Your gentle, realistic guide for navigating the festive season with your tiny new human.

Christmas with a baby isn’t one-size-fits-all.

I’ve had three very different first Christmases now, and trust me, a four- or five-month-old at Christmas is a completely different world to a 10-month-old who wants to eat the wrapping paper.

Paisley and Adaline were around five months old when December rolled in, whereas Morgan was ten months and fully mobile. And the contrast? Wild.

So before we dive in, here’s the truth:

Christmas looks different depending on the baby in your arms.

And that’s exactly why this guide exists – to help you stay calm, grounded and supported, no matter whether your baby is teeny-tiny, nearly sitting, or determined to climb the tree.

This is the guide I wish I’d had.
Not Pinterest-perfect.
Not pressure-packed.
Just honest advice from a mum who’s lived the difference and completely understands how overwhelming Christmas can feel when you’re still figuring out who you are in this new chapter.

Everyone else seems to be living in that glossy “first Christmas” bubble… matching pyjamas, twinkly lights, smiling babies who nap on cue and never cry when Granny wants a cuddle.

Meanwhile, you’re just trying to stay fed, settle your baby, and remember where you left your cold cup of tea.

Before we go any further… breathe.

If you’ve just had your baby, or you’re due any day, this guide is here to help you carve out calm, protect your peace, and stop Christmas from becoming something you simply endure.

The Things No One Tells You About Christmas With a Baby

1. Your baby won’t care about Christmas… at all.

And that’s freeing.

They won’t remember the outfit.
They won’t remember the gifts.
They won’t remember if you did a Christmas Eve box.

But, you will remember the moments that mattered, not the ones you felt pressured to create.

2. You’re allowed to say no – completely and unapologetically.

When I had my first Christmas as a mum, I felt rude declining things. I felt guilty for staying home,  I felt like I had to show up for everyone.

By baby number three, I learned something powerful:

Protecting my peace protects my baby’s too.
And actually… I matter as much as they do.

Throughout December, I planned for calm:

• days with nothing booked in
• slow mornings after busy evenings
• leaving whole afternoons free
• protecting our breathing space as a family
  

Because yes, it might be their first Christmas. But they won’t remember it.

I will.
Liam will.
The older children will.

That is the priority, not squeezing in every relative who wants their turn.

3. Noise is optional – overstimulation isn’t.

Christmas can be a sensory explosion: music, voices, lights, chatter, “pass the baby,” the smell of ten different perfumes in one room.

Newborns find that overwhelming and so do mums. So, if it’s too much, step away. Find a quiet room. Go upstairs.

Me and Liam had a code with Paisley:

If I said, “I’m just nipping upstairs to feed her.”
He knew that I needed quiet, I was struggling and it was time to gently clear the room

If we were out, I’d say, “She’s getting a bit restless.”
Which meant – We need to leave soon… calmly and without a fuss.

We kept that system for all three babies and not just when they were newborns, we used it for birthdays, Christmas and any other gatherings where I knew they might struggle. 

It saved me more times than I can count. (I actually hope none of our families read this or they’ll be onto us at the next family wedding!!)

4. Traditions can wait. Connection can’t.

Let the Pinterest traditions pause.
Let the schedule soften.
Let the magic come from the small moments, not the curated ones.

When I look back at Paisley’s first Christmas, I can remember maybe three photos:

• One with Santa’s milk, mince pie and carrot
• One with Father Christmas
• One with us in front of the tree on Christmas Day
  

That’s it.

I can’t remember if she’d cried, fed, napped, or wriggled. I can’t remember who else was there, I can’t even remember if they were just a one snap photo or we took lots to get ‘the one’!

What I remember is the feeling. The closeness. The tiny flickers of magic that weren’t planned at all.

And the rest genuinely doesn’t matter.

Matching pyjamas can happen on the 27th. A handprint bauble can happen in January (one of mine did).

What matters is the connection, not the timeline. 

What Actually Helps on Christmas Day (From a Mum Who’s Done This Three Times)

1. Choose ONE thing to prioritise.

Not ten. Not a full itinerary.

Just one grounding thing:

• a slow morning with no visitors
  
• a family walk
  
• staying home all day
  
• doing absolutely nothing
  

Christmas Day doesn’t need to be everything.
It just needs to feel like yours.

2. Lower your expectations and find joy in the tiny moments.

Newborn life does not pause for Christmas.

Cluster feeding still happens. Nappy explosions still happen. Overtired tears still happen. You might feel touched-out or on edge.

This isn’t failing. This is newborn life in December.

And amongst that, there will be moments worth holding onto:

• The warm glow when your baby stares at the lights
  
• Watching someone you love get excited over a gift they bought your baby
  
• Seeing your family gather round, even though the baby has no clue what’s happening
  

I remember people crowding around Paisley “helping” her open presents.  She was four months old and had no idea. But the joy on everyone’s faces? That stuck – there’s nothing quite like the feeling of watching the people you love falling in love with your baby.

3. Protect naps. Seriously.

Ignore anyone who says, “Just keep them awake so they sleep later.”

No. Absolutely not.

If naps matter to you, protect them at all costs.

When Morgan was ten months, we had one late night the entire month because that’s all that worked for her (and us).

Choose what’s important and let go of the rest.

4. Prepare nothing fancy.

I genuinely cannot remember what my Christmas table looked like.

But I do remember the matching pyjamas… eventually.

Confession… Paisley didn’t get matching pjs when she was tiny, she only matched with Morgan once Morgan came along. From Adaline onwards we’ve matched, but only because the girls absolutely love it. 

None of it matters unless you want it.

5. Step out when you need to.

Into the hallway, outside for a walk, upstairs for five minutes of peace.

I regularly used the baby as my exit strategy – “I’m just taking her for a walk to help her nap.”

What I really meant was, “I need quiet.”

Those little breathers kept me going.

6. Feed on cue – every time.

Christmas is the season of opinions.

“Are they feeding again?” and “They only want you.” are common things for people to come out with. 

This is when I regularly wanted to scream things like…

“Yes, because they’re overwhelmed, overstimulated, and clinging to their safe place.”

or

“They might not be feeding again if you didn’t smell like you’d just walked through duty free at the airport!”

or even 

“No, they just can’t cope with all of these people who they don’t know because you only turn up at Christmas and birthdays!” 

You don’t need to justify feeding your child. Feed whenever, wherever, however your baby needs.

7. Remember: this is just one Christmas.

And it gets better every year.

More magical, more exciting and more chaotic in the best way.

I’m already dreading the day Paisley stops believing, but right now?
Every Christmas feels more special than the last.

Your baby’s first Christmas is huge, I know. But it’s also just one Christmas in a long line of beautiful ones to come.

If this one feels slow, quiet, or messy, it’s still yours. And that’s enough.

If You’re Spending Christmas With a Newborn This Year…

Here’s your permission slip:

You’re allowed to protect your peace.
You’re allowed to keep things small.
You’re allowed to say no.
You’re allowed to slow the season right down.
You are allowed to prioritise YOU, your baby, and your little family — above anything and anyone else.

You’re not doing Christmas wrong.
You’re doing it tenderly, instinctively, lovingly.
And your baby thinks you’re everything.

If You Want Something Gentle for the New Year…

January can feel like a breath of fresh air after the chaos of December — a soft reset, calmer mornings, and a chance to meet other mums who get it.

If you want something warm, slow and supportive, you’ll be so welcome in my January classes.

You’re always welcome her.

If you’d like to explore more about any of my upcoming classes, you can click the button below.