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So a loved one’s about to embark on the mega adventure that is motherhood - what better way to celebrate than with a baby shower? Gathering together all their nearest and dearest gal pals to welcome the new addition with fun and festivities, a baby shower is the perfect occasion to show a mum-to-be just how much they mean to you.
Planning a baby shower for someone can be great fun, but like any event, it can be a challenge trying to make sure everything is just right. Baby showers in the UK are a relatively new concept, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some baby shower etiquette rules to follow.
When should the baby shower happen? What should we do at the baby shower?
If you’ve never arranged a baby shower before, you might have lots of questions you want to ask. Here, we’re going to look at what a baby shower is and how to go about organising one.
From what gifts to buy, what type of venue to choose, and everything in between, our handy guide will hopefully inspire you and should ensure the day is a memorable one for all the right reasons!
What Happens at a Baby Shower?
It’s hard to say exactly what happens at a baby shower as they should be personalised to suit the mum-to-be.
Typically, the baby shower would start with a selection of close friends and family. Usually this is just the women (though there’s no rules against men attending) getting together for a good natter (usually about babies) over (non-alcoholic) drinks and finger food… did someone say tea and cake?
From there, once everyone has settled into each other’s company, there would usually be a chance to liven things up with some party games. These games would be baby orientated and could be as simple or as extravagant as you’d like - the key is to have fun! If you’re not too sure where to start, there are lots of creative baby shower games out there for you to try.
A baby shower is the perfect occasion to give the mum-to-be a baby related gift. This could be something practical or fun for the baby, or a treat like a much needed pamper session once baby is born.
Typically, the gifts would be given at the end of the shower once the food and party games are over, since this is the perfect time to wind down and for mum-to-be to open all the treasures she’s been “showered” with.
Who Throws a Baby Shower?
Usually someone who's not a relative throws the baby shower to avoid giving the impression that the family is asking for presents. Practically speaking, this means anyone except the mum-to-be and dad-to-be would take charge. However, often it's less clear-cut than that. It may be that a relative, a close friend, or a work colleague would be more than happy to make the arrangements.
That’s not to say you can’t arrange your own baby shower though, if you so wish! Be sure to make it clear that it’s not all about the gifts though, and you just want to spend some quality time with your loved ones before the baby arrives.
When Should You Have a Baby Shower?
There’s no set rule for when a baby shower should be held, though it’s most common for it to take place later in the pregnancy. By this stage, the mum-to-be should be confident that all is going to plan and they’re over the toughest part of the pregnancy (obviously the birth itself is another matter!)
The other benefit to doing it later in the pregnancy is that if mum and dad have revealed the gender of the baby you can decorate accordingly, and guests can be more specific when purchasing gifts (if they so wish).
That said, if the mum-to-be would prefer to start the celebrations early on, there’s no good reason not to.
Where Should You Have a Baby Shower?
There are several things that can affect the location of a baby shower. Things such as budget, accessibility, and what the venue offers should all be taken into consideration.
If the budget is small but you’d like the baby shower to be somewhat grand, it could be worth putting out feelers to other guests and asking whether they’d be happy to chip into the cost. More often than not, this won’t be a problem. If you’d prefer to cover all the costs, don’t over stretch yourself; we’re sure the new mum will be happy to just spend time with her closest friends and family.
Many restaurants and cafes will be more than happy for you to reserve and appropriately decorate a space for a couple of hours if it means guests will be purchasing food and drink. If you’d like to go all out, some spas will also offer discounts on spa days for group bookings with food included, so this could be an option too.
If you’re planning a baby shower for someone that’s quite far into their pregnancy, just remember that they may struggle with mobility. This means you should probably rule out anywhere requiring a long drive, or that has lots of stairs to climb.
If you want it to be a really chilled out affair, why not consider having a pyjama party at home? Not totally conventional, but super relaxed and great fun… there could even be a special prize for whoever shows up in the funkiest PJs!
Whichever venue you decide on, be sure that it’s able to accommodate the number of guests expected to attend. A space big enough for ten people isn’t going to be a comfortable setup when 30 guests show up!
Can You Hold More Than One Baby Shower?
Ordinarily this isn’t something you would do. However, circumstances might dictate that it’s possible to have more than one. It could be that you have a group of friends and family some distance away and it may not be viable for them to all come and visit you at the same time. In this case, having another baby shower would be a great way for them to get involved too.
Who Should be Invited to a Baby Shower?
Traditionally, it would be close friends and family of the mum-to-be that would be invited. You should however always consult the expectant mum before making any arrangements, as she may have preferences on who she does and doesn’t want there.
Do Fathers Attend Baby Showers?
While not totally conventional, some people feel that a couple's party is more appropriate these days. However, if the mum-to-be prefers a ladies-only party, that's fine too. If the mum-to-be is happy with it, it might be worth having the father-to-be show up right before the expectant mum opens the gifts so he can get in on the action too.
Ideas for a Baby Shower
If you’ve taken on the challenge of organising a baby shower for a loved one, you might be at a loss as to what route to go down. Here’s a quick list of ideas to help inspire you:
While not everyone would want a baby shower, it’s a fab way to celebrate the imminent arrival of a new baby. It’s also the perfect opportunity for a mum-to-be to have one final catch up with all her closest friends and family before things get a little bit (or a lot) crazy. If you’re tasked with arranging a baby shower, we hope our handy guide has inspired you, and good luck with the planning!
Arranging or attending a baby shower? If you’re bringing a gift why not make it extra special and wrap it like you mean it with a personalised pregnancy gift bag? We offer matching personalised pregnancy cards, too.
