If you were 34/35 weeks pregnant and had to throw a birthday party, WWYD?

[AnnieW625]

DD's birthday will be right around the time I am 34/35 weeks pregnant. Last year we did a bouncy house in the backyard and it worked out great. We had about 10 kids come over. I served little snacks (Pirates Booty, Goldfish, fruit, juice, and cupcakes) and everything worked out great. This year I was wondering if would be easier to have the party off site (esp. if it rains and we need to have it inside, I can't see myself coralling that many kids in an 1100 sq. ft. house and be that pregnant!). I estimate we'll have somewhere between 10 and 15 kids (a mix of boys and girls).

Our local option would be one of three local gymnastics centers (including the City run program location, which will most likely be the cheapest option for the gym), My Gym, Gymboree, a local indoor play space, and maybe the local Equestrian Center. I haven't priced things out yet, but I believe that My Gym will be the most expensive. One gym center will be about $225 for 15 kids.

What has everyone else done for their kids and what would you do in my situation?

[fivi2]

I would absolutely without a doubt do it at an outside place, but I do that even when not pregnant :) The thought of that many kids in my house, cleaning before and after, entertaining, feeding, etc...

We did gymboree for 3rd birthday. It was great, but I am not sure it would go as well for older kids? But, it or any of the gymnastics places would be fun. We just did Chuck E Cheese for 4th birthday. We had only been to CEC one other time (a party when the girls were little), but the girls LOVED it. It was a bit crazy, but the kids had fun.

I would just see what is cheapest and available - most of those places are good at entertaining kids. Gymnastics, museums, indoor play areas, any of them would be fun and easy!

JMO! Good luck!

[arivecchi]

A gym sounds perfect! The less work you have to do the better!

[sariana]

I was in a similar situation about a month ago, minus the pregnant part! DD's birthday is in a couple of weeks, and I wanted to invite the girls from her class. The only way I could do it here at the house is if I KNEW it wasn't going to rain. Which I don't.

I looked into our gymnastics school, My Gym, etc.

Then I remembered the club house at our beach club (through our HOA). It is only $15/hr and holds up to 42 people.

We also have another community center with rooms of various sizes. It is more expensive but still less than one of the gym places.

Do you have something like that in your community?

Another option is something like a McDonald's with a play area. I know it's not ideal, but my sister had her 6th birthday at a McDonald's. I wasn't quite 4 yet, but I remember stacking boxes and other games. Someone from the restaurant ran the games, which would be nice for you, being so pregnant.

I doubt it was very expensive; my parents were in the process of buying a new house, so I'm sure they didn't have a lot of money.

[WatchingThemGrow]

At 36/37 weeks, we had DD's 3rd b'day party in our backyard with 50 people. She wanted this friend and that friend, each of whom had a younger sibling plus parents. MIL and FIL picked up the 9 pizzas from Sam's Club ($60ish), we filled the inflatable duck tub with ice and juice boxes, hired a 13yo to face paint ($30/2-3 hrs), asked guests to bring a book to exchange, and did it all by evite. The favors were lame, but yummy snack packs of oreos, nutter butters, etc, plus the book everyone got in the exchange. All I actually did was make the train cake and run the book swap during the 5 min sprinkle that happened (phew!). We did that in the carport, which worked out perfectly. I drew a map of where plastic LT tables went, the CR-V table for food, etc. There were a lot of kids, and they had a great time. Everyone else really pitched in for obvious reasons, which made it fun for them to have something to do besides stand around. We cut a pizza into bite-sized pieces for all the toddlers with a round pizza cutter. It's doable.

[wellyes]

I would do the conceptualizing but ask DH to take care of the execution.

[citymama]

I'll be in the same position, more or less. We'll do what we always do - bday party at a playground with pizza and cake. I'll let DH do the shopping and running around (which, to be honest, he almost always does anyway! ;)). Maybe keep the numbers down - I think we had about 20 kids and their parents last year, so maybe 12 or so this year.

ETA You're in SoCal, so in April, doing something at a playground outdoors would be totally nice, weather-wise. I would not do it at home!

More challenging is going go be moving house either in my 8th month or soon after the baby is born! Aaaaargh! :dizzy:

[AnnieW625]

WTG, you sound just like my mom on the phone last night. She's all you can do it will be easy! Just do the bounce house like you did last year! Actually thinking back my mom threw my 10th birthday party either right around on or right around her due date with my sister (due date was my birthday, but little sis was born 2 weeks later) and she never even mentioned having it somewhere else. Granted by then we most likely just watched movies, ate pizza, and maybe some kids spent the night. Seems much easier than dealing with toddlers!

I actually just made a list and if I invite all 10 kids from DD's preschool class, plus another 8 or 9 daycare/playgroup friends we'll be at 20 kids, and then another 10 to 20 including parents!

My crafty side will mean that I'll most likely make the invites, but I really enjoy that kind of stuff!

ETA: we did the park two years ago and it was great, but we didn't do a bounce house and that's a whole other process with permits and such so if we do the bounce house then we'll do it in our backyard; and we have a covered patio too.

