Tips on planning xmas for older kids when baby is due around xmas

[Mamabear12]

I’m pregnant w the third and we have 2 dc already age 5 and 7 so xmas is still a big deal for them. How do I make it special for them. Baby is due the 20th. With the other two I give birth within a day of the due date. I assume it will be the same. A little nervous though if baby arrives 24th or 25th. How do I plan to make it still special for the kids? I guess some major planning, early gift wrapping etc. Helps. Anyone else in same position? What do you plan?

I'm due the 29th december but I may be being started earlier on the 22nd I have 3 children ages 10 7 and 1 and I've been thinking about this alot too I said I will have to have everything done and sorted early just incase and basically hope for the best

I have started tick lists to make sure things don't get forgotten -

List for presents to get/got (ticked off)
List for food to order closer to time, including insta-food like frozen bread rolls and soup that can keep everyone going when i'm out of action.
List of decorations/traditions/treats to get etc so that things can continue as normal despite my baby brain/DH's total and frankly astonishing ignorance of how to do Christmas properly

RubaiyatOfAnyone Lol my dh doesn’t know how to do xmas either. If it were up to him we would have no tree or decorations! Every year I go get the tree and sort all decorations w the kids. I’m just hoping baby comes a few days before so on xmas eve and xmas we can enjoy it all together.

I would just be very organized. Aim to have everything wrapped by the end of November. I recommend Rubbermaid totes so everything can be held in one place.

Find a restaurant or grocery that will do most/all of the food and just do that regardless. You will either be very pregnant or caring for a newborn.

Decorate early.

My second was due on Christmas Day , and I had him on the 19th. I was also concerned about DH doing Christmas really badly , since he thinks that all these religious events are rubbish and can't see the point.

I kept that in mind and made sure that the house was decorated weeks early, gifts wrapped and put away, and food selected for ease of cooking . As it happened, I brought DS home on the 23rd and we had a lovely Christmas. My DD told the neighbours that she got a baby brother from Santa which was lovely.

Following as also due around that date and would really like to be prepared for a relaxing Christmas

You should start a specific Pregnancy Prep Christmas Thread Mamabear12 we could post deals and lists and help each other out (I love a good bargain hunt) 🎄🎅

My DD was born on 24th last year. I made sure I had all presents wrapped by mid November including a stocking for the baby in case it was needed. I wrote instructions for all traditions regarding mince pies etc for DH in case I was out of action. In the end birth was very straightforward and all of us were in our Christmas pj's by tea time and I was around to issue orders from the sofa where I was resting!

Purpleartichoke I usually decorate first week of December lol 😀 I just love the xmas decorations. I save the tree for closer to xmas. But wreath and other inside decorations go up. Stockings and tree a bit later for xmas.

SeaEagle21 Yes I need to get everything wrapped way ahead! I usual wrap Santa gifts at night on 24th! I never learn to do it ahead lol. This year I will though!

NoUsernamesILike Will start a thread mid October 😀

feelinhopeful Sounds lovely. I had to stay 48 hours after having my son bc he was low birth weight. But thankfully he was fine and gained weight bc he fed like a champ. But they wanted to monitor him. I’m hoping for my third we will be in and out!

This is the thread for me! Due 29 December! What was I thinking 🤦‍♀️ X