Newborn and Christmas Get Togethers

aaahmyeye

Hey all,

So here is the situation.  I am currently pregnant, due yesterday (argh).  My husband's family is trying to plan Christmas activities and is asking us when we will be able to get together.  I have no clue what to tell them, for multiple reasons.  I don't know when the baby will come, so how old she will be on Christmas, and how we will be feeling.  She could be anywhere from 3 weeks old to one week old, since my midwives will wait until I am 42 weeks to induce.  Obviously, there is a big difference between a one week old baby and a three week old baby, along with how I'll be feeling, etc.  The other issue is this.  My MIL's house (where the get together would take place) is a bit crazy.  My SIL lives with my MIL, along with her 5 kids (ages 2-12).   There are also 4 large labs there.  It's not the cleanest of homes.   It's just a bit of a madhouse, and to be honest, it seems like one of the kids are either always sick, just getting over something, or turn out to be sick not long after a visit.  I am a FTM mom and concerned about exposing a newborn to that many kiddos, dogs, people, germs, etc.  (I know the dogs probably don't carry that many germs but they are big and rowdy and jump up on people and drool a lot - just another thing to be aware of with a newborn). Part of me feels like I'm being totally overprotective and nervous, but the greater part of me knows I would feel AWFUL if my baby got sick soon after seeing everyone.  Part of me just wants to totally bow out of celebrating Christmas with them, but then I feel guilty.  DH is concerned about our baby meeting her cousins as well, and doesn't have any of the guilty feelings if we bow out of celebrating with them.  I just don't have the *best* of relationships with his family, they aren't always the most understanding people but I don't want to offend them, so I feel like I should try and make plans with them but I don't really want to.

So, any advice or thoughts on how to handle this, or thoughts on when to allow other people's little ones to meet your newborn?? Am I just being totally ridiculous??