Holidays with a Newborn

SandD080616 · August 2024

Do you plan on attending family holiday gatherings with your newborn? I’m thinking of siting everything out this year. Thinking about family Christmas gatherings with a three week old during RSV season is starting to freak me out.

froggerblue · August 2024

I plan on staying home this year. I might invite close family members to a potluck kind of dinner, but that would be it. My last pregnancy, it took a few weeks to get in a good rythm with my newborn, and I wasn't able to get more than 3h of sleep until she was about 3 months old, so I'm not putting any pressure on myself to attend anything.

missa_lyssa · August 2024

I don’t think I’m going to want to go anywhere with my newborn. Those first few weeks (and honestly months) were so hard with my first, and I can’t imagine our family also getting sick during that time.

That being said, I’m due on the 21st, and my last baby was five days “late,” so if the baby hasn’t come yet, we might go to some gatherings. Just not too far from my hospital. 🙃

bluecampanula · August 2024

it *could* be doable if your family is a hands-off type, rather than wanting to pass the baby around. But no, I'm not planning on going anywhere for a couple weeks. I don't bounce back quite as fast, and really try to maximize my resting and recovering during the first couple weeks while I have help - before I'm pretty much on my own.

I'm just getting over Covid right now and it was rough. It's making me think how much I don't want to get sick myself right after having a baby this winter - as hard as being pregnant & sick is, postpartum &breastfeeding while sick is the absolute worst.

moogieks · August 2024

If it's only days or weeks since baby was born, you already have enough on your plate to deal with. Packing up a newborn, getting dressed up, having enough energy to entertain..it's really overwhelming. Some people stay 40 days at home. Might be a good compromise to invite someone to bring a plate of food and have a little company if you're up to it.

froggerblue · August 2024

@bluecampanula I second that being sick is the worst. I caught Covid during my stay at the hospital to deliver my daughter. So that could be why postpartum seemed quite rough for me since I had to deal with recovering from the birth, breastfeeding and Covid on top of that. Baby suffered from jaundice and conjunctivitis so that might also bias my judgement, but it definitely took a few weeks/a whole month before we all felt "functional". Hopefully, this time around, it'll be less stressful and easier. 🤞

mjchristiansen · August 2024

We did small stuff when one of our babies wasn’t that old but it honestly just depends on you, your recovery, and what you’re comfortable with. If you are feeling good then it comes down to are you comfortable with telling people not to touch the baby type of thing and if you know family will be offended and you don’t want the drama, don’t go.

MrsCaliRN · August 2024

My due date is Thanksgiving Day and I’m hosting family up to 20 people for the holiday. If baby is born on or before Thanksgiving, the thought of my family being with me and baby during this special time warms my heart. I’d definitely be pampered, fed, and given time to rest and who else’s hands are better for baby to be in than loved ones? Granted, this is baby #4 for me and I’ve never taken longer than 1 week before taking baby to church to be passed around. Only thing that’s slightly different this time is it’ll be during the height of URI season (vs having 2 summer babies and a late-Feb baby) so will probably grill family about symptoms, insist on thorough hand hygiene, and reserve the right to refuse a close hold sesh if husband or I have any concerns. Will also have plenty of PPE on hand and windows will be wide open to promote ventilation throughout the house.

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