2nd Trimester
PunkRockPrincess1313
member
Baby shower OR meet the baby party?
PunkRockPrincess1313
member
I have been thinking a lot about showers and such since going to my friends shower yesterday...and since I am team GREEN and want to have a kinda lavish party (since this baby is due like right on my 30th birthday) ...
I was thinking about doing a meet the baby party instead of a traditional before the baby comes shower. That way it can be in summer time...we can do an evening thing outside or something... do a dinner with all my friends and family. I was planning on doing it all co-ed anyways... (most of my long time friends are guys...only one real good girlfriend) ...so yeah...
Have you ever been to one?
What is your general opinion on the idea?
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Re: Baby shower OR meet the baby party?
If I went to a meet the baby party, I bring a gift, but it would an outfit or something small.
When you say you want a lavish party, are you planning it yourself?
I think a meet the baby should be smaller and more intimate.
Meet the baby parties are our baby showers here. We're also rural small town so invites go out along with a few posters around the community.
It's a great way for everyone to come together, visit, take a peek at baby, etc all in one afternoon. Some are potlucks, others are catered, it depends who's throwing the shower. There's the usual games, cake and gifts.
The grandma's and close friends are usually the only people who hi-jack baby, so mom gets a bit of arm room too.
We usually wait until baby is at least 1 month old. I think DS was 5 weeks old at his.
We are doing both. There is a baby shower that all family and friends are invited (co-ed) and then my DH's culture does a party one month after the baby is born. Typically people give money at that party but I see it as a nice meet the baby type thing.
Can I ask what culture your husband is?? I would be curious to read up on the tradition! I have been reading lots of cultural traditions being of such mixed background....it is really neat to see how we celebrate birth all over the world ^_^
Where I live people only have baby showers after the baby is born. I would prefer to have one before to get the stuff I need, but people seem to think it's bad luck. Since we have to have it after I would prefer a meet the baby party that's coed. Probably a month after the baby is born, and it'll be either a potluck or a bbq in someone's yard.
Meet the baby party
it is my family custom to have a meet the baby party approx 2-3 weeks after baby is born.
Make a pregnancy ticker
We're team green but we're still doing our shower before the babies come. Our mothers are all up in arms about this because they insist people are going to have no clue what to buy us...which I think is just silly.
My mom has been generous enough to offer to host our shower, and she suggested a meet the babies party. I immediately hated the idea. I'm all for people having the opportunity to meet our babies, but the thought of my tiny fragile little babies being passed around by appx. 50 people and exposed to all of their germs just makes me cringe.
Yuck, yuck, yuck.
hahaha...my friend was saying the same thing! You both made me giggle...not because I think it is silly to worry ...germs are gross....but the use of the word YUCK! haha
She was like "its so ...so...yucky!" haha
I thought about doing a meet the baby party for this one since I just had dd 18 months ago and had two beautiful showers for her. My thought was it would be nice, but then I realized that when I had dd, my sil got married when dd was 4 weeks old and everyone was all over her.... I hated having that many people kissing on her and touching her when she was so new. I am NOT a stay at home type mom, I always have taken dd everywhere, but all those people touching her just made her so overstimulated I spent the entire night with a colicky baby (which was NOT by nature) and I missed the whole wedding!
Then after seeing how sick dd got when she did get a flu and even a cold... I definitely dont want all that happening with a newborn this time. Just my two cents but I would opt for the shower
This is our 3rd and last. And while there is 8 yrs between my youngest and this pregnancy and we need everything, I do not want anyone to feel the need to buy us anything. I will not be registering. My SIL lives to throw parties so we decided a "meet the baby" event would be great in late june when LO will be 8w or so old.
It sounds like you're planning on throwing it for yourself either way. A baby shower is a gift given to you- a party thrown in your honor. The very definition of a baby shower is to shower the mom-to-be with gifts. It is very very tacky to throw your own baby shower.
And I also wouldn't count on throwing a lavish party shortly after giving birth. You're not exactly going to feel in prime party-planning mode.
I also ditto others who mentioned not wanting their very small infants around that many people and germs so early in their life.
The biggest problem with a meet the baby party is you won't get the things you NEED for the baby before the baby is here. I know my showers were great in setting up our nursery and not having to spend a ton of money ourselves.
That being said this time with our third boy we will not have a shower I just think that's rude but my best friend insists on throwing us a party so I've told her she can throw a meet the baby party but not until lo is a month or more old. I do not want him being passed around or me having to be ready to be the center of attention any earlier than that with bfing and all.
This is what Im doing too. My family and friends are all in another state so over Mother's Day weekend we're doing what my mom is calling a "Sip and See" Fun drinks for everyone and a baby
I think they're going to help me out with big items that you need when the baby gets here (carseat, stroller etc) It works for me because it guarantees that everyone important to me can see the baby and it seems like people are much more into the idea when they dont know the sex of the baby. I say go for it!
DS1 born June 2008 | m/c at 9w March 2011 | DS2 born April 2012
We do meet the baby back home.
1. Pre-baby showers feel like an insult as you're buying gifts for someone who isn't in the world yet. (Personal opinion, not trying to get flamed)
2. You aren't left guessing the size, length, gender, name, and looks of baby, cuz you can have a peek. (privileged guests may hold LO)
3. Puts a little extra thought into family planning, as the parents-to-be have to acquire the newborn necessities. Since baby will already be ~1 month old, most guests will bring things for the later months-years.