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Baby Shower Planning - Page 2
When?
When to host the
shower is probably the next most important
consideration. A baby shower is typically held one
to two months before the baby is due. This gives
the parents time to buy items that they didn’t
receive as shower gifts. Holding the shower too
close to the baby’s due date could be problematic if
the baby arrives early. Multiples are more likely
to be born prematurely, and their mothers are likely
to be placed on bed rest, so if the pregnancy
involves multiples, you may want to host the shower
two to three months prior to the due date. It is
perfectly acceptable to hold a baby shower a bit
later or earlier to coincide with a holiday or
family reunion, to ensure that out of town relatives
are able to attend.
Some people prefer
to hold the shower after the baby is born. This may
be unavoidable if the baby arrives earlier than
expected. In general, though, it is probably best
to hold the shower prior to the birth. After the
baby is born, the new Mom will be busy and quite
possibly exhausted, and she might not want to leave
the baby for very long. And a crying baby might not
make the best party guest. Also, even though they
shouldn’t be, some women are conscious about the
pregnancy weight they may have gained, and might be
shy about being photographed during those first few
months following the birth. Holding the shower
before the baby is born will avoid some of these
issues.
If the parents are
adopting a child, it might be best to wait until the
parents have been home with their little one for a
few weeks to hold a “Welcome Home” party. Adoption
proceedings may take longer than expected, and
unfortunately have been known to fall through at the
last minute. Holding the party after everything is
finalized will help avoid disappointment, and will
serve as a wonderful celebration for the new family.
Let’s take a minute
to discuss surprise showers. Though it might sound
like a fun idea, a surprise baby shower might be
logistically too hard to pull off. It would be
difficult to plan a shower the Mom-to-be will enjoy
without discussing any of the plans with her. Also,
how do you guarantee that she will show up at the
right place at the right time? It would not be a
fun surprise if everyone shows up for the party
except the guest of honor. Letting the Mom-to-be
know about the party in advance will help determine
a date that fits into her schedule, let her have a
say as to who is invited, and will give her a chance
to dress up and look her best for all the pictures.
You can still have some surprises at the shower, in
the form of fun games for the guests and spectacular
gifts for the new arrival.
Baby showers are
typically held on a Saturday or Sunday. Early
afternoon is a good time if you plan to serve enough
food to serve as lunch. Mid-afternoon might be
better if you are serving just appetizers and
dessert. If the shower is an office party, then you
may want to hold it during the lunch hour. If your
invitees are members of a social group or other
organization the Mom-to-be belongs to, then you
might want to hold the shower during or right after
the group’s normal meeting time. Evening would be a
perfectly acceptable time to hold a couples’ shower.
There are no hard
and fast rules as to when to hold a baby shower.
Just keep these tips in mind when you are scheduling
a party date and time that will work best for the
type of shower you are planning and the attendees.
Baby Shower
Planning:
Who (page 1)
Where (page 3)
What/How (page 4)
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