Pregnant at Christmas: Cute Ways to Celebrate the Season

Being pregnant at Christmas gives you plenty to celebrate, whether you're about to share the news or counting down the weeks until your baby arrives.

Below you'll find Christmas pregnancy announcement ideas, traditions and keepsakes, plus tips for enjoying holiday food, drinks and travel while you're expecting. Planning maternity photos too? Our Christmas maternity photoshoot guide covers when to book, what to wear and photo ideas.

Ideas for a Christmas pregnancy announcement: 

The holidays are a great time for a Christmas pregnancy announcement. Whether you're newly pregnant or have been keeping the secret for a while, a holiday pregnancy announcement is fun and brings so much joy to everyone in your lives.

Here are some Christmas pregnancy announcement ideas:

• Do a holiday pregnancy announcement flat lay:

There are many great flat lay ideas and templates on Etsy and Pinterest. Use cute sayings such as "one more reason to be merry," "Santa won't be the only one coming to town," "Oh baby! The more the merrier," "I'll be home for Christmas," or "the most special gift." Fill the frame with letter boards, garland, Christmas lights, holly, baby blocks, tassels, ribbons, and mini stockings.

• Create a customized Christmas ornament with the baby's due date:

  Websites such as Etsy are great places to shop for customized ornaments for a Christmas pregnancy announcement. Take a photo of the ornament in the tree to share on social media!

• Incorporate Elf on the Shelf:

  Take a photo of the elves holding up an ultrasound picture to create an adorable holiday pregnancy announcement that is fun and unique.

• Wear a Christmas-themed maternity shirt:

  There are many silly and festive holiday shirts that are made for pregnant women! These shirts have sweet sayings such as "Bump's First Christmas," "Due in ____," "Bumpin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Mistle-toes," and "Baking More Than Just Cookies This Year."

• Send a holiday pregnancy announcement card:

  A customized Christmas card can be a fun way to share the news with loved ones. Use websites such as Shutterfly, Zazzle, Etsy, and Snapfish to create adorable pregnancy announcement holiday cards.

• Take a photo with Santa for the big reveal:

  Have Santa be a part of the big reveal! Bring an ultrasound photo or a pregnancy announcement letter board to visit and take a photo with Santa. Santa can help share your joyful baby news in a sweet, playful way.

• Have a Christmas baby announcement photo shoot: 

A baby announcement photo shoot is an adorable way to celebrate the upcoming arrival of your bundle of joy. Spread the news of your pregnancy with a fun Christmas-themed pregnancy/maternity shoot and incorporate all of the fun details of your journey to parenthood, with ultrasound photos, baby bump close-ups, and more!

• Christmas ornament set up: 

  Hang three balls on the tree: one that says "Mommy," one that says "Daddy," and one that says "baby."

• Visit a Christmas tree farm: 

  Hold up a sign that says the baby's due date, or a letterboard that says "Oh baby!" and has an ultrasound picture, as you stand in front of rows and rows of gorgeous Christmas trees.

• Surprise! A baby is on the way. 

  Have an older sibling or a pet take part in this photo announcement. Mom and dad hold up signs that say "Ho," and the third person (or pet) holds a sign that says "Oh!"

• Get personalized shirts from websites like Etsy.

  Order customized shirts that say "Mommy Claus" and "Daddy Claus," and then take a photo posing in the shirts for your big reveal!

• Wrap the baby bump.

  Let your growing bump make the big announcement - simply wrap your belly in ribbon, and attach a gift tag that says "Do not open until (your baby's due date)." This announcement is so sweet and cute!

Christmas traditions to start before baby's arrival: 

Think about all the Christmas time activities you enjoy and begin to come up with your own traditions you'll do as a family once your baby arrives. Go driving around looking at Christmas lights, decorate gingerbread houses, watch Christmas movies, bake holiday treats, pay a visit to Santa, decorate Christmas ornaments, buy a Christmas tree, buy an elf for "Elf on the Shelf" fun, or host a holiday party.

Mom and dad can enjoy taking part in holiday traditions and festivities before baby's arrival. These activities will be all the more special once your little one arrives! For more ideas to carry on once your baby is here, see our family Christmas traditions guide.

Spread the news of your pregnancy at Christmas: 

The holiday season can be a great time to share the news of your pregnancy with family and friends. Many people choose to celebrate the big news with social media posts or pictures, family photoshoots, or sending out Christmas cards that include the pregnancy news.

If you haven't yet shared your big news with the world, sending out a pregnancy announcement card can be a fun idea. There are also many adorable Christmas cards to send out that incorporate the joyful news of pregnancy.

Share the news with the whole family as you celebrate together at Christmas. Whether you're just barely announcing your pregnancy, doing a gender reveal, or gearing up for your baby's upcoming arrival, Christmas is a wonderful season to share the good news with those you love.

