Protecting Your Baby’s Needs During the Holidays

The holiday season is full of joy, lights, family, and… a lot of pressure.
Pressure to attend every gathering, be cheerful, pass your baby around, and act like your postpartum body and mind aren’t still doing Olympic-level work every single day.

But here’s your gentle PSA:
Your baby’s needs do not go on holiday break. And neither do yours.

In fact, the holiday season can be one of the toughest times for new parents. This can be especially true if you’re breastfeeding, pumping, or triple feeding. The expectations skyrocket, the routines dissolve, and suddenly you’re navigating cluster feeding, nap disruptions, and comments like:

• “Just give them a bottle so you can relax.”

• “They’ll be fine, I want to hold them!”

• “You’re feeding again?”

• “Can’t you just skip a pumping session?”

That is a lot! So let’s take a breath.
Here are a few truths I want you to carry with you into this season:

1. You’re allowed to prioritize your baby’s feeding needs.

A feeding plan, whether it’s exclusive breastfeeding, pump + bottle, combo feeding, or triple feeding, is not a suggestion. It’s a medical and developmental strategy crafted for your baby.

Skipping feeds, stretching them out, or missing pumps isn’t just “letting go” or “being flexible.”

For many families, it can mean:

• drops in supply

• discomfort or clogged ducts

• disrupted sleep

• a stressed, overtired baby

Your plan is important. You’re allowed to protect it.

2. Babies aren’t holiday props.

You don’t owe anyone unlimited baby snuggles, photos, or handoffs.

If your baby wants to be on you, needs to nurse, cries when passed around, or gets overstimulated easily, that’s normal infant behavior.

You can say:

• “We’re keeping baby close today.”

• “She needs to feed now. Thanks for understanding.”

• “We’re doing limited holding so we stay on track with her cues.”

Short, kind, firm. No explanation required.

3. You don’t need to meet everyone else’s expectations.

Traditions are beautiful… when they don’t harm you.

You can:

• leave early

• skip gatherings

• ask for quiet rooms for feeding

• bring your pump and step away as often as needed

• stay home guilt-free

Your wellbeing matters just as much as your baby’s. There is no “right way” to do the holidays, but there is a right way to care for a baby and you’re already doing it. Whether you’re breastfeeding, pumping, supplementing, triple feeding, or simply trying to get through this season in one piece. You deserve support and respect, not pressure.

Protect your baby’s needs. Protect your needs. And let this be the year that your boundaries are part of your holiday tradition.