The Pregnant Lady’s Guide to Surviving the Holiday Season

It’s that time of year again: the Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year’s sprint to cram as many memories and good times as possible into a two month period.

When we were kids the holidays were the BEST time of the year.  Gifts! Cookies! Endless parties with families and friends!  Now that we’re adults, and responsible for all the gift-buying, food-cooking, friend & family-entertaining, card-sending, and memory-orchestrating, this season can be…challenging, to say the least.  Add in the fact that family drama often chooses to rear its head during this holiday season, and it could make even the calmest person a frazzled mess.

So what is a reasonable mother to do?  Well, you could make lists to make sure nothing slips through the cracks, or get your holiday shopping done by November, or peruse “Real Simple” or “Martha Stewart” for time-saving tips.  Or, there’s our favorite solution: BOOZE.

But if you’re pregnant?  Not happening.  So what the hell is a pregnant woman supposed to do?  You may not be able to participate in the Thanksgiving Drinking Game that’s gone viral, but you CAN do the following:

(1)    Sleep (or pretend to!)

 If there is one universally known truth, it’s that growing a baby makes you tired.  Take advantage of this!  Typically, it would feel pretty lame to sneak away from a family event to nap but not now.  And even if you aren’t tired, don’t be ashamed to take a “rest” (i.e., read “US Weekly” under the covers while everyone else readies the house for the holidays).

(2)    Eat

 Normally the holidays present a huge dilemma to the weight-conscious: you are surrounded by delicious, delicious bits, buckets of tasty holiday beverages, and every event revolves around eating and drinking, but you still have to worry about your waistline.  When you’re pregnant, that ship has already sailed, so go ahead and eat, eat, eat!  Of course, you still have to avoid the usual suspects, but last time I checked?  Pumpkin pie was not on the list of foods to avoid while pregnant.

(3)    Wear Sweats

 OK, maybe not sweats; but you can wear leggings and a large sweater and feel JUST like you’re wearing sweats.  And no one (I mean, NO ONE) can comment.  Also: no stomach sucking in.  Score!

 (4)    Free Babysitting

 Being surrounded by a slew of family members that you only see once a year can be lovely and, at the same exact time, beyond stressful.  Until, that is, you realize what each of these people represent: free babysitters!  If you are pregnant and have small children, take advantage of this time to hand them off to their aunts, uncles and cousins.  They get to build a multi-generational family bond and you get a little time to take advantage of (1) and (2 )above.