Whether you are hosting Thanksgiving or visiting family, everything is more challenging when you have a newborn. However, the good news is that you can reduce your levels of stress if you do some planning and have the right stuff with you. It also helps if you read baby product reviews for ideas and let others help ease your burden.
If you are hosting friends and family this year, the key is to prep as much of the food as possible before the big day. Once you have your menu, organize it and start doing what you can in the days leading up to Thursday. It is also ok to simplify things this year. Ask others to bring food dishes and beverages and feel free to use paper plates instead of ones you have to wash. It is also smart to buy prepared dishes from your local grocery store or restaurant.
If you are traveling for the holiday, you may not have to worry about cooking, but there are other things to be aware of. Whether you are traveling by plane or vehicle, you want to pack for the unexpected. One worry some parents have is that their child will get sick. One way to manage this is to bring along the newborn bundle, as it contains the essentials for a variety of symptoms and conditions.
If you are hosting, think about when your baby eats and sleeps before setting a time for people to come over. It is more relaxing if you can feed in quiet and privacy, so if you have a full house, or are visiting others, find a quiet spot in the house to feed and put your baby to sleep. Also understand that a baby's schedule can get messed up, especially if you are flying, so do your best to go with the flow and be flexible.
The biggest key to a stress-free holiday is to let others help and to relax as much as possible. For many parents, however, this can be difficult to do. More than likely, your family and friends would love to spend more quality time with your newborn, so do not feel guilty for asking someone to hold him or her while you cook, take a nap, socialize with others, or enjoy a glass of wine.
For parents who are perfectionists, letting go of control can be hard. However, everything will go smoother if you are ok with things being less than perfect or out of the normal routine. If you will be around a lot of people during the holidays, you may be concerned about your baby catching an illness from someone else. In the time leading up to the special day, give your baby immune support so the body can more easily fight things off.
The holidays can be a joyful time. Enjoy the celebrations with your newborn and do what you can to ease your stress and have fun.
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