Feeds, needs and sleeps
Christmas and other special days like birthdays and Easter are
exciting times, especially when you have a little one but they can
also be stressful times. If you've already established a routine of
feeding and sleeping, then try to maintain this for your baby as
much as possible to make life easier.
As this is their first Christmas, your baby will undoubtedly be
the centre of attention, which means lots of attention, noise and
stimulation! The best thing you can do is try to ensure your baby
sleeps and feeds when needed. Here are some handy tips to help
you
- Try and keep your baby's bedtime routine consistent whether you
are at home or staying with relatives or friends. Your baby will
then be more likely to sleep in spite of all the excitement going
on around them.
- If you go out in the evening with your baby, try to go through
the usual bedtime routine at home and then when you're out, feed
them at the usual times so that by the time you get home, your baby
will be ready to go straight to bed.
- During the daytime, try to do a wind down routine in a quiet
room before any naps so that your baby takes a break from the
excitement and crowds of people to prepare for sleep.
Also, if you're travelling long distances over the Christmas
break, try and plan the journey around your baby's routine.
Young babies usually sleep well in the car, so take advantage of
this and stop off at your baby's usual feed times if possible.
Top tips for Christmas and other special
days
- Despite all the excitement try and keep eating times as near as
possible to the usual
- Take advantage of nap-times to open your presents
- Get some help with food preparation so that you make a few
meals in advance and enjoy some down-time with family
- Keep your baby away from treats and sweets, it's hard enough
for us adults
- Keep calm and don't strive for perfection - things will go
wrong, it wouldn't be Christmas if they didn't!
Making your baby festive meals
Have a go at making baby's first Christmas dinner with our easy
recipe that's baby friendly and just as yummy as your own
meal!
Or alternatively, why not stir a little cranberry sauce through
a chicken and vegetable baby food jar or pot, for a festive
twist?