[Mommy Of A Little Angel]

I did DDs birthday when I was 36 weeks pregnant last year and it totally worked out great! We did a Build-A-Dino party (just like Build a Bear) then had lunch/cake at the T-Rex cafe (they are in the same building). It was easy, we just showed up, the kids had loads of fun, and there was no cleaning up before or after the fact. I refused to have a party at my house for those reasons.

We did the Little Gym for her second birthday or I would have probably done that for her 3rd. That is a super easy party as well! Also, in our area at least, the price for a party there has gone way down. I spent somewhere in the range of $260 and I know this year they were only charging $200.

[ged]

I will be 31 weeks around my DD's 5th Birthday. We try to keep her parties small, but b/c I am on bedrest/limited activity, I just cannot even think about doing something at our house. Last year we had a jumpy in our backyard with kids, parents, food, etc.. This year, we are going with Pump It Up (jumpy place)...even though it's more $$ than what we want, and it will probably be bigger than we want it (they allow up to 25 kids!). But, I like it b/c all we need to do is show up and watch them jump around for 1.5 hours. I might even bring a folding lounge chair and just lay and watch. Then, in the "party room" we will have some snacks and cake (it's a 2:00-4:00 pm party).

[Cam&Clay]

I was about 30 weeks pregnant when DS1 turned 8 and DH was in Iraq. He got a bowling party. My XH brought the cake and we were done. I just paid for it. It was soooo much better than even considering an at home party.

[elephantmeg]

I was 36/37 wks with DD on DS' 2nd party. It wasn't that big of a deal but we didn't have quite that #. But it was all inside. I delegated food to the IL's and a friend came and helped it wasn't that bad. I think we had 30ish people in a 1100 SF house, lol

[WatchingThemGrow]

Part of our acceptance with the 50 person party was that we were 3 weeks away from having 3 kids 36 mos and under. We suspected it would be our last hoorah(hurrah?) before our life as a family was officially out of control. And it was. Still is.

[mecawa]

I was 33 weeks (and ended up delivering DD2 the following week) pregnant for DD1's bday last year. I did it at home, small, just family and some really close friends, so like 15 adults and 3 kids. That was it, we had pizza and cake, and she had a blast (this was for her 5th bday party). I liked it because I didn't have to leave house being that pregnant and in the snow (my girls are late Dec./early Jan.)

Having it somewhere else seems like it has it would have its perks too, you don't have to clean the house for company or deal with cleaning up after 10 kids. I have never done that but I think I would maybe look into it if I was in that situation again.

[kdeunc]

I had a 2nd birthday party for DS1 on December 18 and gave birth to his brother on December 21st! The party was at home with about 20-25 people and I decorated the cake and did the food. I obviously was insane (and some would say I still am :) )I will say that DS 2 wasn't supposed to arrive until the 30th (scheduled section). It is doable but I say do what is best for you and delegate-something I am not very good at!

[Corie]

I have had every single one of both kids' birthday parties someplace away
from home.
Makes my life ALOT easier! :)

FWIW, I did throw a Pampered Chef party at my house when I was around
37-38 weeks pregnant. And I invited our entire neighborhood. That
was a little tiring but I made it. :)

[spanannie]

I had 2 birthday parties, 2 days in a row, 10 days before having my 3rd child. My first two kids are born on the same day and DC3, 11 days later.

I think you are just fine to have a party at that stage in pregnancy, however, I would definitely not have it at my home. Home parties are so much work!

We had those parties right before DC3's birth at Build A Bear and Chuck E Cheese.

[Octobermommy]

I was 35 weeks pg when we threw my dd a party. We did a gym party with about 10 other kids there. It was great b/c they did the decorations, food and cake, and most importantly they cleaned up. We just bought some party favors and showed up.

[secchick]

I was 36 weeks pregnant when we threw DD's 3rd birthday party. We did it at the bouncy house place in town, Pump It Up. Absolutely do it somewhere else. It was enough of a pain dealing with the cake, drinks for kids and parents, gifts, etc.

[vonfirmath]

Does your kid need a party? Would she be satisfied with a special excursion, just the family, followed by eating out?

[brittone2]

Does your kid need a party? Would she be satisfied with a special excursion, just the family, followed by eating out?

That's what we are hoping for. I'll be around 35 weeks pregnant for DS's 6th bday party. He had a big party last year. This year I think he's interested in a hotel stay (with pool), dinner out at a local Hibachi place with at least one of his good friends and their family, and cake. Sounds good to me. He's not complaining and neither am I ;)

[AnnieW625]

Does your kid need a party? Would she be satisfied with a special excursion, just the family, followed by eating out?

Yeah I think DH and I would feel bad if we didn't try to do something. Her actual birthday is on Easter, so the friend party will be the weekend before, and we'll most likely have some cake to celebrate with family on her actual birthday too. She's right at that age where she is just starting to get birthdays. We don't have a lot of extra cash this year (since I'll possibly be on unpaid leave for 6 to 8 weeks after kid 2 arrives) so we can't take a trip. Had we not had to just replace our heater then we would have had some extra cash for a weekend away at San Diego, or somewhere else in CA.

[carolinamama]

I did a party at 35 weeks with DS2 for DS1 at our house. It was a big challenge. I would do it offsite if I were doing over. All the parties we have gone to at Gymboree or jump places have been lots of fun for the kids and well run.