As a new parent, every day holds a new 'first'.
From that first smile and first gurgle to first teeth and first steps, that first year is one full of new events and firsts.
One of the most memorable firsts you will experience is baby's first Christmas so you will want to make it as special as possible.
Read on for our tips on how to celebrate baby's first Christmas in style!
The key to making your baby's first Christmas as wonderful and memorable as possible is planning.
Tradition or New Plans?
First of all take some time to sit down with your partner and discuss what you both want from this first wonderful Christmas as a family.
Would you prefer something traditional with wider family or friends, or would you rather spend the time just the three of you this year?
However many Christmases you've been together, and however you have spent them, this one is going to be different.
If you want to spend the time alone as a family, get ready to explain that as kindly as possible to the grandparents.
You could offer to have an extra Christmas earlier in the holidays or before New Year, or come up with some other alternative that they won't be able to resist!
Gifts for Baby
Age is the deciding factor when it comes choosing baby gifts for their first Christmas.
What you buy for a newborn will be very different to what you buy a baby fast approaching their first birthday.
Be prepared for lots of people to ask what the baby would like too.
There are lots of gorgeous first Christmas gifts out there, so have in mind a list of practical but beautiful clothes as well as traditional gifts such as wooden toys.
Asking a creative friend or relative to put together a treasure basket for baby is also a lovely thing to do.
How to Involve Your Baby
Even the youngest baby will pick up on something being different with all the decorations and busier comings and goings in the home.
They may seem to be just lying there but even the littlest ones can see that there is something different hanging on a wall or a glittering tree over in the corner.
You can get baby involved by carefully showing them some of the ornaments, letting her touch the tree and getting her attention before you switch the tree lights on.
She might like to listen to the sound of sleigh bells or to touch some of the fabric or crinkly ornaments. Just make sure nothing goes in her mouth, particularly if she is teething!
Your little one may not know what's going on, but she can still be part of it.
As the big day arrives make sure your baby has plenty of rest and quiet time, particularly if there are lots of people around and it is busy and noisy.
Lots of extra feeds and cuddles from you, and not too many from other people, should help to keep her happy and settled.
(Remember to be careful with what you eat and drink as it will affect your milk.)
If you are going away, try to keep stress to a minimum and keep everything as calm as possible for baby.
Remember to pack extra everything too, as getting to the shops may be tricky over Christmas.
Planning and organising well in advance should help to keep you both as stress-free as possible.
Avoid Stress
In fact, you'll probably be inundated with queries which can beecome ridiculously stressful!
So it might be worth setting up an Amazon gift list for baby now to give you one less thing to worry about.
Becoming a mother doesn't mean you should instantly develop some Christmas perfectionist stress gene!
Your baby doesn't care whether you hung the decorations just so, burnt the cookies or didn't get the right gift wrap.
Don't stress over all the little details, focus on what's important.
Seeing your baby's eyes light up at the lights on the tree, snuggles in front of a favourite Christmas movie and all those special moments are what really matters.
And if you do have people over please, please ask for help!
You don't need to do it all yourself, your house will be OK with a quick clean and anyone you ask will be more than willing to pitch in to help.
Asking for help doesn't mean you can't manage or cope, it just means you want someone who loves you to lend a hand so you can do it together. It's all good!
Problems You May Face
Clearly, you want to make your first Christmas as a parent run as smoothly as possible, so it's worth thinking in advance about some problems that may arise.
If you and your partner have religious or cultural differences, these may become more contentious as baby's first Christmas approaches.
Sit down and talk about it all in advance so that neither of you is making any assumptions.
If you are celebrating with family, consider any differences in cultural and religious beliefs and try to incorporate both traditions into the holiday as much as you can.
If compromise is needed, work it out as early as possible.
Guilt may be another problem that rears its' ugly head.
Remember that your child comes first now you are a parent, and you must do what is right for him or her.
If you want to start your own family traditions, do so and ditch the guilt.
This is a time for snuggling with your baby and enjoying Christmas, not stress and strife.
You won't geet this special time with your new baby again, so make the very most of it and enjoy every moment.
Wishing you much love and joy with your family this festive season!
Gift Ideas for Babies:
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