If you're worried that no one will offer to throw a baby shower for you (which is highly unlikely), talk to your best friend or a close relative and, if you're comfortable doing so, ask her to take the reins.
It is considered inappropriate for you or your spouse to throw the baby shower. It is considered rude to ask someone to throw you a baby shower. Typically a close friend or one of the grandmas-to-be will throw a baby shower. It is acceptable to have a sister or other family member throw the baby shower.
We're opting out for many reasons…. But in short FOR US this is the right decision for our life and child…and here comes the feistiness…it's not against the law to not have a baby shower. Free country baby! You can have one, you can not have one, you can have 10, I'ma do me and you do you boo.
If you've thought about throwing your own baby shower, you should know it is completely okay to host your own (and lots of people do).
Traditionally, close friends, cousins, aunts, sisters-in-law, or co-workers of the mother-to-be hosted baby showers. Because gifts are central to showers, having a member of the honoree's (or husband's) immediate family host appeared self-serving.
The hostess traditionally pays for the baby shower and its associated costs. However, the hostess can divide up the responsibility and costs by asking a few close family members or friends to co-host. This helps to reduce the overall expense and alleviates some of the financial obligation of hosting a baby shower.
The survey of more than 2,000 Australian parents found more than half hosted a baby shower, with 27 per cent paying for the party themselves. Almost half of the parents-to-be shared the cost with family, while the rest (28 per cent) allowed family and friends to carry the cost.
Who plans and hosts a baby shower? According to tradition, baby showers should be hosted by a friend or distant relative (like a cousin or an aunt) instead of a close family member. This custom is believed to have developed in order to avoid the appearance that the family was simply on a mission to collect gifts.
Traditionally, baby showers are held in the third trimester of pregnancy from 28 to 32 weeks. This is because this is a great time to start planning and hosting your event. Mom-to-be is comfortable and mobile enough to enjoy herself but is still weeks away from labor.
The purpose of a baby shower is to show emotional support for the mom, as well as to bring together a lot of the items needed to take care of a baby as gifts to the new mom. After all, babies come with a lot of accessories, and the list gets expensive!
From parents to college roommates, and anyone else who plays an important role in the parents-to-be's lives. It's safe to say that those who weren't included in the initial guest list are the people you shouldn't invite.
From choosing a theme, to inviting guests, to picking out baby shower games your friends will actually want to play. There's a lot to think about. Even down to the details like choosing prizes for your baby shower games can be stressful.
Average gifts from family members range from $50 to $200. A cousin might spend $50, while a grandma or close Aunt might aim for a higher priced gift. If it's a really close friend, your budget might hover around $100.
As much as guests would love for the mom-to-be to open their gifts, proper etiquette is respecting her wishes and not asking her to open the presents during the shower. Once one gift is opened, a chain reaction will start and everyone will want theirs opened too.
There are several ways hosting a baby shower can happen: you can specifically ask a close friend, family member (yes, we think the grandmother-to-be can host if she wants to) or a group to host, someone can throw a surprise shower for you or you can host it yourself.
The average baby shower budget should be about $400, but you should roughly plan out what the shower will look like before setting this amount. Naturally, the costs will increase as the budget does; this is typically true for virtual baby showers.
Baby Shower Gifts $100 and Up
Swings, cribs, bouncers…all those big baby items tend to come in around $100-$250. If the thought of spending that much is overwhelming or not in your budget consider splitting a big item with another family member or friend.
These days, many couples use their baby showers as a way to bring together their families and communities, and the baby shower is as much of an event for a mother as it is for a father. With that said, the decision for a father to attend is usually left up to individual couples.
How Many People Should Attend a Baby Shower. Every baby shower is different, but most ladies agree that 15 to 30 is the perfect number of ladies at a typical baby shower or about 30-40 for a coed. These numbers change depending on the size of the family, number of friends, and even work colleagues involved.
Suppose you want to know what the averages are. In that case, a typical number of guests for a shower will usually fall between 20 and 50. You may choose to host more than one event or get everyone together at the same time. Whatever works best for the guest of honor and the host.
There's no hard and fast rule, but many baby showers happen one or two months before the baby's due date. Throwing the shower sooner is fine, too; maybe there are scheduling constraints or concerns about the baby arriving early, for example.
Traditionally, the event is just for the women, female friends, and female family members of the expectant mother, men have previously not attended the baby showers. However, in recent years more and more couples are having a larger event to celebrate together with all their friends and family.
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. Ultimately, the timing of your baby shower depends on what works for you, your family and the person hosting the event.
In some families the ceremony is held when the mother-to-be completes her seventh month of pregnancy. It is believed that after the seventh month, the baby and mother are in a safe phase. In some families it is celebrated at the end of the eighth month.