Baby Showers???

[Dee83]

Hi girls,

Just wondering what you think about baby showers? I was thinking it might be fun to have one in a month or so, just invite people round for tea and cake one afternoon. But i am worried that people might think i'm only having it to get presents, as that's what they're mainly used for in America aren't they. I am the first of my friends to have a baby and i've not been involved with many other pregnant ladies so i'm not even sure if it's "the done thing" or not? xxx

 

[Dee83]

Also, it's always hard to get everyone together at the same time so thought that calling it a baby shower might make it a bit more of an official, planned, afternoon?

 

[Coco pops]

My personal opinion is if its called a baby shower people will think they need to bring a gift but if you invited your girly friends round without officially calling it a baby shower you can get the cake and things and they wont feel obliged to buy you a gift.

 

[Dee83]

Yeah that's what i'm worried about but i was wanting to do it properly and send out invites etc...otherwise it would probably never happen as everyone's always so busy. You are right though, i don't want everyone to feel obliged to bring a gift. I wouldn't even be bothered if nobody turned up with a gift. xx

 

[positivity :)]

go for it hunny!! all of my friends have had one, i feel like im forever at baby showers and do you know what, they GREAT!!

its a really lovely girly day i'm deffo having one but it will be easier for me as it will be expected.

just say this is ur first baby and u really want to celebrate. u know when u go to weddings nowdays they put them little invites in that have a poem which say that we would love ur company blah blah but a gift isn't necessary only buy if you want to.

of course we all still bring a gift but u've said they dont have to. also if u are the first of ur friends it will be really exciting for everyone to go to a shower. i love them

xx

 

[Dee83]

Thanks Pos! I didn't even know if girls had them in this country or not! What do you do at them then?? Good idea about putting a note in with the invite, i did that for my wedding invites. xxx

 

[domestichuman]

I am going to watch this thread for more responses as I was wondering the same thing! I currently live in America and showers are REALLY gift grabby here. But Americans tend to have gifts/showers for everything. They register with whole long lists. Some people even complain when they don't get everything from their list or get things that people bought that wasn't on their lists!!

In Canada, where I am from, we have showers usually after the baby is born. It's a "meet the baby" event and because the baby is already here people usually gift things like cute outfits or keepsake things. Everyone would usually try and come to those as meeting the baby is generally a good draw!

It's interesting to hear how it happens in England. I wasn't sure what was done, but I haven't heard anything about it frm my inlaws so I just assumed it "wasn't done".

 

[domestichuman]

Thanks Pos! I didn't even know if girls had them in this country or not! What do you do at them then?? Good idea about putting a note in with the invite, i did that for my wedding invites. xxx

Over here people play a lot of little games. If you have the shower before baby is due you can all guess the due date, have little raffles, do name analysis of the guests (what their name means), stuff like that. After the baby is due there is less games, and more just talking about the baby, the birth, sharing stories, that kind of thing. There are loads of websites about baby shower things to do, I can track a few down for you if you are interested in knowing more about types of games, although they are not everyone's "thing"

 

[Sarah13]

I've never been to one and none of my family or friends have had one! Be nice to have a girly afternoon with cake though! We tend to have a girly head wetting after baby is born!

 

[Young Mum 21 x]

ill be going to my first baby shower in a few days,
my friend suggested that ill 'need' to have one now, even tho i didnt with LO
ill be getting a little something to take with me but will get something nice when baby is here
im not fussed on having one for the same reason as u, i dont want people to feel the need to buy
but it would be lovley to have the girls around and have a nice cake made! xxx

 

[Niknak]

I have been to a couple of baby showers and they are really good fun - its basically just a good excuse to get everyone together and talk about babies for the afternoon! (oh yes and eat cake!) I organised one for a friend of mine and everyone did bring a present however they weren't big and expensive, just fun little things - you could always ask people to bring a food/drink/game contribution instead of a gift? We played games like guess how big the baby bump is using a piece of string (each person cuts a length of string that they think will go round the bump) guessing the flavour of the baby food?! If you Google baby showers then there are loads of websites to give you ideas - enjoy! x

 

[Constantstar]

I know my friends have arranged a surprise one for me this weekend as OH slipped up and accidentally told me! So I dont know what to expect or who's going or anything! I don't even know if they have arrange food or anything!! Lol x

 

[positivity :)]

similar to the girls, we just have a really good gossip and catch up, guess the sex and weight (if u dont know the sex) so we all put it on a piece of paper and the winner gets something like a bottle of champ when baby arrives.

we have party food, dress the room with baloons etc. we always have (altho u dont have to) alcohol lol! obv mummy never gets any but the rest of us girls always have a good drink, pimms and pink sparkly

the best bit is the pressies we all sit there and cooo and awwww at all the lovely gifts lol! its quite funny actually. more than anything its so much fun to get rid of the men for the day!! i was thinking that at mine i might get face packs and nail polishes etc so we can all have a good pamper

xxx

 

[Lilelephant]

My friend and I are due within a couple of days of eachother so we r gonna have a joint one!

 

[PrincessPeanut]

I've just got an invite to ny cousins baby shower next month. She's due a week after me. I've never been to one before so but judging by what you girls gave described, it should be fun!

I'm the same oppinion though, I'd hate it if I had one and everyone just thought it was just to get gifts! xx

 

[Bexybun]

My SIL asked me yesterday if she can throw me one, bless her I think they're a great idea! Maybe ask one of your friends (or sister/SIL if you have any) to help you plan it? If the invites are sent from them, then it's not like it's you 'asking' for gifts, if that makes sense. x

 

[positivity :)]

very informative

i think so too!!!

 

[Bella2]

I hadn't thought much about it when a friend of mine said the other day she was going to arrange one for me which I thought was lovely. She didn't say when, I imagine when I'm a bit nearer my due date. I agree though I wouldn't want people to feel obliged to buy presents, you tend to get those after the baby is here when people visit so I wouldn't want people having to get me 2 lots of presents!

 

[DW1978]

My sister organised one for me when I was pregnant with Lennon. We just had some nibble, cake and bubbley one evening. We played a game where everyone guessed my waist measurement and also took a list of bets for guessing the weight/sex of the baby. I did receive some presents at it (mostly from my sister as she spoils me) but mostly it wsa just a lovely get girlie get together.

If I had another one I would probably specifically ask for no presents as we already have everything we need this time round (unless we have a pink bundle but we wont know that till the birth).

 

[Bunnykins]

I'm gonna have one but not really call it a baby shower, I'm gonna do it more as an afternoon tea party as a last chance to get all my girls together for a laugh and catchup before I become a mummy!! The men are all gonna go for an afternoon at the local pub to commiserate at my oh's impending loss of freedom lol!!!! I used to run a cupcake business a few years ago, and love making cakes so have done so many for other peoples baby showers I can't wait to make some for me finally!!! So really its more of an excuse for me to bake & eat cake lol!!

posted pics of the ones I want to do, think it will be the blue teddy bears although I might do the rubber ducks which are a bit more fun and less babyshowerish?