The baby shower has been a tradition in America for a while now, but it is a relatively new celebration in the UK. However, while we may be a little late to the party, we are doing our best to catch up with more and more women taking the chance to celebrate their new arrival before they enter the joyful craziness of motherhood. It is an excuse to spoil a friend or family member and ensure they feel supported and loved at one of the most exciting but also frightening points in their life. Here are 5 tips to keep in mind when planning your first baby shower.
When to hold a baby shower?
Baby showers can happen at any point in a woman’s pregnancy, but most people prefer to wait until at least the second trimester as the risk of developing problems with the pregnancy significantly reduces from then on. Of course, it is best not to plan the shower too close to the due date as the mum-to-be will want to have time after the event to do their final preparations before the birth. A good time to aim for is the 7th or 8th month of pregnancy.
Where to hold a baby shower?
It may be easier on the mum-to-be to host the baby shower somewhere other than their home as they will not relish the idea of having to prepare the house for the party or clean up afterwards. On the other hand, she probably will not want to travel far, so a friend or family member’s house would be ideal.
Do you need entertainment?
Not all baby showers will need formal entertainment, as often just some music, food and the opening of gifts is enough for a heavily pregnant woman. However, if you want to organise some games, there are some funny ideas which will help to break the ice between guests who may not know each other. Visit parents.com for fun baby shower ideas.
What about catering?
Catering for the shower will be influenced by your venue and theme, but posh buffets and classy afternoon teas often go down well. Obviously, your mum-to-be will not be drinking, so serving alcohol might not be appropriate, but teas, coffees, fruit juices, or mocktails are ideal. You may want to give each of the guests a favour to take home with them at the end of the event. What you give will depend on your budget, but an extra special touch would be to personalise the favours. Another popular idea is to personalise a stunning cupcake for each of your guests using cake toppers from Sweet Tops.
It is traditional for a baby shower to feature a delicious cake and if you have a theme this is another way to reinforce it. Some mothers use the cake to reveal the gender of the baby to friends and family, e.g. by cutting into it to reveal a blue or pink sponge. You could order a cake from a bakery or save some money by baking it yourself.
Gifts for mum
At some showers, there can be a bit of tension when guests are expected to buy gifts for the mum-to-be off a predetermined list. However, not broaching the topic of gifts can lead to confusion and awkwardness, so consider subtly referencing gifts in your invitations. You may decide to dedicate part of the shower to opening gifts or leave the mum-to-be to do this in private.
