A baby shower is a wonderful way to mark your imminent transition into motherhood and everyone deserves a special day to celebrate it. Here’s how to make it happen…

The Big Day

The concept of a baby shower is simple; it offers your friends and family the opportunity to shower you and your baby with gifts and bestow their pearls of wisdom. It’s generally organised by your best friend, but your mum, sister, or anyone close to you could take charge. The first challenge involves finding a day that suits all of the guests, so advance preparation is paramount. The host also needs to make your diary a priority, so make sure they are aware of any upcoming hospital visits or antenatal classes. You might feel tired and uncomfortable towards the end of your pregnancy, so it’s a good idea to arrange the party a couple of months before your due date.

Party Planner

Your baby shower should make you feel relaxed, supported and loved, so it’s generally arranged by a family member or friend, although sometimes work colleagues throw one for an expectant mum before she takes maternity leave.

The Guest List

The guest list is entirely dependent on the kind of party atmosphere you’re trying to create. It could be a low key affair with close friends, or on a much grander scale with extended family and all of your new mum-to-be buddies. Bear in mind that the host may not know your preference or all of your friends, so creating a list for them will avoid any confusion. Men don’t generally feature on baby shower guest lists, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t ever happen. Formal invitations should ideally be preceded by a round robin ‘save the date’ email, and both need to be sent out a few weeks before the party itself.

The Venue

Ideally, the party should take place anywhere but your own home. This will avoid any mess or cleaning up and allow you to completely relax. Depending on numbers and the weather forecast, it could be organised at a friend’s house, the local park or a private venue. Church halls can be hired for a small fee and hotels and cafés generally allow you to reserve an area free of charge.

Entertainment

Letting your hair down and playing a few silly games is all part of the fun at a baby shower. Here are some ideas:

Celeb Mums
Cut out pictures of celebrity mums and their children from old magazines and newspapers. Make a note of who is who before splitting the mums from their children, then ask guests to identify and match the pairs.
Guess the Baby
Ask your guests to bring a baby photo of them to the party. When they arrive, stick them up on a board for everyone to identify.
Baby Quiz
Create a list of baby-related questions, then call them out at the party and ask guests to write down their answers. Questions like ‘how big was the world’s heaviest baby?’ and ‘what age was the world’s oldest mum?’ are a good starting point.

Themes

A theme will give your baby shower an identity and make it an unforgettable experience for both you and your guests. If you’re short of ideas, some of these might provide inspiration.

• Colour scheme (pink, blue, yellow)
• Cultural (Mexican, Moroccan)
• Baby animals (chicks, ducklings, bunnies, piglets, puppies, kittens)
• Moon and stars
• Fairies
• Fruit (cherries, strawberries, apples)
• Floral
• Hummingbirds
• Butterflies

Decorations

Decorating the venue needn’t cost the earth; if you’re on a tight budget why not fill the room with lots of balloons, fresh flowers from the garden and tea lights?

Menu

To save both time and money, guests could be asked to bring a plate of food or (non-alcoholic!) wine with them. Then all your host has to do is coordinate who is bringing what.

Gift List

It’s a good idea to prepare a list of items that you need for your baby. It’s standard practice to send out a gift list, so you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable about providing the details. As long as you make sure that there’s a good range of price points available and also offer guests the option of contributing to your newborn’s savings account, they’re sure to be grateful for the suggestions. Not only will it avoid guests arriving with the same present, it will help to steer those unfamiliar with baby gadgets in the right direction. If you haven’t yet found out the sex of your baby, it’s worth reminding guests to stick to neutral colours and it’s also a good idea to request baby clothes in larger sizes. It’s nice to have things for your little one to grow into and it also means that you’ll be prepared if you have a big baby!  

Goody Bags and Favours

After all the time and effort everyone has put into making your day so special, giving the guests a small favour or goody bag is a lovely gesture.

Thank You Cards

Don’t forget to put pen to paper to thank your guests for coming to your baby shower. Your lovely hostess will deserve an extra-special thank you too.

Tippitoes’ Top Tip

Leave lots of disposable cameras around the baby shower venue and ask guests to take photos throughout the event. You will then be able to fill an album with memories of your special day. A guest book could also be signed with personal messages from family and friends to create a beautiful keepsake.

My Baby Shower Checklist

• Party planner
• Save the date
• Guest List
• Venue
• Invitations
• Theme
• Entertainment
• Decorations
• Menu
• Gift List
• Goody bags/Favours
• Thank you cards
• Disposable cameras
• Guest book

 Article by Judith Wilkinson

Don't forget you can create your very own Baby Shower Present Wishlist right here on www.tippitoes.com which you can share with your friends and family via facebook or email, just by creating an account. If it is you who is looking for tips on what to buy your loved one for their Baby Shower why not see our Essentail Gift List for some ideas!