Baby Shower?

[stefnie34]

Ok, here's the deal. I moved to Australia about 2 years ago to marry my husband (he's Australian), and I have yet to make any "close" friends. Most of the women I know are wives or girlfriends of my husbands friends, and lately we haven't really been in touch with any of them anyways. I do have a few ladies at work that I'm friendly with but none that I would consider close friends - we don't socialise outside of work or anything like that. Here's what I'm getting at - I really want to have a baby shower, I think it would be tons of fun plus would love to get some nice gifts to take some of the financial burden off of having to buy EVERYTHING that we need. But there's no one here thats going to jump up and volunteer to throw me a shower. The way I see it I have 3 choices: 1) Ask someone to throw me a shower 2) Throw a shower for myself or 3) Not have a shower. Which is the least pathetic option, and does anyone have any advice?

Thanks for your opinions!
Stephanie

[Mumma2three]

I was just asking that question yesterday. I think throwing your own is fine, but I was going to ask the BB ladies what they think about that. When we got married we did everything back to front and non-traditional, so Im thinking what's the difference with a baby shower. We're throwing it for bubs anyway, so I figure it's ok for the mum to do it.
Wait and see what other people say, but I would not forego a baby shower because you had no one to throw it for you. Im sure many people DIY xoxoxoox

[Liz]

Get your DH to throw it for you! hehe... then he can invite all his friends and their wives... the boys can cook the bbq... and the girls can ooh and aah over the pressies

If he does the inviting... you might not feel so awkward about asking people you haven't really got close to yet.

[Trish]

Oh yeah, I think the last idea was a great one. That way nobody feels to uncomfortable. Hubby can say to his mates that he is planning on having a bbq that will coincide with a really relaxed baby shower and would their wives like to come. Just for extra measure make up some invites and get him to hand them around. Maybe post them out saying "we are having a couples baby shower, you bring pressies for bub and we'll cook a nice BBQ for you"

Hope that you end up having a great day.



Take care
Trish

[cnoble]

Def throw your own. I did and it was wonderful - Saturday just gone! All the people in my life who would have thrown me one are o'seas, so it was the only option! I just had the RSVPs to mine and my husband's email address to avoid phone numbers and it was all so easy.

This way - you get what you want and you get to do it your way! After all - it is your baby! AND - another excuse to eat cake - as if we need any more of those!

Best of luck
Christine

[seenabeena]

Get your DH to throw it for you! hehe... then he can invite all his friends and their wives... the boys can cook the bbq... and the girls can ooh and aah over the pressies

If he does the inviting... you might not feel so awkward about asking people you haven't really got close to yet.

I think that's a fantastic idea!

I have been to babyshowers that the pg mum2b has thrown herself and I didn't even give a 2nd thought that it wasn't thrown for her by someone else, but I still think Ivana_baby's suggestion is the best option.

[stefnie34]

Thanks everyone for your responses! Those are GREAT ideas. Hubby and I are going to talk about it and see which option we want to go with. In the mean time.....

I have another Baby Shower related question for you. I have never attended a baby shower here in Australia, but have been to many back home (The U.S.), so I don't know if you do the same kinds of things at showers here as we do there. Are there usually games, and if so, what kind? I've been to some where we had to diaper a baby doll blindfolded, guess how long a piece of toilet paper it would take to go around the pregnant person's belly, memory games where they showed you a tray filled with about 20 baby items (baby shampoo, booties, bottles, rattles, etc.) and then take the tray and you had to write down as many items as you could remember. They give small pressies to the winners of the games. Is it customary to play games like that here? Forgive me if it seems a dumb question, but if I throw a shower for myself and start telling the guests we are going to play these games....well I just don't want them to look at me like I'm crazy!

Thanks everyone!

[Mumma2three]

There is actually somewhere on this website that has baby shower games. Maybe someone will put the link up, Im not sure how to do that. Otherwise on the home page it could be under articles or one of the other headings.
Also is it common for DH to be at the babyshower? I was imagining, he'd have the day to himself and it would be just girls. I guess maybe it can be either way.
Also I bought the new Cosmo pregnancy yesterday (LOVE IT) and there was an article about a women who threw herself a shower. Of course she had a fortune to spend and got waiters, but still it was the fact she did it herself.
My mum has said she would throw it for me, and maybe I'll put her name on the invites, but I know Im going to be the one who chooses the games etc!! I have to have some input!! xoxo

[Salina]

Definetely throw one for yourself!
I am 3 weeks away from birthing my second child and haven't had a baby shower for either of my pregnancies.
I'm an army wife with a very poor support network, and friends I do have locally are minimal or live interstate.
I totally regret not organising my own baby shower. My sister who is also pregnant, recently had a baby shower in the form of a nutrimetics party. Last time she had an undercover wear party. She organised both of them and were both really successful!

[Melinda]

Click here for baby shower games.

[Adnil]

i would throw it myself if i were you. maybe the girls you know arent close enough to think to organise it for you, but im sure they will be thrilled to be coming once you ask,

all the best

Linda

[Lee-Ann]

I think throwing one yourself would be brilliant. I will probably be doing the same. I don't have a lot of close friends as I have moved around a lot.

I think inviting men would be great too. I saw on TV yesterday a baby shower where the men were invited and the men played the game where they were racing against a stop watch and had to put the nappy on the baby etc, it was so funny.

[Liz]

LOL... that sounds funny Lee-ann. Depending on the blokes of course... you could come up with some funny games for the guys to play! Good idea!

[stefnie34]

Thanks you guys, these are some great suggestions, and you've given me the courage to throw my own shower! And thanks for the link to the baby shower games, there are some great ideas there. Now I can't wait to start planning it!

Thanks again

[Annie]

We had a shower that was thrown for us, but it was a 'couples' one, which seems to be getting more common where I live... One benefit we hadn't anticipated is that there was suddenly a room full of many fathers who in that context were happy to share parenting stories with DH, who had almost no experience with children before that. At a baby shower, it didn't seem like an un-manly thing to do, and I think it gave DH some more confidence about becoming a dad for the first time. I think it's nice, too, since it's his baby too, for dad to be included if the dynamics lend themselves to that.