When will you have your baby shower?

JessLeonard23

christac1010 said:

I'm due 1/3 and my mom is planning the shower for mid to late October (I'll be 28-30 weeks). We don't want to interfere with the holidays and I want time to get everything ready/get what I still need before I'm too big or too tired. Also DH and I have our wedding anniversary in October so the timing is special for us too. 

Same!! Well, I'm due 1/4, but our 1st wedding anniversary is in October! I've read that the closer you can have it to your 2nd trimester is better/easier anyway, because you're likely to have more energy. Plus, with being due so early in January, anything from late-November forward seems to be too close to the holidays for my taste. Not to mention I have 10 people in my family with December birthdays, so trying to plan for then would be a nightmare. The only other consideration for us was (unfortunately) college football...we have to have the shower on a Sunday, so it doesn't interfere with a Saturday OU game...the joys of living in the midwest. 

jsl82

@KRB22 I know exactly how you feel.  I do not want a shower at all.  Unfortunately I know I'm going to end up having one for my family and one for his( both of us have very large families that live over 3 hours away from each other).  DH gets upset when I say I don't want one (nor do I want to announce our pregnancy).  I get really anxious at the thought of 1) opening gifts (and based on my bridal showers there is no way I'm going to be allowed to not open them) 2) having an apartment full of baby stuff for months/weeks.  I may suggest sip and sees to help keep my anxiety in check- though I feel like he wants to use the showers so we do not have to purchases some of the expenses like car seats that we will want before the baby arrives.    I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that is super anxious at the thought of a baby shower.  

KRB22

@LilLynch2015 also glad to know I'm not alone in feeling this way. 

Like PPs have mentioned, I'm a little nervous about having lots of people around the baby in the first few weeks during flu season, etc. My original
plan was to have a big christening party later in the spring, and let everyone celebrate the birth with us then. 

My DH understands why I'm wary of a baby shower, but I have a feeling my mom will be the most disappointed if I don't have 1. Still waiting for her to bring it up, though. Once she does I think we'll just talk it out and go from there. 

MaryNog

@KRB22 @LilLynch2015 you guys are definitely not alone in not wanting a shower. I've put my foot down and told my husband and family that we are absolutely not having one. I already had a bridal shower against my will, because the rest of the family was so excited about it, so that's all they get. Now I get to choose  

tsaunders85

I am Due Jan 3rd and we are going to have the Shower October 29th. I will be 30 weeks at that point and my husband cannot take time off during November or December due to the holidays. It won't be a huge shower as he is from England so his entire side of the family will more then likely not be able to make it... It would be a long expensive trip just for a baby shower. So excited to celebrate our first baby after struggling with infertility... such a blessing!

NinaLCC

I would prefer an October or early November shower due to the holidays. I just have no idea who will be throwing us a shower... I do not live in my home country anymore and I don't know if any of my friends here will offer to host it. I am hoping someone will volunteer, as it is too embarrassing to ask!

ChristineO36

My due date is January 20th so I felt the same way about planning a shower so close to the holiday.  My mom is planning for the first weekend in December.  Hopefully the weather won't be an issue because it's early in the winter and it gives people time before the crazy holiday shopping begins. 

Knottie25816533

I'm thinking of the first weekend in Nov for my baby shower date. I'm due Jan 26th. Anyone think this is to early? I really don't want to add anything to the holiday frenzy. Also I live in the Midwest and thinking of snowy, icy travel for guests. Thoughts? My MIL thinks after Christmas but I feel that's cutting it to close plus will i feel comfortable enough to visit with guests plus weather.  Really want to give my bestie a date so she can start planning!

Edited- my words always get eaten. 

poetryandoceans

@Knottie25816533 I think after Christmas you're going to have a lot of people with event fatigue. I know trying to get people to plan anything in early January can be challenging. If you're holding it past 36 weeks, you're starting to get into the zone where OBs and midwives say you could reasonably expect to give birth. I personally don't think November is too early, so if that's what you're more comfortable with, you should go for it. You will be eons more comfortable visiting with the guests then.

cabu14

I don't know if I responded to this or not.. but my shower is planned for November 19th - which is great because I have the week of thanksgiving off so I'll have time to organize everything!

