Baby shower. Are you/Did you have one?

I cannot decided if I want to have a baby shower or not. Part of me says yes do it, but the other part of me isn't really that into it.

I don't have a lot of girlfriends either so it would mostly be family, but I have always had this thing about baby showers . . . . . that people will think I am only having one for the presents, which is not true at all.

So my question is did you or are you having one?

Just moved to general pregnancy...

I had one. For me it was about having a celebration that I was going to become a mum very soon. I think it's almost like a birthday party for the baby before they are born. Afterwards you are too tired & busy for everyone to come over at once to celebrate the birth so you do it beforehand.

Maybe if you're worried word the invitation to that affect - that you want to celebrate the new baby but will be too busy once s/he is born?

I had one with my first it was when I was about 7-8 mths. It's a good time to get together with family and friends as you most probably won't get to see all of them much after the baby comes.

So I think you should have one a nice time to relax and let them pamper you a bit and getting pressies isn't bad either.

Have Fun you can always invite some from BB if you want. :D

Seenabeena - I went to Deb's one. It was one of the first times I met her in real life, and it was really fun. So if there are girls around you from BB that you are getting along well with, invite them too!
I had one, onyl because one fo shane's friends organised it. It was OK I spose, I'm like you, felt really bad about people buying me things. The worst thing was, all these people bought more things when Jenna was born! Probably cause she is a girl though, people love buying girls stuff.

You could always put a swing on things. Have a babyshower tupperware party, or maybe a nappy party if you are looking at doing cloth?

Its nice when people can show you they care.

Fi

Zander got heaps of things when he was born as well from the people that came to the baby shower....

I had two baby showers this time around and none the first time. It was really really nice and yes I did need alot of things, so the presents were awesome. Everyone had a great time as well and the games were great. I also wanted to celebrate that I have a new person coming into the world. That was my main motivation, followed closely by the fact that we can't afford much so we needed some help with essentials! xoox

I didnt have one for DD but i am going to have one next time around...

I haven't had one (am due soon with my first) and think I would probably have been really embarrassed if someone had organised one for me! It's definitely not the sort of thing I would plan for myself, even though I think it would be fun to go to someone else's :)

Mine is next Saturday....am definately looking forward to it, if for no other reason it'll be one of the last times I'll be able to catch up with my friends and have fun for a little while.

Hi there All

I am due in January and was planning on having a baby shower some time this November as I wanted to catch up with friends prior to the Xmas rush and outside of the really hot weather.

However I am in another situation - my sister was intending on arranging mine for me however she has just had another baby 2 weeks ago and is somewhat run off her feet and I don't really want to hassle her into arranging it for me - unfortunately all my other friends are living the single life and although they are just as excited about our little bub I don't think it has crossed any of their minds to offer to arrange my baby shower even though they will all turn up..... :boggle:

So what I am wondering is it ODD to plan your own baby shower??

Seenabeena - I say enjoy your day - if you get pressies thank your friends graciously - people love to buy gifts even when you tell them not too - and I'm sure you have bought and attended your fair share of Baby Showers - and if not - oh well you may just start a trend \:D/ - afterall it's not everyday you have a baby

Ciao

Di :D

I don't think its odd to plan your own baby shower at all! Plus it is a great excuse to get together with all of your friends/family one last time before bubs is born...

I had a baby shower... and I did feel uncomfortable at the thought that people might feel that they were expected to bring pressies, however, as Jillian said, people usually love to give gifts anyway. :)

Hi Serena,

I thought long & hard about this one. On the one hand I have been invited to baby showers where i felt it was just to materialistic. I knew that everyone would buy Hunter gifts when he was born & i considered myself so fortunate to be healthy & having a baby that there was nothing more I wanted anyway (but can understand when people do need a bit of help with baby items) I also felt that I didn't have 'my circle' of friends around me so holding a baby shower would have been a little uncomfortable. DH's family seem to really love them but in the end I felt I would have been doing it more for them than for me so I decided against it.

