Don't Schedule It Too Early or Too Late A baby shower should not be held before the 20-week mark in pregnancy. Showers held too late, after 38 weeks, run the risk of the baby joining you for the baby shower. Use these two marks as your best guide.
A General Shower Timing Guide to Consider
And if you're ready to have a Zoom baby shower with family and friends, feel free to begin sending out party invitations. After you enter the 32-week mark, it's perfectly acceptable to hold the shower if you are still feeling ready to party and haven't yet made it to 38 weeks.
Generally, the best time for a Baby Shower is considered to be somewhere at the beginning to the middle of your third trimester. In other words, somewhere around 6-8 months into your pregnancy or 4-8 weeks before the baby is due..
Baby showers are typically held four to six weeks before the baby's due date—late enough that the pregnancy is well along, but likely early enough to avoid the baby arriving beforehand and disrupting the party plans. However, some people prefer to have a shower after the delivery. That way the baby can attend, as well.
The short answer is that there's no "right" time — some parents opt for a shower early on in their pregnancies, while others wait until a week or two before their due dates.
Don't Schedule It Too Early or Too Late
A baby shower should not be held before the 20-week mark in pregnancy. Showers held too late, after 38 weeks, run the risk of the baby joining you for the baby shower. Use these two marks as your best guide.
What if I'm running late to a baby shower? It's better you arrive late than never, so don't skip the party just because something came up earlier in the day. Make sure to say hello directly to the guest of honor and thank your host even if you walked in late and they seemed busy at the time of your arrival.
While the ideal time to have a baby shower is when the mom-to-be is about 28-32 weeks, you really can have a baby shower any time that works with the mom-to-be's schedule. There really are no set rules!
When is the best time to have a baby shower? Typically, people throw showers early-ish in the third trimester. That's somewhere between the six- and eight-month mark (between 24 and 32 weeks.) You might do yours somewhere in that range, but you can also do it at another time if that works better for you.
Most often, the host pays for the baby shower. This is not always one person. For example, several aunts and cousins might cover the full tab of a shower at a restaurant, or a group of coworkers may help coordinate all the decorations, food and fun.
Strict rules like “female guests only,” “the parent-to-be or their immediate family can't host the shower” and “you shouldn't have a shower for any baby after your first” were largely indisputable 60 to 80 years ago. Some people love sticking with those traditions, but with new decades come new flexibility.
Most infants born at 36 and 37 weeks' gestation are mature enough to go home from the hospital. But babies born earlier may need care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where they can be: Watched closely for infections and changes in breathing and heart rate.
If you can't get comfortable enough to go back to sleep, often times taking a bath will help you relax enough to be able to lay in bed and doze for a little while before contractions get more intense. Taking a bath will not stop your labor if this is true labor. If it's true labor, contractions will continue.
Essentially, you don't want to have the shower any less than two weeks before the due date. Therefore, we would suggest that the best time to throw a baby shower is between 26 and 33 weeks.
The classic time to host a baby shower is lunchtime, but recently tradition has given way to several different options. Some women prefer a slightly earlier time to celebrate and enjoy hosting a brunch. Others loved hosting a 'happy hour' shower with plenty of baby-themed mocktails at sunset.
As this user demonstrates, it's ok to ask for what you want. So, don't be afraid to tell your close friends and family that no one is throwing you a baby shower. Sometimes, your loved ones may assume that someone else is doing it, which is why they haven't offered. If still no one offers, there's no need to worry.
Traditionally, according to baby shower etiquette, the host would be someone outside of your immediate family – like a close friend or relative. These days, the baby shower rules are more relaxed, with some pregnant mamas even hosting their own baby shower if they're not keen on handing over the reins.
The Time of Celebration
The odd number months are chosen for this ceremony as it believed to bring good luck to the pregnant mother and the baby. However, the 7th month is the most popular and convenient since the baby has reached a safe and stable state by this time.
A baby shower usually lasts 2-3 hours. Budget about 30-45 minutes at the beginning for guests to arrive, nibble on some food, and mingle with one another before the games / entertainment begin. Spend the next 30-45 minutes playing games. And the rest of the time having cake and opening gifts.
Bath time might be part of your nightly ritual, but doctors actually don't recommend daily baths for babies. Excess exposure to water can zap their skin of moisture and worsen conditions like eczema. Then again, not bathing your baby often enough can also aggravate eczema, plus lead to other infections.
For instance, you can't expect your best friend to throw a huge baby shower and pay for it all herself. So it is normal for the cost to be split between the host and the key organisers. This way the cost is shared with her closest family and friends. Guests are not expected to pay for attending the baby shower.
A baby shower is technically a party to honor the mother, so her name goes on the baby shower invitation by default. However, many modern baby showers are co-ed and also include the father. If that's the case, the mother's and father's names can both be included at the top of the card.
Some parents bathe their babies daily as part of a bedtime routine or due to regular baby messes, from extra spit-up to diaper blowouts. But for most families, bathing the baby two to three times a week is plenty after the first couple of weeks of life.
There is also no evidence to support the theory that a hot bath will induce labor.