Baby shower tips for expectant mamas
These are the baby shower tips for mom-to-be you need!
If you haven’t been to many baby showers, you might not know what to expect at your shower!
Read these baby shower tips for mom-to-be and information about what exactly takes place at a baby shower, and what’s expected of you as the mama.
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“Baby Shower Tips for Mom-to-Be” is one of many “Preparing for Baby” posts I have. Check them out for everything you need to know about creating a baby registery (how/when/where), what to put on your registry, what NOT to put on your registry, and what to do with baby gifts you don’t need (coming soon!).
1) Know your timeline: Baby showers are (typically) 4-6 weeks before your due date.
As the expectant mother, you do not throw the baby shower for yourself.
Your family, friends, or church will do this for you. may ask you for your preferences (theme, type of gifts, types of food, if you would like games, etc…) or they may not.
Let them take the reigns and enjoy being celebrated!
2) Complete baby registries a few weeks before your first shower
You can continue to add things to it, but make your registry “live” and ensure that there are items in all price ranges. Register for everything you think you will need
(see my Ultimate Baby Registry Checklist and 12 Things you DON’T NEED on your baby registry for EVERYTHING baby needs (and things they DON’T NEED!).
3) Confirm if your spouse is expected at your baby shower
You may want to ask the host of the baby shower if they would like your spouse to come, or if it’s up to you.
Sometimes showers are “couples showers”, and sometimes it’s just women.
My husband came with me to his family’s baby shower and our church’s baby shower, but did not come to my work shower or to my family’s baby shower.
4) Arrive at your baby shower at least 15 minutes early
You want to greet guests as they arrive; they’re coming to celebrate YOU! 🙂
At baby showers (at least in the South-is this true everywhere in the US?), it’s common to be seated in front of the guests to open presents for everyone to “ooo” and “ahhh” over.
*For introverts, I realize this is out of your comfort zones, but try your best to endure it for the sake of everyone else. Smile and nod and say “thank you”; it will be over soon, I promise! As an extrovert, I enjoyed the attention; haha!*
5) Be mentally prepared for baby shower games
Just as a fair warning, sometimes there are games played at baby showers that may be a little uncomfortable if you’re an introvert or really self-conscious.
Games like “Guess the Size of the Bump“, or the “Dirty Diaper Game” (yeah, I can’t even describe THAT game because it makes me cringe.. ew).
If the thought of games has you thinking you’ll plan to fake labor the day of your shower, kindly ask one of the hosts to prepare you or let you choose which games are played.
6) Designate a gift-recorder
At baby showers, the hosts perform certain tasks, like handing you presents to open, collecting wrapping/tissue paper trash, and then setting the gifts up to be displayed (is this another Southern thing? We like to gawk at the baby shower gifts even after they’re opened… haha).
You will also need to designate someone to write down what gifts you received and from whom. Some shower hosts have these notebooks for you, others don’t. Bring a notebook and pen with you, or have your designated person use their phone and then text it to you. This person is usually the mom-to-be’s mother, sister, or close friend.
Ask a friend (or relative) to make sure receipts aren’t discarded, and if possible, taped onto the appropriate gift.
Young Mom Mentor
7) Designate a receipt-saver
In addition to the tasks above, kindly ask a friend (or relative) to make sure receipts aren’t discarded, and if possible, taped onto the appropriate gift. Locating receipts after they’re misplaced is insanely hard. And as much as you love those 10 pairs of newborn shoes, you don’t need them! *I had honestly never heard of this tip until talking about this post with my mother. Moms, y’all, they know it all!*
8) Write “Thank You” notes ASAP
It’s common (and expected) practice to write “Thank You” notes to express your appreciation and love to those who are loving on your family. These are my favorite “thank you” notes. They’re so cheap and pretty!
I recommend giving yourself a deadline of one to two weeks after the baby shower to get your “thank you’s” mailed, but really, do it as soon as possible. If you don’t do it immediately, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and just not do it.
If you are wanting to send out a “birth announcement”, you can turn that into your “thank you” notes by adding something like “Thank you so much for your gifts, encouragement, and support of our family.”; no handwritten note required. I, however, enjoy handwritten notes because they’re more personal, and I want to convey how much I appreciate the giver and the specific ways they’ve loved on me.
9) GO THROUGH GIFTS ASAP
This tip is the best one! Go through all of your baby shower gifts when you get home; separate them into piles based on what you want to do with them: RETURN, REGIFT, or REHOME. I’ve written a post on what to do with gifts you don’t want! Check it out!
Spoiler: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO KEEP EVERY SINGLE GIFT YOU ARE GIVEN.
10) Relax and enjoy!
Above all, enjoy this season of being doted on! I know you know, but your life is about to change! It’s all for the better, but it’s hard. Parenting is SUCH a gift, and these gifts are just a taste of the ones to come. You can do this, mama.
Final Thoughts on baby shower tips for new mamas
I hope these baby shower tips for mom-to-be were helpful for you! Is there anything I didn’t address? Baby shower pros: what would you add?
Lots of love,
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