Pregnancy is one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life. It’s the culmination and celebration of life and love. And what better way to celebrate this momentous occasion than with family and friends?

From the traditional women-only, one-time-big-time party, baby showers have evolved through time, even including men! But for those who don’t have any experience when it comes to party planning, throwing a baby shower can be somewhat intimidating.

Who hosts the baby shower?
Currently, anyone can throw the mom-to-be a baby shower. Some even have more than one host, which is especially helpful in cutting costs and dividing responsibilities with regard to planning. Traditionally, though, showers were hosted by anyone other than the mom-to-be’s family—such as the mom-to-be’s best friend or a close colleague—because it’s considered bad etiquette for someone from the mom-to-be’s family to host a party that’s all about giving gifts for the mommy and her baby.

Can we still host a shower even if someone is already throwing one?
There’s no hard and fast rule as to how many showers a mom-to-be can have. In this case, the more, the merrier! Instead of having one big shower, multiple smaller baby showers ’can be thrown for the mom-to-be, keeping the intimacy of each group.

When can we throw a baby shower?
Baby showers are usually held a couple of months to a month before the baby is due. Hosts should keep in mind that they should throw the shower, at the latest, three weeks before the mom-to-be’s due date. That would also give the parents-to-be enough time to get everything ready for the baby’s arrival, such as return duplicate gifts or purchase what they don’t have yet. [Read more...]