Having said that, I do plan to have a "Welcome to the World" party for Hunter (in place of a christening) when he is about 6 months old just to commemorate his arrival & place amongst family & friends who will play a role in his life. That is a nice compromise for me & something DH can enjoy as well.

I think it is just up to the individual.... if you need some help preparing for bub & you have friends who either want to share this with you or you want them to be a part of it then go for it. If not then relax & do something afterward

I think its great :) And the true original sense of what the baby shower was about was to provide small gifts that were essentials, for the baby. To help the parents be prepared for the birth and those first few weeks. I threw a shower for my SIL and it was great, I gave each person an "essential" to bring, ie. wipes, nappies, singlets etc etc and we put it all in a nappy bucket. *If* anyone then felt the need to bring anything else they could, but it wasn't necessary. We played some games, talked about impending birth and ate lots of yummy food! I didn't think of it as a materialistic thing at all, it was as sarah put it a celebration of impending birth, and also for friends and family to offer and show their support. We had a book of love & support where everyone could offer their blessings for the twins and any words of wisdom or love for the parents.

As for doing it yourself, why not! I am one of those people who loves any excuse for a celebration, I love a party and I love to host one even more ;)

I didn't get to do one with Paris, but SIL & some friends have assured me I won't be getting away without one this time around ;)

*hugs*
Cailin

Thanks for all your opinions girls they are really helpful. I still haven't made up my mind 100%, but I do know for sure that if I do go ahead with one I won't be having any games ~ they are just not my cup of tea.

Melody I like the idea of a 'welcome to the world' party :D

Seena, my SIL doesn't like games either. So we ended up only doing 3. And they weren't gamey games.

The first one was when the gifts were being opened or examined, someone would write down with the mother2be said, and then we'd read it back but this time thinking these were the things said on the night of conception. It was hiliarious ie. "Ohhhh its soooo soft", "Oh its blue", "How cute...its so fluffy" etc etc you'd be suprised at how hilarious this can be. The second was, I bought a whole heap of mini plastic babies from the cake shop and put them in ice cubes, everyone's baby had to melt in some punch, and whoever's melted first (or was born ;)) won! And the third was "guess the baby/child" where everyone brought a photo and the photo's were all placed in an envelope, the envelope was passed around and each person had to write on a piece of paper who they thought each baby was. Once again person with most right won. I just bought chocolate bars to give to those that won.

Goodluck!

*hugs*
Cailin

I didn't have a Baby Shower, but I did have a Thanksgiving Day to celebrate baby's arrival. I wanted to get everyone together and show off our baby, but unfortunately these occasions end up as present-giving fests. Maybe re-name the baby-shower day as a BBQ or party so that people realise it is for their presence rather than presents! Then again, the people you invite are likely to want to bestow you with a gift in appreciation for your important role of bringing a baby into their lives.

Well mine was supposed to be not this Saturday but next, but I cancelled it. Im very much like you seenabeena! I was all for it, until the impending date started to come closer, and then I realised I really didnt want one. I dont need anything for baby, Ive done all of that myself because I am a shopaholic lol. Im definitely not into playing games, and I always feel awkward when I receive presents. Anyway everyone was very disappointed (I gave them heaps of cancellation notice though) but a few of my close friends said "I cant believe YOU were going to have one in the first place, you would have hated it" Which is totally true

Anyway so much for cancelling it, I found out this morning from my best friend (who knows I hate surprises) that there is still actually a baby shower being put on for me, though its supposed to be surprise :roll: Its just on a different date. So I dont really have a choice, if I open my mouth, my best friend will be in alot of trouble! Thing is I dont even know who is invited :-k , but I know its only going to be small, and my friend promised not to let them organise any games!

I just hope my 'acting surprised' skills are up to it!

But if it were up to me, I would be passing on the whole baby shower thing... I dont like being the centre of attention that much!

We're going to have a "My First Christmas Party" instead, so we get to see people we may not otherwise see over busy Christmas time and my friends from interstate might be able to come over, whereas they may not have been able to come just for a shower if that makes sense... this way they can bring their partners and make a weekend of it.

