Who Throws a Baby Shower? Congratulations! You’re going to have a baby! Pregnancy is an exciting time and can be really nerve-wracking. Especially when you start working out how much you need and how much you can afford. Woah, children are precious gifts but boy is it a fortune to have a baby!
That’s where the Baby Shower comes in. Baby Showers have been around for a long time, unlike Gender Reveal parties which are modern inventions as a way to have fun. Baby Showers are about family and friends being there to help and support new parents financially by providing them with useful baby products to reduce the cost of having a child.
Plus, as always, the parties are so much fun!
But your Baby Shower is very important, and so the question arises; who throws a baby shower?
Who Should Throw a Baby Shower?
You may find yourself asking, between heartburn and morning sickness and pictures of adorable onesies, who threw a Baby Shower?
Usually a Baby Shower is planned and hosted by a friend, your sister, a relative, or co-workers. The idea is to shower you with gifts and it is seen as a little impolite to start asking for your own gifts. This is usually the work of a loved one. It could be your close family, a good friend, or even your co-workers to take on the task of throwing a baby shower.
In many cases, family, friends, or co-workers will offer to host a Baby Shower for you. But if they don’t, it’s perfectly ok to ask a loved one if anyone has thought about the Baby Shower and if they would mind bringing it to.
In the past, close relatives and friends didn’t host Baby Showers so that the parents-to-be wouldn’t look like they were trying to get a gift. But now it has become a more cultural tradition. And it’s becoming increasingly common for those close to the parents to throw a baby shower for the expectant lucky mother.
Baby Shower co-hosting
It is also becoming a trend for people to co-host Baby Showers. This can be a good idea because planning a party can be a big responsibility and hassle. Sharing the work can make the whole event run more smoothly and be a more enjoyable experience for everyone.
Can you plan your own Baby Shower?
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is, do what works for you. Especially if your family doesn’t live in the area and you don’t have close friends who can take over party planning. Then it’s really good to throw your own Baby Shower.
Although we mentioned that it was considered rude for parents to throw their own Baby Shower, today Baby Showers are an accepted cultural norm. It will happen. You can do it if you want.
Remember that you can get involved in the planning without being the primary host. Although obviously there isn’t as much creative control.
As long as you’re nice and calm, there’s no reason why you can’t throw yourself into the Baby Shower.
Can you have more than one Baby Shower?
Of course.
Many moms have more than one Baby Shower. Often this is due to different groups of friends. For example, one Shower may be for close family and friends and one for co-workers. Or you can throw one Shower for family and another for partners and co-workers. It can be a good idea to keep costs down by having two smaller parties instead of one big one. Especially if your friends are picking up the tab for you. This will also help to ensure that everyone is comfortable and knows each other. Sometimes different crowds need different parties.
Is it rude to throw your own Baby Shower?
The short answer is that it’s not rude to throw your own Baby Shower.
The long answer is that it’s not rude to throw your own Baby Shower as long as you’re not rude or pushy about it.
You can’t ask for something outright (sending a link to a gift list is ok as long as you have a range of prices for visitors to choose from) nor can you force a gift. Be casual and sweet, invite people to your Baby Shower, they know what a Baby Shower is and that it needs gifts. Many Moms will have a Baby Registry at one of the big Baby Stores.
If you are asked if you expect gifts, be diplomatic. Asking for gifts is really rude, so be serendipitous and tell the asker that it would be greatly appreciated, but please don’t feel obligated.
And if you’ve been invited to a Baby Shower, our Best Baby Shower Gifts for Moms, our Best Baby Shower Gifts for boys and our Best Baby Shower Gifts for girls will help you with your gift shopping !
At the end of the day, having a baby is a special time. You want to share love with loved ones, family, friends. And yes, the people you spend your work days with. Baby Shower is a wonderful occasion to celebrate. And to also help parents manage the costs of welcoming a new member of their tribe. As well as being with the people who matter most to you, in the life of someone who will knock them all off the totem pole in no time.
About the Author
Jane Sheriff is the founder, creative director, party planner and mother of three. She started Darling Celebrations in 2012 to share easy and beautiful ideas for celebrating life’s special events.
