Baby Shower
I first heard about baby shower when i worked at Barossa – Australian cafe/restaurant in Fulham (now closed, but you can still find a picture of me working there online – i am defocused;). One of our bosses Katie was pregnant at the time & had her baby shower at the cafe. I remember i thought it was a bit odd celebrating the baby that had not yet even been born, however it was 2011-12 & i now have a different opinion.
A baby shower is a party which is thrown to celebrate the impending birth of a new baby. It’s a time for friends and family to share time with the expectant parents and to “shower” them with gifts, love, and good wishes before the birth. Such events are very important in the prenatal period, as they bring a lot of joy and happiness, and also produce a very important hormone of happiness in future parents – oxytocin, which is so necessary during childbirth. I know from myself that during pregnancy, especially closer to the end of the 3rd trimester, ladies may often not want to see anyone, go to any parties/events or to have guests as it can be very tiring and exhausting. But no matter how much we get tired physically, the hormone of happiness works wonders for your body.
Baby shower background
You might not know this, but the baby showers we know are a relatively new invention. But that doesn’t mean that giving gifts to expectant parents wasn’t done before baby showers became popular. New babies have always been a source of joy and celebration — but in past times, these celebrations were very different from what we know today.
Ancient Greeks and Egyptians held rituals to celebrate the new baby and its mother. During these rituals, they also offered gifs and good wishes to different gods and goddesses. During the Middle Ages, the baby’s baptism served as an opportunity to give gifts to the new parents. It was common for gifts to have religious significance, and godparents were usually the ones who gave them.
Later, during the Renaissance, mothers were given lavish gifts upon the birth of a baby. It was during the Victorian era that baby showers started to take shape. Back then, pregnancy and childbirth weren’t discussed publicly, so these celebrations took place after the baby was born.
Victorian baby showers were tea parties that included games and gifts for the new mother. They became more popular over the following decades, and they were known as “stork parties”. Baby showers became widespread — especially in the US — during and after both World Wars; they provided an opportunity for loved ones to help new parents financially after the economic hardship caused by the wars
There is no rule on when to have your baby shower, however most moms to be decide to have their baby shower 4-6 weeks before their due date.
Traditionally, planning a baby shower isn’t done by the expectant mother herself. Instead, friends and family members come together to plan the celebration. After all, the meaning of a baby shower is to “shower” mom and baby with gifts and love!
Baby showers do involve food, drinks, games & literally whatever you want. I would compare it to a birthday or a little wedding celebration.
At these uncertain times I wasn’t 100% sure on whether I should do a baby shower at all. Also after self-isolating and spending most of the time at home since March I was still a bit anxious going out, but with relaxed measures we started seeing friends a little bit more often and I eventually felt a bit better. My girlfriends were also messaging me and bringing up baby shower a lot more often and I knew they would do me a great party. On top of everything bonding with friends and having fun helps our body to produce oxytocin – the “cuddle/love hormone” which is so important during pregnancy & labour. So if you are unsure on whether you want to have a baby shower or not, I would recommend to take few things into account:
1. Oxytocin – bonding with friends & people you love is crucial. Feeling loved and happy is exactly what you need before & during labour.
2. The beauty of baby shower is that friends do it for you.
3. During your last 4-6 weeks before labour you may have quite a big bump and get tired super quick. So if you have an option to have a baby shower a bit earlier, this could be a good Idea. It was very tiring for me, but due to covid I didn’t have much of a choice. In the end the party was stunning and full of love & joy!
I had my baby shower on the 18th of July 2020, which my beloved friends turned into my very special “Baby Show”. They did an amazing job! Decorations were way above my expectations. It was a real surprise & i just loved it.
Just a week before my baby shower I bought paper photo booth props – “Botanical Baby” for the party and my girls took this idea as a theme. It was so special! They planned everything to a detail. They even bought a gazebo in case it was going to rain and it did, but it wasn’t a problem:)
I & my husband got really nice gifts : some baby stuff & a baby monitor, which I really wanted to get.
It was the best baby shower – Baby Show – that i could even imagine in my dreams. Thank You All so so much for making our day so special♥️
Some contest is taken from flo.health
If you need help with organising a Baby Shower for a friend or yourself get in touch (creative@trendytoknow.com). We have range of professional services to offer:
– decorations
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