Posted on July 9, 2019

Not Your Mama's Baby Shower

Good news for mamas-to-be: At the Beaumont and across our other restaurants that host special occasions, it seems that today’s baby showers are less traditional and more focused on fun for you and your guests.

Soon enough, just about everything in your life is going to revolve around your baby. If that’s not reason enough to let someone throw you a fabulous mom-to-be bash, consider this: A baby shower can really help you feel less overwhelmed by equipping you with a lot of what you’ll need when the baby arrives. Whatever helps relieve new-parent stress is a very good thing.

The timing of your shower is important. You want to have the party at least four to six weeks before your due date so that you’ll have plenty of time to borrow or buy any necessities for your baby that you still need – and there’s also less of a chance you’ll go into labor before the party.

Exactly whom to invite — close-knit friends and immediate family, co-workers, your grandma’s friend Helga, husbands and boyfriends — is 100 percent up to you and the host. But for the most fun event possible, I do suggest inviting only the people who are closest to you, so everyone truly shares in your joy, rather than feeling obliged to attend.

Providing your Bestie with a list of names and addresses ensures that everyone you care about gets an invite. But what if your sister and your co-worker are both planning separate showers for you? Having more than one celebration has become commonplace. It’s fine to have multiple showers, but the guest lists should be separate. If someone is invited to more than one shower, she should only be expected to bring a gift to the first one.

If you don’t like being the center of attention or the idea about having a big baby bash, then you may consider a smaller-scale get-together or brunch so your friends can “sprinkle” you with love and token presents rather than showering you with gifts. People love to see tiny cute clothes and stuffed animals, but if the pile is enormous, gift-opening can get tedious for guests. You and your host should decide what feels right to you, but it often works out best when presents are opened later. Depending on the size of your guest list, a great option is a display shower.

So what if you want to skip the traditional shower altogether and invite your female and male friends for beer (for guests only, of course!) and pizza? Fear not: There are ways to drop hints about what you want gently. More and more moms are opting for parties that feel closer to a girls’ night out than a standard baby shower. A signature specialty drink is always fun, and it’s an easy way to reinforce the theme of the party if you have one. Whatever you choose, just be sure to plan ahead. Once the baby arrives, this may be the last time planning actually works!

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