5 things to consider when planning a baby shower

One of the very best things about T3 is your baby shower. Fun! Here’s a quick run-down of 5 things to consider when planning a baby shower…

1. When to have it?

The short answer to this is not too early and not too late! Too early and you won’t be looking “properly” preggers for the photos and too late can especially be a bit fraught given the unexpected arrival of the (other) guest of honor!

But things are never that simple. It’s finding a time that suits both the mum-to-be and the host with their myriad of other obligations.

The ideal time is around seven months. The bump is right out there, but you’re not too big so still comfortable. More practically, you still have ample time to find a home for all the beautiful gifts and time to buy whatever is still needed to complete your nesting before the big arrival.

2. Who should host?

Believe it or not, tradition says that your direct family (sister, mother etc) shouldn’t host your baby shower! This was meant to avoid the appearance that the family was simply on a mission to collect gifts.

How times have changed!. Someone who loves you (friend or family) will usually offer to host your shower, organising (with your input), the list of guests, invitations, catering, theme and games. There’s no doubt that hosting is a major undertaking, so a special thank-you gift is always a good idea.

If no-one offers, simply tap one of your friends or family on the shoulder – don’t be shy. Or organise it yourself, it you feel up to it – why not break another tradition!

The venue can be just about anywhere – a restaurant, your home or theirs. I know this is a girl-fest, but one thing that was missing from my first and only shower was the father-to-be of the baby. It would have been nice to have him come along at the end to enjoy a bit of the fun and to be included in the love in the room.

3. To theme or not to theme?

If you decide to theme your shower, the most important consideration depends on whether the baby’s gender is known or not. So aside from the traditional pink and blue, the theme is limited only by your imagination. Themes are great if you want everything to match, but they’re certainly not the most important thing about your shower.

A growing trend is to reveal the gender of the babe to be at either a shower or a separate gender-reveal party. This is done by cutting a neutrally iced cake (e.g. white) showing a pink or blue cake inside, or by opening a big box to reveal either pink or balloons that float up to the ceiling.

4. Catering

This usually matches the theme in terms of colours and cuteness. I recently went to a totally girl themed shower which included pink food such as lemonade from bottles with pink striped straws, rose champagne, pop cakes, coconut ice and watermelon.

It’s always good to have a mix of sweet and savoury and of healthy and wicked to appeals to everyone’s palate and diets.

5. Games

The role of games is to two-fold. They break the ice to help guests who don’t know each other to chat. They also provide some entertainment that isn’t present-oriented.

I personally didn’t want any games at my shower which was just as well as there would not have been time in-between the chatting as everyone basically knew each other. However, I have been to showers with really great, fun games (matching the celebrity to their baby’s name, changing the nappy with a blindfold, guessing the number of jelly babies/nappies to make a cake, spitting the dummy etc.). The games you pick from the many available will match your personality and it they’re not your thing, you don’t have to have any.

Pregnancy Panache has lots more to read for those with great expectations in T3. You’re welcome to pop over any time!

131 Comments

- - emily_flores said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    10:18 pm
My sisters baby shower is in 2 weeks. I still have so much to do!!!

- - m.foley said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    9:12 pm
I would love to host a baby shower, I have so many ideas, hopefully one day I will.

- - catchick56 said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    5:45 pm
I’ve organised a lot of baby showers for my friends and I have just found out I am pregnant so I can’t wait for mine (as long as all goes well). I decided ages ago that when my time comes I’m organising it myself, that way I get to do it my way! Controlling I know, but I would have so many people to invite that I decided it was easier and I would not have games structured as such, but still plenty to do. I have heaps of ideas and it won’t matter what time people come or go they won’t miss anything. One of my ideas that I think is really cool is to buy some white blankets and trace mine and my partners hands on it, with a note to baby written in them and then get all my guests to do the same. I think it would be a great keepsake.
- pregnancypanache replied
  
  08 Sep 2013 , 7:03 pm
  Congratulations! And, yes, what a great idea for the blanket
- - carriet said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    3:52 pm
Thanks for sharing lots of great information.

- - ella12 said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    2:23 pm
I am still undecided whether or not to have a baby shower?
- pregnancypanache replied
  
  08 Sep 2013 , 7:06 pm
  Do it!!! I wish I had so don’t you be the same
- - misschriss said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    2:21 pm
I didn’t know that generally family members shouldn’t host a baby shower, as I have hosted both baby showers for my sis. Another fun thing we did was instead of having the baby shower before bub was born, we organised it for two weeks after the due date, that way we could have a gender themed party and gifts as my sis didn’t know what she was having.
- pregnancypanache replied
  
  08 Sep 2013 , 7:07 pm
  I think its a bit of an old fashioned notion that your sis can’t organise it. What ever goes if fine these days
- - maureen3 said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    1:46 pm
A lot of useful information Thanks for sharing

- - stephvel said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    1:30 pm
I never had one with my Son and I wish I had of as I lost my Mother soon after would of Loved that Happy Memory

- - meltingmoment said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    1:26 pm
A friend of mine has just recently found out she is pregnant. I might offer to hold her baby shower for her.

- - yummymum said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    12:49 pm
I loved my baby shower. They even gave me a tiara ( dress up one), to make me feel like a princess. Enjoy it, it may be the last time for a while where you are the centre of attention!

- - beccyg17 said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    12:37 pm
Never heard of the gender-reveal party but how fun!!

- - seachtheteach said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    11:34 am
Gosh, lots of ideas here! I had a family gathering with an emphasis on family, not gifts 🙂

- - nickia said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    11:22 am
These tips would have been handy before I had my shower!! I ended up organising my own shower & we didn’t play any games but it was great. It wasn’t just myself & my female friends, because this was my second child & my fiances first, I organised it so both guys & girls were here & we shared the opening of presents, socialised with all our family & friends & finished it off with dinner at the pub down the road. It was a great afternoon just doing it my way!!!
- pregnancypanache replied
  
  08 Sep 2013 , 7:04 pm
  Sounds like a perfect day for you, Nickia! And that’s what it’s all about – doing what suits you
- - meros said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    10:47 am
Believe it or not, tradition says that your direct family (sister, mother etc) shouldn’t host your baby shower! This was meant to avoid the appearance that the family was simply on a mission to collect gifts.
I actually thought it was supposed to be the sister or mother 🙂
- kjgarner replied
  
  03 Sep 2013 , 9:28 am
  I didn’t actually know that… I thought it was the sister or mother as well.
- - kjgarner said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    9:11 am
My Sister-In-Law is due in November this year, thankyou for the quick rundown on things to consider when planning a baby shower.

- - tammykilby said
  - 02 Sep 2013
    9:04 am
What great ideas, these will be a great help to run a great baby shower.