In recent years, the phenomenon that is the baby shower has swiftly made its way across the pond from the US.
A baby shower is a wonderful opportunity for the mum-to-be’s loved ones to celebrate her pregnancy, share her excitement about the arrival of her baby, give handy advice and tell funny stories.
So with that in mind, we have compiled our TOP tips to help you throw a brilliant baby shower for the special mum-to-be in your life:
1. Choose the host
Basically anyone except the mum and dad-to-be – it’s time for mum to sit back, relax and be pampered! Tradition says a relative shouldn’t throw a baby shower, but we suggest you ignore this ‘rule’. Anyone from a relative to a close friend should throw the bash, but if it’s not a surprise shower it’s a good idea to liaise with the mum-to-be too, just to make sure she’s OK with what’s being planned.
2. Time it cleverly
A common question many people have is when to throw the shower. We suggest the second trimester. By then the mum-to-be’s sickness will likely have abated and she will have more energy. So why not the third trimester? Well first, there is always the possibility of mum going into labour preterm or early, or she might be uncomfortable and at that point when she’s just anxious for baby to arrive.
3. Keep it fizzy
While of course mum-to-be can’t drink, her guests probably can, so there’s the worry: should you serve alcohol or not? We say yes, but keep it classy – some flutes filled with mimosas (half OJ half Prosecco) make the perfect baby shower tipple. And for mum, a posh ‘grown-up’ fizzy drink in a flute too will ensure she doesn’t feel left out.
4. Give practical gifts
While the baby shower is first and foremost about celebrating the mum-to-be’s impending arrival, giving small gifts can be a fun part of the occasion. A clever, relatively inexpensive idea is the get the guests to club together to create the ultimate mum hamper with nappies, baby shampoo and wipes.
5. Make a baby shower keepsake
A fab idea is to ask everyone to bring a wish, photograph, letter or memory that can be put into a scrapbook for the new mama. She’ll absolutely love it. Although be prepared to have tissues to hand – with all those pregnancy hormones rolling around she’ll definitely shed a tear or two!
6. Plan baby games!
Well it IS a baby shower after all, so don’t forget about your ‘all things baby’ theme. One popular (albeit gross) game is ‘guess the poo’ – where you melt down popular chocolate bars into nappies and with a blindfold, guests have to guess the chocolate. And if that’s a bit too much for you, a blindfolded nappy change, a guess the baby food game, or a guess the celebrity baby challenge – where guests have to match pictures of babies to their famous parents – will do the trick.
7. Make it ALL about the mum-to-be
The mum-to-be needs reassurance and encouragement, especially as the due date draws near, and knowing her friends and family are all pulling together to make her day a memorable one can be a great source of comfort. So spoil her, reassure her you’re there for her and tell her what a great mum she’s going to be.
