Baby Shower

Can you get in touch with one of your daughter's pals, I found the young women very helpful. They organised games like guessing the date/weight of the baby, it included large sheets of white paper, coloured felt tips on which to write your guesses. Guess the thing on the nappy, gruesome I know but quite good fun - you can use various condiments and your imagination.
I made life easy by ordered food, sandwiches and finger nibbles from our local supermarket along with crisps and bread sticks. I also ordered a baby shower cake from costco, £10 and they'll do a pram/baby/photograph, whatever you want - it served 20.
I know I was a bit of a lazy gran but having so many bubbling young women plus their toddlers in the house felt like enough without baking and cooking.
Jugs of cordial and some bucks fizz but the baby's father turned up with several bottles of fizz - tea and coffee was well received.

Enjoy it.

I think baby showers are a truly awful idea imported from the USA. I would find it deplorable to ask guests to my house for a "party" and expect them to bring presents. Vulgar in the extreme!!

I remember a couple of games from a baby shower that I went to one was where guests were blindfolded and had to change a nappy on a doll. Another was all the guests were asked to take a baby photo of themselves, they were pooled and we had to guess who they belonged to.
I bet you will find lots of ideas on Pinterest.

Ok you don't like baby showers - neither did I like the idea until I had to join in because I love my children.
I didn't even hold my nose, I got into the spirit of the thing. Honestly - did you reject gifts brought to children's parties? My experience has been of good friends from childhood getting together to share the joy of their friend's pregnancy. All sorts of useful gifts arrive that help young people with the cost of getting all the practical stuff needed for babies. I know I'm going Pollyanna again but honestly, getting so grumpy and superior about something young people enjoy that we didn't know about, or do. A bit like Proms really, another 'vulgar truly awful idea imported from the USA'

lam64. Quite.

Fair enough DIORisme etc, but no need to be snooty about somebody else's fun evening. I used to say the same thing about hen parties, but having enjoyed 2 fantastic dinners and bubbly with my DDs' friends and family, I was flattered to be included and I wouldn't have missed them for anything. Chacun à son goût

I always think " any excuse for a celebration" never mind that it's a US import- they imported plenty of things from us - starting with the English language- doesn't mean we shouldn't embrace it. No one has to go to a baby shower , if people enjoy it, go with the flow.

I've held 2 baby showers for my youngest daughter. Each was themed , one little ducks with an aqua and yellow theme and one little elephants with a grey and yellow theme .

We had a lovely afternoon tea spread on both occasions . We invited about 10 friends on each occasions and her best friend arranged some lovely games ( Pinterest has a wealth of ideas) .

I provided a suitable cake.

It's not a 'party' Dior it's a baby shower - whole different game .

Gifts for the baby were given in the first party , but just small tokens - baby socks, bibs , muslins etc. For the second one guests were asked to bring their favourite baby book and inscribe it. I would imagine all the books were under £10.

They were joyful occasions.

I am quite happy for everyone to enjoy their own idea of fun. I think, though, that the "money-spinning" ideas we import from the USA lack taste. By the way, suzied, America may have imported the English language from us but, boy, have they mangled pronunciation and spelling!!

Actually it is the American version that sticks more closely to the original language in lots of cases ! Some so called imports are English/Scottish /welsh expressions that evolved differently on each side of the Pond

I think 'boy' as you've used it is an Americanism too, DIORisme!

I also wasn't sure but don't want to start my life as a gran stating all the things that never happened in 'my day'. She has all her lovely friends coming and family and it's an afternoon tea party theme so I'm really looking forward to it. I will order sandwich platters (good idea) and nibbles, plus Buck's Fizz etc. I have asked guests to send me baby photos and will do guess the measurement of the bump. Will check out pininterest for other ideas. Thanks for the input.

My first baby shower was for my Canadian DIL, it was a friendly afternoon giving support to the new Mum. One idea which I though really personalised the shower was a pile of basic white baby bodies, in various sizes, some with short sleeves some with long, and a set of fabric pens. Guests were asked to draw/ write on the bodies. It has been really cute to see baby wearing these artworks.

