Baby Shower: 7 Ideas To Make Yours A Success

A baby on the way is a fantastic piece of news and an excellent reason to celebrate. A baby shower is a unique way to celebrate life  and welcome this new being that's being brought into the world by the future parents.

Baby showers are now celebrated all over the world, and in this article, we share some fun facts about this celebration and advice on how to make your baby shower a total success.

Baby shower origins

There are tons of theories out there about how baby showers came about; and depending on who you ask, you'll get a different response.

The first hypothesis is that the history of this celebration goes back to Ancient Egypt  and then spread to Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Back then, the party was all about the newborn baby, so, it took place a few days after birth.

On the other hand, there are speculations that the first parties of this kind served to teach the future mom parenting skills. This occasion was exclusively for women who were already mothers since the goal was to share their wisdom and experience with the mother-to-be. This restrictive version dates back to the nineteenth century, making it much more modern than the first theory.

Baby showers around the world

These parties have evolved over time, particularly when it comes to when and how they are organized. After WWII in the United States, there was a baby shower boom. After, this party even started to gain popularity in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Of course, in every country, the name and the way of celebrating this occasion varies slightly.

For example, in Western cultures, baby showers are celebrated a few weeks before birth,  and someone close to the parents-to-be organizes them. On the other hand, in China, the party is arranged four weeks after the baby is born.

Even so, all of these different ways of celebrating have certain things in common; like they are always celebrations held to honor the parents and the birth of their baby, and family and friends invariably bring gifts for the little one and his or her parents.

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7 Ideas to make your celebration a success

Let's take a look at how we can make this special celebration a big hit:

1. Organize it ahead of time

There are a lot of necessary steps in planning successful a baby shower (venue, food, invitations...), so  it's fundamentally important to organize this event ahead of time to avoid stressful situations.

2. Ask for help

This could be help from friends and family or even a professional event planner (although this last option would imply a more substantial budget). Having some helpers will make planning a baby shower a much easier process overall.

3. The venue

These events are often held in the home of the future parents or at a friend or family member's place. If someone has a space like this available, then that's great. On the other hand, if you prefer to have the celebration somewhere else, renting a venue is a growing trend. If you choose to have your party elsewhere, make sure that the space is right for a fun and intimate event surrounded by friends and family.

4. Decorations and invitations

You can create your own invites on a computer program or even make them by hand. If you don't have any creative friends, you can also find templates online  that will make this work more manageable. The same goes for decorations; there are so many ideas about how to decorate the party space on the internet. You can find everything from wall decorations to napkins for the tables.

5. Food and drink

There are a plethora of options here too. One of these is preparing the dishes at home and then bringing them to the locale where the baby shower will be. Otherwise, if you're not a great chef or if you have to cook for a lot of people,  you can also buy ready-made food at the supermarket. Lastly, you could hire a catering service, which is the quickest and easiest option, but far from the cheapest. If you have your celebration at a restaurant, you won't have to worry about this point so much.

6. Baby shower games

Games are also a standard part of this kind of party. This is another way to make the celebration more fun and to get the guests laughing and having a good time. Depending on who the guests are, there are different games that you can play. Some are meant for adults, where others are directed more towards the little party-goers. Musical chairs, piñatas, surprise balloons...There are tons of ideas online that will make your event a blast.

7. Gifts

Last but not least, the gifts. This is a crucial part of a baby shower, and although the baby usually gets most of the presents, the parents-to-be are sure to appreciate gifts for them as well. You could gift baby clothing, bibs, pacifiers, high-chairs, sheets for the crib, toys, children's stories... Anything works here. As we said before, another option would be to buy something special for the parents, either something for them as a couple, or a separate present for each of them.

As you can see, the possibilities for a baby shower are endless, both in planning the party and when it comes to gifts. But, don't forget about the meaning behind this celebration: the birth of a baby, a special moment that deserves special attention. Whether you're a mother or father-to-be or a family member or friend of one, be sure to enjoy this extraordinary time.