A Newborn For the Holidays: Protecting the Joy

My daughter was born the week before Christmas. My brother-in-law and cousin were both born within a few days of Christmas. My husband and an uncle were born on Christmas Eve. These people in my life have a lot in common, but a lifetime of crappy birthday parties and the knowledge that, over a year, they get fewer presents than others does take a toll.

I must say, having a baby so close to Christmas also took a toll on me. The Jaundice that Stole Christmas is not a memory I hold especially dear. And yet, jaundice is one of the lucky problems to have over the holidays. I can imagine worrying about a premature baby and the risk of sharing viruses at family gatherings or being in the midst of postpartum depression while in close proximity to in-laws, step parents, siblings or other relatives you may have tense relationships with, must be much, much worse.

In fact, I recently found myself looking at our Holy Mother and Child icon (not the one pictured) and wondering if the Holy Mother ever got pissed off at the endless parade of shepherds, Wise Men, angels and other vistors wandering in to see the baby and forgetting to close the stable door.

Protecting the joy of the holiday season is extremely difficult for everyone, espcially when our expectations get out of control. A new baby makes everyone expect twice as much from the holidays. Is that bound to make for disappointment? Or is there a way to protect both new mothers and new babies while giving them a first Christmas to remember? I am going to dedicate a few posts to researching and thinking about this issue in the two weeks before Christmas. Does anyone have any advice to start with?