Originating in the US and widely popular throughout North & South America, South Africa & Australia, Baby Shower Parties are now increasingly gaining popularity and awareness here in the UK.
But what is a baby shower? Well, basically it's a party, thrown usually for the mum-to-be (but can include both parents), to celebrate the imminent arrival of her baby.
Much like a Hen Do, these parties involve getting the mum-to-be's friends and family together for some fun before the baby arrives (although usually without as much alcohol involved!).
Some baby showers are arranged with the knowledge and input of the mum-to-be, although it's more usual for them to be organized by a close friend or family member as a surprise.
You may have heard about some of the baby showers held for pregnant celebrities where thousands of pounds are spent and hundreds of guests invited.
However, for most of us mere mortals, a smaller scale party is the norm.
A typical baby shower would be held for a few hours during the afternoon, at the home of the party organizer or of the mum-to-be (as long as someone else helps clear up afterwards!).
Usually there would be some kind of catering (afternoon tea & cake and some light buffet food works particularly well); some party games (baby shower bingo is a fun, easy one but there are many to choose from); opening of gifts (not essential but as most people would buy a gift for a friend's baby it's a nice time to give it); but most importantly a chance for a good old gossip, lots of fun and to make mum-to-be feel special before the baby comes and she is no longer the centre of attention! Here are our top tips for a fabulous baby shower:
But what is a baby shower? Well, basically it's a party, thrown usually for the mum-to-be (but can include both parents), to celebrate the imminent arrival of her baby.
Much like a Hen Do, these parties involve getting the mum-to-be's friends and family together for some fun before the baby arrives (although usually without as much alcohol involved!).
Some baby showers are arranged with the knowledge and input of the mum-to-be, although it's more usual for them to be organized by a close friend or family member as a surprise.
You may have heard about some of the baby showers held for pregnant celebrities where thousands of pounds are spent and hundreds of guests invited.
However, for most of us mere mortals, a smaller scale party is the norm.
A typical baby shower would be held for a few hours during the afternoon, at the home of the party organizer or of the mum-to-be (as long as someone else helps clear up afterwards!).
Usually there would be some kind of catering (afternoon tea & cake and some light buffet food works particularly well); some party games (baby shower bingo is a fun, easy one but there are many to choose from); opening of gifts (not essential but as most people would buy a gift for a friend's baby it's a nice time to give it); but most importantly a chance for a good old gossip, lots of fun and to make mum-to-be feel special before the baby comes and she is no longer the centre of attention! Here are our top tips for a fabulous baby shower:
- Get organizing in plenty of time - you ideally want to hold the baby shower about 6 weeks before the due date in case baby makes an early unexpected appearance! Aim to give guests about 3 or 4 weeks notice of the date of the party and allow 1 - 2 weeks to get rsvp's back (top tip: get people to rsvp to an email address rather than by post - these days everyone has access to email and they are more likely to respond back quickly).
- Keep it a surprise unless you know that mum-to-be is not good with being kept in the dark or wants to help organize it herself.
- Purchase the decorations & partyware in time - as the baby shower phenomenon is fairly new to the UK you won't often find these items in high street shops - so allow time to order from the internet and have it delivered.
(Top Tip - consider clubbing together and buying a nappy cake.
Made from rolled nappies arranged in tiers like a wedding cake, they are filled with useful baby gifts and make a fantastic centerpiece for the party that also doubles up as a gift) - Plan how you are going to get mum-to-be to the party without spoiling the surprise.
Often dad- to-be can be very helpful in getting mum out of the house for this! Give yourself enough time to get all the decorations up and for all the guests to arrive before mum-to-be. - Decide if you are going to play any games and how many you need.
Bear in mind if there are quite a few guests it will always take more time than you think to get everyone listening to the rules of the game and to finish.
If you think that your guests may be shy about joining in go for team games.
(Top tip - if your guests don't all know each other, plan for an ice-breaker game on arrival - e.
g.
putting a sticker labeled with a baby item on the back of each person and getting them to guess what it is by asking each other questions, only giving each other yes or no answers). - Bear in mind that if you are pre-ordering buffet food or a themed cake, there will often be a minimum lead time for ordering so decide in good time.
- If you are hosting the party, make sure that you organize the activities to the timescale you have decided upon.
Give yourself enough time to offer drinks on arrival, get the games played, the food eaten and the gifts opened.
You don't want to cram too much in especially if the party is only intended to last for a couple of hours. - If you are going to be giving gifts at the party allow enough time for the mum-to-be to open them - usually at least 30 minutes will be needed for this, more if there are a lot of guests.
- At the end of the party it's a nice idea to give a little keepsake favour to your guests as a thank you for coming.
There are plenty of options available ranging from more expensive items like mini photoframes or candles, through to cheaper alternatives like a little tin or organza bag filled with sweets. - Make sure that someone is responsible for cleaning up afterwards - especially if the party is held at mum-to-be's house!!