Have a Christmas-themed maternity photo shoot: 

A Christmas-themed maternity session is a lovely way to remember this season. If you're booking one, our Christmas maternity photoshoot guide covers when to schedule it for your due date, what to wear and how to stay comfortable at a winter shoot. Here are a few simple shot ideas to share with your photographer:

Here are some ideas for Christmas-themed maternity photos:

• A picture of your baby bump in front of the Christmas tree

• A ribbon and bow tied around the baby bump like a gift

• The mom holding little Christmas booties in front of the baby bump

• An ultrasound picture wrapped up as a gift

• A cute photo of mom reading a Christmas story in front of the tree

• A photo of the mom and dad sitting down and talking in front of the Christmas tree

• Mom and dad holding a holiday-themed onesie

• A baby-sized Santa hat sitting on the edge of an ultrasound photo

• A maternity sweater that makes the baby bump look like a wrapped gift

• A photo of the big brother or big sister wearing Christmas pajamas and kissing the baby bump

You can find many great Christmas-themed props on Etsy and other websites. Use things like ribbons, bows, garland, ornaments, Christmas lights, holiday books, cozy sweaters, and gift boxes to take gorgeous photos that celebrate the big news of your growing family.

Think about your favorite Christmas activities that you'll pass on to your baby. 

There are so many activities that are fun for the whole family during the holiday season. Parents-to-be can start considering what holiday activities they look forward to enjoying with their child in the coming years.

Some fun Christmas activities that family members look forward to enjoying with a new baby include:

• Visiting a Christmas tree farm.

• Giving a special gift from Santa.

• Hosting a holiday party with friends.

• Buying a customized family Christmas ornament.

• Taking a trip to visit grandparents.

• Baking holiday treats.

• Going to visit Santa.

• Doing a family photo shoot.

• Sending out a family Christmas card

• Having fun moving the Elf on the Shelf

• Decorating the Christmas tree

• Doing a gift exchange with friends.

Buy personalized items to commemorate this special time in your life. 

You can find some amazing, adorable personalized items at small shops or on Etsy. You can find items such as a onesie that says "Our greatest gift," an ornament that says "coming soon" and the due date, customized Christmas cards that have illustrations of a man and pregnant woman, an ornament that holds an ultrasound photo, hand-knit Christmas-themed baby booties, "promoted to big brother" or "promoted to big sister" sweaters for siblings, or a Santa onesie that has the baby's name embroidered on it.

Some fun personalized items you can buy during your pregnancy include: 

• An ornament photo frame that displays an ultrasound picture

• A snowman family or gingerbread family ornament with one character pregnant

• A Santa hat with the phrase "born in ____" with your baby's due date year

• A personalized onesie that has the baby's due date or an adorable "my first Christmas" onesie that the baby can wear for their first holiday season

• A Christmas ornament for the grandparents that says "Grandma and Grandpa, established in (due date year)"

• A stocking that says "Baby's first Christmas"

Taking care of yourself when you're pregnant at Christmas

The holidays get busy, so leave room for rest and keep a few food, drink and travel basics in mind.

- Drinks: There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy, so pass on the spiked punch and mulled wine. A sparkling cranberry mocktail or warm pasteurized cider feels just as festive.
- Eggnog: Choose packaged eggnog from the store, which is generally made with pasteurized eggs, and skip homemade eggnog made with raw eggs.
- Cider and juice: Fresh-pressed cider or juice sold by the glass may not be pasteurized. Pick pasteurized versions instead.
- Holiday baking: Resist tasting raw cookie dough or cake batter. Raw eggs and raw flour can both carry germs that cause food poisoning.
- Party platters: Choose deli meats reheated until steaming hot, and cheeses such as feta or mozzarella made with pasteurized milk. Put leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours.
- Travel: Talk with your ob-gyn before a holiday trip. ACOG calls mid-pregnancy (14 to 28 weeks) the best time to travel, and most airlines allow domestic flights until about 36 weeks. On trips of 4 hours or more, drink plenty of caffeine-free fluids and get up to walk and stretch regularly to lower your risk of blood clots.
- Rest: Go to the gatherings that matter most to you, and give yourself permission to sit down, leave early or skip the ones that don't.

Christmas time is a wonderful season for celebrating the joy of pregnancy. 

From holiday-themed pregnancy announcements, to personalized ornaments and stockings to showcase your pregnancy, to pregnancy-themed Christmas cards to send to friends and family, to Christmas pregnancy announcement social media posts, there are many ways to commemorate this special time in your lives - the journey to welcome your sweet bundle of joy into the world. Whether you've kept the pregnancy news a surprise, or you've already shared with most friends and family, this is a very special time for parents-to-be. With many holiday seasons to look forward to in the future, cherish this amazing time as you share the news with friends and family this Christmas season.