Being pregnant can be overwhelming, especially during a busy holiday season. As a prospective surrogate, this sense of responsibility heightens. You are looking after the intended parents’ growing baby, and you are likely looking after a family of your own throughout the holidays. In other words, this can all become stressful pretty quickly. That’s why American Surrogacy is here to help!

To get free surrogacy information now, you can fill out our online contact form whenever you feel ready. In the meantime, though, we have put together this comprehensive guide of three tips for pregnant surrogates during the holidays. Without further ado, let’s jump right into it.

1. Enjoy Some Free Time

To say that the holidays are a busy time would be a drastic understatement. That’s not to say that you don’t enjoy all the festive events and traditions. Maybe you typically go all-out and deck your halls with a bunch of decorations. Maybe you prepare a massive feast for all your friends and family members. Whatever the case may be, this could be the year to dial things back a bit.

It is completely OK to turn down invitations and say “no.” You’re a pregnant surrogate, and that means you’ll need to take some time for yourself this holiday season. After all, you’re not just taking care of yourself this year; you are also looking after the baby in your belly. You don’t want to impose stress or a bunch of busy activities on the baby, so you will need to take it easy for yourself, too.

Instead, enjoy some free time. Or, find more relaxing alternatives to your usual holiday traditions. For instance, here are some options that you can consider:

• Make a simple meal (instead of a complicated holiday turkey) for your friends and family.
• Enjoy a relaxing staycation full of holiday movies by yourself or with loved ones.
• Book a vacation for after your surrogacy journey to celebrate with others.

Remember, it is important to put yourself (and the baby) first this holiday season. Save yourself the stress and say “no” to obligations if you need to. You are pregnant during the holidays. There is no shame in doing so!

2. Spend Some Time with Your Family

As a pregnant surrogate, you may feel that you are constantly spending time with the intended parents. You are doing something brave, heroic and selfless for another family. That is nothing short of beautiful. But, it can be easy for you to end up spending more time with this family than your own.

Because the holidays are always a perfect time to reconnect with your family members, you can focus on your own family this season. To ensure that you spend some time with them, here are a few tips that we can give you:

• Cut back on communication with the intended parents. You can still talk with the intended parents and wish them a happy holiday season! But, communicating with them a little bit less gives you more time to spend with your family. Be sure to speak with your surrogacy professional beforehand.
• Spend time with your children (if applicable). It is always beneficial to speak with your kids about surrogacy at the appropriate time. The holidays can be a great time to explain how surrogacy works to your children. Talking about surrogacy with children can be difficult, but it is necessary if you have them. Whether you’ve had that conversation with them or not, the holidays are perfect for some quality time with your kids.
• Enjoy a date night with your partner or spouse (if applicable). Surrogacy during the holiday season can take up plenty of your time. Hire a babysitter or ask if your friends or family can watch your children for an evening. Then, enjoy a night out on the town with your special someone!

Although the holidays can be overwhelming and busy, spending some time with your family can help mitigate that stress. This is an opportunity to spend time with the people who are important to you.

3. Exercise Self-Care

You may already know this, but pregnancy is hard. Throw surrogacy into the mix, and things get even more complex. So, exercising self-care this holiday season can be a great way to ensure that you are giving yourself (and the baby) a much-needed break. With that being said, here are a few tips to make sure that you’re taking care of yourself:

• Get plenty of rest. Sleep is vital for your (and the baby’s) well-being. If you feel tired or even exhausted, then sleep! Don’t wake up too early if you don’t have to, and listen to your body to give it the rest that it needs.
• Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated is one of the most important parts of staying healthy. Although there will be other tempting beverages, such as (non-alcoholic) eggnog, drinking water is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body.
• Ask for help from loved ones. There is no shame in asking for help to lighten the weight on your shoulders. For example, maybe have your partner or spouse take over half of the holiday shopping list. Surrogacy is difficult, and asking for help in other areas of life can help you devote some more time to it.

The holidays are a busy time, to say the least. As a prospective surrogate, these tips should help get you started for surviving (and thriving) during the holiday season! Remember that you can get more surrogacy information now by filling out our online contact form.