It seems a ‘Baby Shower’ is a very modern thing and is in most cases organised as a surprise. The older generation have never heard of such an event and deem it to be a unnecessary and a boastful tradition most probably adopted from America. Wikipedia describes it as “a way to celebrate the expected or delivered birth of a child by presenting gifts to the mother at a party, whereas other cultures host a baby shower to celebrate the transformation of a woman into a mother.” The idea being that you, the child or both are showered with gifts. So it seems actually this type of event has been around for some time.
I have attended a few baby showers and although the events themselves are pleasant and enjoyable in truth they can be a bit much. I’ve known women to hire a room and invite a ridiculous amount of people simply to gain attention and gifts. I know for some selected few a baby shower is a great idea to get the women together and exchange advice, stories and tips. Perhaps even a nice way for the grandmothers to meet and to discuss the impending delivery.
Some women might not have family close to them so it’s lovely for everyone to get together so the expectant mother can feel reassured and supported. Of course then there’s other women who use a pregnancy as an excuse to organise some over-the-top social gathering; resulting in them being smothered with adoration and more presents than you could possibly ever need.
Most people, including myself choose to simply wait for the baby to arrive. Of course no-one can really visit a newborn baby and arrive empty handed (So if you have a baby shower does that mean you get two gifts?…greedy). Once the baby is here, mum and baby are healthy and happy then it’s nice to invite people to see you (with or without gifts) this is in my opinion a more enjoyable and practical idea.
Pro’s
- Receiving advice,tips for end of pregnancy and labour
- Hearing experiences of labour and new motherhood
- Receiving gifts (If you’re skint/hate shopping/unsure what to get)
- Getting everyone together – feeling supported and encouraged
- Reason to get dressed up
- Cake, biscuits and treats to stuff your face
Con’s
- Receiving too much advice, tips that overwhelm you and stories that scare you
- Hearing old stories and experiences that aren’t relevant to today and misinform you on what to expect
- Receiving wrong/duplicate/rubbish gifts (You may have got it all/Might receive the wrong size/Things you just don’t need or like). No-one wants their Grandmother to waste £100 on a breast pump that you have no intention of using.
- You might not want to be social, there might be people you don’t want to see, you feel massive,fat and swollen so the last thing you want to do is dress up for a party
I’m definitely against this baby shower nonense. I didn’t have one and said from the get-go that I one hundred did not want one as a surprise. For me it’s not needed. I don’t need an event scheduled to have gifts, advice, tips and stories thrown at me. I don’t need baby shaped cup-cakes and and pin-the-dummy on the baby games. You might think me a party-pooper and a bore but its just not me. I’d hate for anyone to waste food, time and effort on a party before the baby has even arrived. Also on a slightly morbid topic I’ve heard a story of a mother who miscarried during labour so I also don’t like the thought of this premature celebration that is almost jinxing the birth before it’s even happened.
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