A baby shower is a party held by friends and family to shower the expectant mother with gifts in preparation for the coming baby. It was traditionally held for a mother expecting her first child, along with her female friends. Times have changed and baby showers have now become more inclusive to male and female friends and family alike, with the husband included for it to be sometimes to be called a “couple shower”. Baby showers are also now held for every baby coming, because each new child is special and should be welcomed by everyone.

Typically family members like sisters or mothers host the party, but it’s not uncommon for the expectant mothers to also host it. The contributions usually come from the guests themselves, so it’s best that you start soliciting a month or so before you even get started preparing for the shower.

We’re Having a Party! Baby Shower Invitations

Before sending the shower, you better ask yourself first if you want to have a theme. It doesn’t have to be too complicated, just something that will guide your design choices. It’s also alright not to have a theme because the baby and everything baby-related is a theme by itself. Set the party time during the afternoon, when the mommy is most comfortable. Also, don’t forget that you should hold the party a month or two before the baby is due.

You can have invitations in the shape of basic baby things, like bassinets, bibs, baby blocks, baby carriages and baby bottles. You can also have invitations in the shape of a stork, the ultimate symbol for birth and babies. Cute animals and farm animals are also adorable invitation designs. Another idea is to even send a copy of the baby’s ultrasound as an invitation. Now you really won’t forget what the shower is all about.

If your mom-to-be decided not to know the sex of the baby, you can ask your guests to give in their guess to what the sex will be along with the RSVP. It’s going to be important for a fun activity later on.

Choosing a Baby Shower Theme

There are a number of baby shower themes that you can choose from. You can have a Basket Shower with guests bringing a basket full of goodies for baby. You can also have a Mom Shower, where guests bring gifts for the mommies, done when the coming baby is not the first. A Baby Room Shower is also okay, where guests bring gifts based on the assigned rooms, like the bathroom, playroom and bedroom. There are many great and fun possibilities out there, but make sure that you consult mom-to-be on what theme she likes the most. (Get ideas from the list of the Top Ten Baby shower theme ideas)

Decorating for Baby

Soft pastel colors are perfect for baby showers. Your goal is to make everything look classy, but cute. You’re welcoming a baby, after all.

Choose and group together streamers, balloons and banners in baby blue, lavender, soft pink, mint green and light yellow. Your balloons can also be extra-special and come in the shape of cute animals like cats, ducks, dogs and cows. Change your sofa’s slipcovers into white with soft pillows following the same color scheme. Your table covers should also come in soft pastel colors, as well as the utensils and plates. For centerpieces, you can use floating candles in clear shallow bowls in soft pink and blue colors.

Another thing you can do for your party venue is to put up a clothesline of baby clothes. It doesn’t have to be full of real clothes—paper versions of baby outfits will work as well. Onesies, bibs, socks, towels and baby blankets are a really cute way to make a venue really approrpiate for a baby shower.

Decorate corners of your party space with fresh bouquets of flowers. Daisies or sunflowers are very cheerful and will do much to brighten a room. Have a table where guests can place their gifts and sprinkle it with baby shower confetti, shaped like baby-related paraphernalia.

Oh, Baby! Shower Games and Activities

Activities for the baby shower should be light and fun because you don’t want overexcite or stress the expectant mom-to-be. Here are some enjoyable things to do during a baby shower.

Baby gift bingo
• Baby Gift Bingo. Watching someone unwrap gift after gift can get a little boring. Make it more exciting by having a baby gift bingo. Give out pens and slips of paper to guests and have them list down five items they think the mom-to-be is about to receive. If one unwrapped present matches one of the items on the list, cross it off. The first one to cross off all items has to yell “Bingo!” and given a prize.
• Diaper Race. Blindfold the moms among your guests and assign them each a doll or a teddy bear, cloth diapers and safety pins. Have them line up along a table blindfolded. On the word go, they must race to put a diaper on the assigned doll without seeing anyone. First one to finish it properly wins.
• Baby Bets. Set bets on the birth date of the baby and its sex, if still unknown. Participants must be willing to shell out a little money for this activity. If there are two or more winners with the date bet, the prize money must be divided among them. For the winners of the sex guess, the one who has bet the highest among everyone wins.

Guess baby food
• Guess the Gifth. As guests start to arrive, have them measure out a piece of string or ribbon that they think will be a good estimate of the expectant mom’s girth. The one that is closest to the real measurement, wins.
• Guess the Baby Food Flavor. Here’s another game that will put those blindfolds you used earlier: Have five to seven guests line up blindfolded and fed them different kinds of baby food. They must identify what kind it is and its flavor.
• Dress Up Mommy. Divide the guests into four to five groups. Have them assign a pregnant “mommy” by putting a large balloon under her clothes and on her tummy. Using rolls of tissue paper, have them design a maternity dress in a set time. The real mommy-to-be then decides which dress was made the best.

 

Baby Shower Food

When deciding on the menu for the baby shower, it’s good to lessen junk foods and opt for healthier options. You should also consider the dietary needs of the pregnant woman. for example, serving sugar-free cake and sweets if she is diabetic, will also be very much appreciated. Here are some suggestions for your baby shower food.

• Appetizers and Finger Food. Nachos, chips and dip, crab cakes, fruit cups are healthy choices for appetizers.
• Salad. Salads are full of greens and other nutritious vegetables, making it a tasty and a healthy addition to your menu. Some delicious choices are Caesar’s Salad, Chicken Salad and Waldorf Salad.

 

 

 

Crab Cakes

Ice tea for drinks

Vegetable salads

• Meat and Pasta. If you’re feeling a little bit unadventurous with your food choices, narrow it down to a meat dish and a pasta dish as your main course. This is one combination that can’t be beat.
• Baby Shower Cake. There are cake shops out there that sell cakes for any occasion. In this case, diaper-shaped cakes are a very popular design that a lot of people order for their own baby showers. Check out other whimsical shapes like rocking horses or diaper pins.
• Fruit Juice and Iced Tea. No alcoholic beverages allowed! Get some refreshing drinks like juice, tea or cider for your baby shower.

 

Wanna see baby shower party! Check out this video.

Before your guests leave, make sure they take a little something home with them. No, not a baby, but a little bundle like a box of small cupcakes. It’s a great way to thank them for sharing the day and happiness with the expectant mommy. For more information regarding this article, read The Guide To Baby Shower.