I must admit I'm not a fan of the whole concept of baby showers. It just seems a bit odd all round - the guest of honour can't drink, so others feel obliged to hold back a bit (perhaps just me there! ); there are always guests who feel out of it for various reasons (we had tears at my daughter's baby shower from a friend who'd just lost a baby - the other guests hadn't known about this); presents are unwrapped in front of the donors, which seems very naff, and can be embarrassing; and nobody seems to know whether the gift they bring to the shower is the end of it, or is another one expected when the baby's born?

But we have to move with the times, and I agree that we should take the opportunity to celebrate whenever we can. So in that spirit, there are a few ideas that might be useful on this old Mumsnet thread. Have a lovely party!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/23519-baby-shower-ideas-and-tips/AllOnOnePage

Thank you everyone ???

Nicely picked up Ana

nanatobe one thing I organised for my daughter's baby shower proved to be an enormous success. I bought a pile of plain white cotton jersey bibs and a box of brightly coloured fabric pens. Each guest was given a bib and asked to decorate it in any way they chose. Some did pictures, some slogans (best one: "I'll have a bottle of your house white please" with a drawing of a baby bottle ). They were also asked to sign their name somewhere on the bib so that my DD would know whose it was.
Those bibs were in constant use throughout the bottle feeding period - they washed so well and being the pull-over kind, rather than velcro or studs, were so easy to use.
Note: cotton jersey is the best fabric - terry is nothing like as easy to draw or write on.

I was very sceptical about Baby Showers until DD's friend arranged one for DD's second baby. It was lovely to meet all DD's friends. They all enjoyed the get together and mutual support. There were games like guess the size of the bump, measured on a piece of string, all pretty low key. Everyone brought a small present for the baby or DD. Such a happy time.

I too thought they were naff and grabby, but I have since been to two. One by a swimming pool in Barbados which was attended by the mother to be's friends and their mothers and the other in U.K. ; a lovely old fashioned tea party given by the mother to be's oldest friend. Both were lovely celebrations of friendship and sisterly solidarity. Yes there were presents, but these never seemed to be the main issue. Enjoy it nanatobe

We used to hold baby showers at work for any women leaving for mat. leave. Nobody was expected to spend much money..a pack of bibs, babywipes, small cuddly toy etc. We would also have a collection for a voucher. Really it is just a get together for female friends/family to wish their friend good luck with her 'confinement'. Cannot see much wrong with that as long as it does not become competitive..like kids parties did a t one time. i think the tide is turning now though and there is less of that 'keeping up with the Jones' attitude now.

My DD gave a baby shower for one of her friends, because she knew that the mum-to-be desperately wanted one. It was a lot of work but went very well. She made lots of decorations on the "shower" theme, e.g. cardboard clouds with raindrops, rainbows, umbrellas, etc, and loads of yellow and white streamers. She also did the buffet (with my help) and created a lovely album containing letters from all the guests (written well in advance), offering advice and encouragement for the new mum.

She did draw the line at organising the games, though, and got another friend to do them. I remember there was "guess the baby's name and weight," and a blind tasting of "guess the baby food" and "pin the nappy on the baby." It was all a bit daft but mum-to-be-was-thrilled by it all.

Nantobe if you ask your daughter's friends they'll give you lots of ideas. I was about to organise my daughter's baby shower when her friend said she was having a surprise one for her. We didn't have games as my daughter is not really into them just guess the baby's birthdate,sex,weight,name etc. If you go onto Amazon and Google baby shower that will give you lots of ideas whether you buy from them or not. Hope it all goes well and have a great time. My daughter is due her first baby in one weeks time. Good luck with your new grandchild.

I'm disturbed by this American import. Are the guests also expected to give a present when the baby is born?
Also, sorry but what if something goes awfully wrong? Shouldn't celebrations wait until it's safely arrived?

I have googled and now gave a selection of games, all harmless fun I think. One of her friends is making baby themed cupcakes and of course I will do sandwiches etc. I'm now really looking forward to it. Thanks for the ideas.