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.
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.
Who Hosts a Baby Shower? Most baby showers should be hosted by a sister, mother, mother-in-law, or close friend. Baby showers were traditionally thrown by family members who weren't close with the parents-to-be, to avoid the assumption that close family members wanted to collect gifts for themselves.
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.
While baby showers are a lovely tradition, they aren't necessarily for everyone. Remember your baby – your rules! You're under no obligation to have a traditional shower or have a shower at all if it doesn't sit right with you for whatever reason. Whatever you choose will be perfect for you and your wee family.
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.
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). Today, more and more parents-to-be are hosting their own showers. It's more common than you'd think, and it's not the social faux pas it may have been in the past.
Traditional etiquette dictates that the maid of honor—not the mother of the bride—should host the shower.
They are big, lavish parties that include friends and family of both sexes. The planning of the shower is often kept secret from the expecting parents, and is thrown as a surprise party.
As a fast rule, baby showers are often held at the end of the second trimester or early to midway through the third trimester — usually four to six weeks before the due date. Expectant parents who are having multiples may prefer to have the baby shower on the earlier side.
If so, you'll be relieved to know that having more than one baby shower is completely acceptable. Not only that — 72% of Babylist users reportedly have more than one shower, according to the data, and we see the exact same thing. Typically this entails a baby shower for each side of the family or co-workers.
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.
There would be nothing wrong whatsoever for you to have a celebration of a new baby. You don't even need to mention gifts, but I think some people will bring them anyway. I cannot imagine a sibling so self-centered that she would not throw a shower for her sister because she herself cannot have a child.
According to AJ Williams, founder and creative director of AJ Events, the responsibility of hosting and paying for the bridal shower these days tends to fall on the maid of honor and bridal party, though she has seen an increase in the number of bridal showers handled by a male best friend or a close friend of the ...
The maid of honor, along with the rest of the bridal party, is expected to cover all wedding attire costs. This includes the dress (plus any necessary alterations), shoes, and any jewelry you'll be wearing the day of. Occasionally, the bride will gift her bridesmaids with whatever accessories she wants them to wear.
The typical amount of time for a baby shower to last is about two hours. That gives your guests plenty of time to eat or snack, chat with the mom-to-be, play games (if you're offering games), and watch the mom-to-be open her gifts.
Baby showers last on average 2-3 hours, depending on what's planned for the celebration. Plan for enough time to enjoy all of the baby shower games and activities you have planned for the day. Factor in things like the opening of gifts, snacking on hors d'oeuvres and cake, and catching up with friends and family.
What is a Reverse Baby Shower? A reverse baby shower is a party where family and friends of a new mom-to-be gather, but the new mom isn't actually present. The guests bring their gifts unwrapped and share what they purchased and why with the other guests before wrapping the gifts at the party.
A blessingway honors the mother. Women gather together to empower and support her as she steps into the role of bearing and raising children. It's a rite of passage, a support circle for the expecting mother, held with a small group of people of the most trusted and cherished women in her life (family, friends, etc).
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.
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.
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.