LBLQ84

@Knottie25816533 my mother and best friend just told me they are throwing me a shower on Sept 10th! And I'm not due until Jan 27...so it's super early! 

cabu14

@LBLQ84  That does seem super early!! but plenty of time to save for all the stuff you will still need after!

Carly79

To those that don't have family near by, I have actually been to an online shower. Not quite the same but when you have family that want to be there but just can't it's a good alternative. You can set up face time or Skype or something like that and they can participate. With Amazon and online registries if people want to get you gifts they can order and have it delivered to you and you can open them all during the event. I've heard of cases of completely online showers where no one is in the same place and they do similar things. Obviously the games and cake are tough in those situations but you could figure something out if it's important to family to throw you a shower. While I loathe technology at times, the way it allows people to maintain relationships at long distances is awesome. Face Time has been great for my DS and Grandma to be able to "see" each other on a regular basis and for Grandma to be able to see what's going on.

fionnualajane

This is very much an American thing. It's not so common in the UK or Ireland and my sister in law was aghast at the idea that I would dare arrange something wherby friends or family would feel obliged to buy me baby stuff. Bad taste in her eyes. 
Ive asked my friend to organise one for Halloween weekend and she is so excited about it. 

ceclarlinetlo

@fionnualajane lol you can reassure your sister that here in the US it's generally frowned upon to ask for a shower as well - you're supposed to let someone offer to throw one (but it's so common here that I don't know anyone who hasn't been offered one so you don't usually have the chance to ask) - I'm glad you have a friend excited to have one for you! I hope you have an excellent time! Maybe by the time your children have children it will be more common!

I'm curious about other typical US gift giving occasions - do you guys have wedding showers across the pond or what about children's birthday parties? 

TexasGal24

We recently moved to Boston from Dallas and all of my family is in Dallas. I was considering making a trip to Dallas the first week of October to see family/have a shower but the whole zika thing has me nervous, not to mention I would then have to mail my presents back to Boston or travel with all of my presents on board. I think they are planning on having one in mid-October or so to make travel easy and not interfere with holidays/expensive holiday travel. 

Carly79

@TexasGal24 ask to have people have gifts shipped to you and then bring the pictures to the shower if you choose to go. That way you don't have to worry about how to get the stuff home. Clearly not everyone will do this but it may help.

hayhay2501

@ceclarlinetlo- American across the pond here! I am having a baby shower as they've started to become quite the thing in London and my friend kindly offered to throw me one. But it's the first baby shower my mother in law and sister in law (who live in Wales) have ever been invited to. So I think it's spreading like Halloween (which from my understanding was not a thing until recently). I'm having mine on November 20th woo and then will have a US one after the baby is born (so everyone can meet them!).

Bridal showers are not a thing at all. I've heard of people having them but it's SUPER rare. I had a US based one and my mom had to subtly tell my inlaws it was a protocol for them to get me a gift for it. My friend may have to push the British people towards my registry... She's French and can get about it in her outsider  way ha! From everything I know, children's parties are the same as American ones. That all being said, @fionnualajane might have a completely different perspective on all this!

cabu14

Is this the same for Bridal showers too? Or just baby showers? 

hjmorgan-2

So we finally set a date for the baby shower. My Mom and sister are throwing it, November 5th! I'll be 30 weeks so I should have a " satisfactory bump" by then lol. That date works perfect for us, especially since my Dad owns a business that we al help with, and he has a convenient two weeks before thay and another out of town two weeks after. So any earlier or later just would not work. Lol. And now we have plenty of time to plan! I'm so excited.

Teach123

Diaper and wipe parties for 2+ babies are super common in my area. I usually get one of those items and pick out something special that I loved to go with it. I find it easier and more fun really because you don't feel obligated to pick something off the registry like at a regular baby shower, which is really the same thing as people telling you what to buy them. I get to pick whatever I want to go with my diapers/wipes that I think baby/momma will just love. 

mrskimm09

Since this is our 2nd child my mom wants to throw me a sprinkle. It will be around end of Oct beginning of Nov. 

wispymel

I don't think I will have one. It is not in my culture but nobody offered to do one for me, and I heard someone else usually does it for you. Not sure how it all works. I am putting together a registry though, in case someone asks me for it.