I figure all our friends know us already, but it's nice for them to come and meet the new addition after we've had a few weeks to get to know him/her ourselves!

Also, I'm a bit the same in that I feel bad having people buy us lots of stuff, but I've accepted the fact that they will anyway... we don't know what we're having, so it's easier for people to buy us their gifts after the birth when they know better what we need.

When I had my first two daughters my baby showers were organised by my close friend. Since then we've moved across the other side of Australia and I no longer have all my friends here. I basically felt really weird inviting people that I don't know that well and I probably have 2 people here I would class as being really good friends, so in all I don't want a baby shower. I've bought everything myself anyway and I know my MIL will be sending stuff over from Sydney (I hope it's stuff I can use). I really don't even want gifts when bubs is born. Anyway, I definitely won't be having a baby shower this time around.

btw Serena, I just remembered some friends of mine did a "Bubba-Q" & wrote on the invite "Mummy & Daddy want to take this opportunity to have thier last uninterupted conversation with you.... they don't need presents because they are getting me!" It was just a lovely day with mums & dads having a glass of wine/beer & a simple bbq. More of a couple thing than a 'female event'. Maybe that would also be a compromise if you were unsure?

I didn't have one with Jack because the thought never crossed my mind, i'm not sure I would be really into it but Cailin, your idea about the "essentials" is brilliant. My brother & SIL gave me a baby bath stuffed full of essentials when Jack was born, it was the best gift and I still have stuff from it now.

I'm pretty sure that we won't be having one this time around eithor.

I didn't have one last time and I won't be having one this time, as I would be too embarrassed about having a party where it's usually just for the gifts. Plus, I want to be able to choose everything for bubs myself along with my fiance, and make sure we have everything we need and want ourselves. If that makes sense

I would have really liked to have a baby shower but don't want to throw one for myself, lol. I thought it might look like I was just throwing myself a party to get presents, lol. (which would have been nice, lol). I don't have any close friends that live near by and all my family live interstate, so I'd only be inviting friends who I know through work etc but don't really associate any other time, lol. Maybe next time round, lol. I really hope that everyone had fun at their baby showers, they always look like alot of fun.

Sharon

Hey there Sharon

I agree with you in regards to feeling funny about putting on my own baby shower - but I look at it this way....my friends are so hopeless that they haven't even thought of it - it's more a matter of all them expecting the other one to do it etc etc and besides I feel funny mentioning it to any of them as then I would feel really dumb. 8-[

So I look at it this way - I get to throw my first party for my little bubba -he/she will enjoy the food from the inside - they may not get to stick their hands in the cake but none the less there will still be cake.

I figure if no one is going to do it for me - I'll do it for myself - everyone I know is either too busy to think about it or to slow to step up and offer -this way I get to eat what I want any way - and when crunch time comes for the slack arses that haven't offered I'll be sure to sit back and watch also :D

Di \:D/

I'm having one - more because in one certain group of friends I am the first one to have a baby and they are all hanging out for it - so I must do my duty and let them!!

My mum is actually going to give the party for me and word it that she is throwing the party to honor me and the baby. I figured that all the people who will be invited will be giving us something small when baby is born that they would like to come to a champagne afternoon tea and have a chat.

I'm really looking forward to it.. nothing like a party!!!

I have never had one and I have had twins, a single daughter and a single son before this year. My mum is throwing one this time and while it is weird to be doing it at the end of my childbearing, instead of the beginning, it is also really nice. It is a no pressie party and everyone knows it is just a nice get together to celebrate the miracle of these babies after losing our son last year. This is also my last pregnancy and a last opportunity to celebrate pregnancy and birth (which is my life, my career and my love).

We are having games but seeing as alot of my friends are also midwives, I think it will be a hoot. Also, it is mixed and kids are invited, it's not just a girl thing. I'm really really looking forward to it. It's on the weekend before I have to go into hospital for the month leading up to the babies birth. It will be nice to have a get together.

There is an article in this months practical parenting about baby showers.