What’s the Best Way to Host a Baby Shower?

When an expectant mother informs her friends and family of the impending addition in her life, it is sometimes confusing when trying to determine who should throw her the all-important baby shower.

A close friend may take over the reins and offer to host a day of celebration for her, but may also be done by a co-worker, cousin or an in-law relative. If many of the mother’s friends and families are strewn about, it may also be necessary for more than one baby shower in order to involve everyone.

Perhaps a group of all of these people will decide to host a baby shower for the expecting mom. This allows for delegation of the several responsibilities so as not to overload one person involved.

Guest lists, invitations, menus, decorations and activities all need to be planned; this is definitely much easier with an entire group. This also helps with the several and possibly large expenses that will be incurred during the planning and hosting stages. However, it’s important to stay organized and ensure that no two people are duplicating the same tasks at hand.

A baby shower held at the office is also a great option. If a co-worker or group of them would like to throw a baby shower at work for the mother, the company policy may or may not allow the shower to take place at the office. It may be best to plan the shower after working hours to prevent any question of policy violation.

No matter your relation to the mother or how you plan on hosting the baby shower, ensure you have plenty of time to carry out the process properly. Showers take a significant amount of time to plan, and even if many tasks are delegated or outsourced to a professional company you’ll need to make sure everything is on schedule and according to plan.

If you plan on throwing a surprise baby shower, make sure that your selected date does not interfere with the mother’s schedule or a possible additional shower. Contact her family and friends and plan your surprise event around any that are currently under way in order to avoid stepping on toes and offending others who are close to the mother.

Also remember that in most cases it’s appropriate to consult the expectant mother about any desired themes, menu items and the guest list. You shouldn’t simply assume that she wants everyone there from work or old schoolmates. Ask for her opinion and a few guidelines, and go from there. She’ll probably also need to be consulted about the date and time, as well as the location of the shower.

Remember that although the expectant mom has several months to plan for the baby, planning a baby shower takes a considerable amount of time, and it shouldn’t be scheduled too far in advance nor too near the birth. You’ll want to allow her plenty of time to organize all of her gifts and new supplies to welcome baby into the world!