2 ended up in SCBU and they let me and DD2 home at 11:30pm Xmas eve just so I could be home for DD1 to open her pressies (she was brilliant that year, so understanding and didn't expect to see me & her sister when she woke up in morning) we had to go back to the hospital by 10am Xmas morning for final IV anti-biotics and we were both discharged together had a lovely but tiring Xmas and wouldn't change it for the world.

YBR · 22/06/2013 20:32

DD was due Christmas but was born a month early.
DC2 is due on DD's birthday ... I'm hoping for 2 weeks early this time!

Coldcuppacoffee · 22/06/2013 20:40

Yes. Managed to get through Xmas then got called in. They wanted to induce but no consultant so I went home for the night! ( I was stroppy and not up for a night on the pre natal ward!). It was really quiet on the birthing ward and everyone was in good spirits. This was my second and it was just a day like any other.

They all know babies come when they want, Christmas no exception and that's how it feels.

Parsnipcake · 22/06/2013 20:44

I am a foster carer and have fostered 3 Christmas babies

Parsnipcake · 22/06/2013 20:47

Cont... And everything was fine for the births. The main issues can be weather - keeping a baby warm was hard the year it was -15 and very snowy, and one year the scbu was very busy so babies were being discharged earlier than usual. December is generally quieter than some other months though.

ReallyTired · 22/06/2013 20:49

ds was born new years eve. The big advantage of a christmas/ new years eve baby was that parking was really easy. In fact there were no parking charges on bank holidays 11 years ago.

You are right in that its rare for a consultant to work christmas day or nights or indeed weekends. Often its the more junior doctors who get lumbered with the lousey shifts.

ds had problems with his blood sugar and they did have to haul in a pathologist to do the blood tests. There is a consultant on call on bank holidays who will come in if necessary.

thingamajig · 22/06/2013 20:54

I had a homebirth on Christmas day - I got my two midwives all to myself just as I would have any other day. DD and I had to go in to hospital afterwards, and they seemed pretty organised and cheerful, the only holiday related problem was being ready for discharge on new years day and there being no doctor to sign me out.

oldsilver · 22/06/2013 20:54

DS was born on Christmas Day

It was fine - I had to have EMCS and had already been in a couple of days, there were staff, we got to stay in hospital until half way through New Years Day. And DS got a little jingly ball and I got a Boots toiletry set as a Christmas Present from the staff

New Years Eve was another matter - they were inducing all over the place - anyone who showed any sign of giving birth that night was getting full attention as the hospital I gave birth in was in competiton with another maternity unit to get the first baby born in the city on New Years Day.

First thing New Years Day they bought all the new mums to the ward and told us all, already there, to get our make-up and glad rags on as the press would be arriving soon - not my first thought that day when it was going to be based on DS's weight and my bloods whether we'd be going home.

Phineyj · 22/06/2013 20:57

I had DD on Boxing Day (just - 2am). The staffing levels seemed better than normal although everyone was from other hospitals -- a doctor friend explained later that they would be getting locum rates while the local staff were doubtless doing the same elsewhere in London . The atmosphere was cheery and festive and I was given a wrapped up box of choc fingers which I really enjoyed as I was stuck in bed post c-section, starving, and could not reach my snacks on the windowsill. The temperature certainly wasn't a problem - it was boiling!

The time of year worked to my advantage, as I didn't want to be induced and the consultant, who would perhaps have tried to talk me into it, was on holiday the week before.

The only problem was they were short of ambulances so DH had to drive me to hospital as an emergency (a home birth was originally planned) and DD's birthday is on a slightly inconvenient date. Also I did not get my Xmas dinner until the Friday evening although at least DH had had the presence of mind to stick it in the freezer.

I completely forgot it was a public holiday and texted everyone really early wth the news and wondered why no-one was replying .

Wolfiefan · 22/06/2013 21:02

29/12
Hospital and after care all fine. Feeding snuggly newborn whilst watching new year fireworks on TV. Lovely memory. Christmas tree up in maternity. Twinkling lights as I gazed at my newborn.
On a practical note! Be ready for cold weather. (Baby clothing and heating serviced!) get car checked over and be ready for snow.
Enjoy!

Wheredidmyyouthgo · 22/06/2013 21:05

I had DD by ELCS on Xmas eve. It was all good and quite quiet. I think they try to get people home / induced / done and dusted by Xmas day (within reason obviously), hence it being quieter.

Mintyy · 22/06/2013 21:06

My friend who was due on 26th December actually gave birth on 7th January. There is no telling ...

lottieandmia · 22/06/2013 21:10

Dd2 was born on the 22nd (which was her due date!). It was fine - I had no problems. But then I was out of hospital a few hours after giving birth.

landofsoapandglory · 22/06/2013 21:11

DS2 was born on Christmas Eve (due Jan 22nd). It was quiet in delivery suite, only me and another lady gave birth, but there were plenty of staff on duty, so the care was excellent.

We were fed really well on the ward, I was starving I missed lunch, because there were no patients in hospital, so there was loads of food!

Overnight DS2 was fussy, I BF but the midwives walked the floor with him while I slept, bringing him back for feeds. When I had DS1 I had to do all the nightcare. It was bliss to get some sleep.

In the morning we had breakfast and there was no hanging around to be discharged like usual, they got us out really early and efficiently.

IME it was a good time to give birth!

MikeLitoris · 22/06/2013 21:11

I was due on 24th Dec. She didnt bother to show up until Jan 6th!

Ds was was born mid Dec and both times staffing was fine. No shortages. I found the wards quieter than during the summer.

I had a huge double room to myself for 3 days with dd2.

It was lovely.

landofsoapandglory · 22/06/2013 21:11

*due Jan 12th not 22nd!

BlackholesAndRevelations · 22/06/2013 21:13

I'm probably going to give birth on Christmas day and wasn't worried about it until now!! by the way my due date is 20th but my other babies were late.

Surely they'd always be properly staffed, despite the date?! Argh!

FeegleFion · 22/06/2013 21:30

Not exactly Christmas but DC had EDD 7th Dec and he arrived on the 6th. There were lots of staff at the hospital they just had far too many women to look after and I received an extremely shoddy service.

That was my choice of hospital as opposed to time of year though.

You will be absolutely fine.

leobear · 22/06/2013 21:34

Gorgeous time to have a baby. I was fine, you'll be fine! Congrats!

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