When to have showers?

[smcdonald2]

Well, the women who are throwing my baby showers are SUPER excited about it. Although I keep telling them, "I'm not supposed to be involved," they keep calling me and asking things like, "What kind of food do you want," "Did you have a theme in mind" and "When should we plan the shower(s)?"

LOL. I think it's incredibly sweet that they're offering to throw showers for me and that they're so excited. And I don't want to keep refusing my opinions if it distresses them not to have it...

So when is the best time to have a baby shower? Right before the birth? A month before? Two months? We're having a November baby so I'd like to wait until the warm fall/winter baby clothes are out. Thanks in advance!

[swissair81]

I think the fall clothing lines come out in July. I never had a shower, but it seems logical to wait if you are hoping to get fall/winter clothing. My baby will have nothing to wear. I'm due at the end of August & all my kids were born in cold weather.

[lizzywednesday]

My nephew was due in early November & I hosted my sister's shower in mid-September because October is super-busy for me with my annual commitment to a breast cancer 2-day.

My shower was planned for a month ahead. It was snowed out. Twice.

Soooo, I'd say about a month out is good.

[GonnaBeNana]

For my first child, it was a month or so before he was born. We didn't want to know the sex ahead of time, but since it was our first, we needed everything anyway. We did not have a shower with our second child. We had showers for our third and fourth because it was a tradition in our church in the UK that ALL babies got a shower! They were thrown after the children were born so we could show off our new babies! The ladies there also were big on personalized gifts and knowing the name made personalization easy. My youngest is almost 11 and we still have many of those gifts!

Beth

[SnuggleBuggles]

34-37 weeks would work for most. I think it is handy to have it just before full term but with enough time that if you don't get things you need you have time to shop.

Beth

[GonnaBeNana]

I don't mean to hijack (sorry), but I have a question about showers. My daughter (as you all know) is pregnant with her first baby and normally I wouldn't hesitate to throw a shower at all...however, she is 17 (18 by the time the baby arrives) and unmarried. It was unplanned, but we're doing well and so is she.

Do you think it's "proper" to have a shower for her? One of her friends asked me if she could host it and I said OK. There are lots of wonderful women in our church who are supportive as well. Should they be invited (they are of course older than her)? I'm just wondering what I should do. Any advice would be appreciated.

Beth

[SnuggleBuggles]

Sure, why not? Planned or not all pregnancies and babies deserve to be celebrated. Plus, a young mom doesn't necessarily have the same resources as an older mom when it comes to just heading out and buying things that are needed. It is helpful and a nice gesture. eta- I'd invite the women from church if they have been kind and supportive.

Beth

[lizzywednesday]

I don't mean to hijack (sorry), but I have a question about showers. My daughter (as you all know) is pregnant with her first baby and normally I wouldn't hesitate to throw a shower at all...however, she is 17 (18 by the time the baby arrives) and unmarried. It was unplanned, but we're doing well and so is she.

Do you think it's "proper" to have a shower for her? One of her friends asked me if she could host it and I said OK. There are lots of wonderful women in our church who are supportive as well. Should they be invited (they are of course older than her)? I'm just wondering what I should do. Any advice would be appreciated.

Beth

My sister is also unmarried. I threw the shower anyway, knowing some of our relatives would decline because they didn't agree with the decision.

The way I see it is shower is to celebrate the baby-on-the-way.

That baby didn't choose his/her circumstances, so why should there be less joy surrounding his/her arrival?

Choose joy. Your daughter will have a tough enough time ahead being a mom!

[Glizmo]

My shower was late March for my mid-May baby, so month-and-a-half. I'm currently helping plan a shower for my aunt who's due Oct 19 and we're looking at the end of August - so again, month-and-a-half before. In both cases we were working around known family vacations (spring break for mine, labor day/camping for my aunt's), so we went with the weekend that worked best for the most people.

And don't feel bad about being involved with the planning - I think the mama-to-be was involved in some way with every shower I've helped plan. It's not "supposed" to be that way, but we always wanted to make sure the guest of honor had the best day possible!

[Glizmo]

The way I see it is shower is to celebrate the baby-on-the-way.

That baby didn't choose his/her circumstances, so why should there be less joy surrounding his/her arrival?

Choose joy. Your daughter will have a tough enough time ahead being a mom!