A Fascinating Behind-The-Scenes of Extraordinary Baby Shower

A Guide to Baby Shower History 101:

History is who we are and why we are the way we are! – David McCullough

Old Age:

Baby showers trace back to the Egyptian and Greek civilizations. Back then people followed this practice for welcoming a new life into the world. However, the mom-to-be never received any gifts. She was also treated as someone so unclean that postpartum she was quarantined for a number of days. The new mom needed to follow some purification rituals and only after the mandatory visit to the temple following the quarantine period was she allowed in the crowds to mingle with the general public. Hence, the celebration mainly concentrated on the baby only.

Middle Age:

During middle age, which was from the 5th to the 15th century, baby showers were more centered on God. Only Baptism ceremonies were held right after the day of the child’s birth. Even during this period, the mothers weren’t allowed to participate in any celebrations or festivities. They were to be in a 40-day sequestering period which was more like a forced rest period.

Renaissance Period (Transition from Middle-Age to Modern-Age):

Since education became vital and living standards started improving equally, there was a little change during this period. Baptism was still regarded as something important but during this period is when the mothers were also given equal importance and were pampered accordingly. It was a norm back then for the new moms to get an inlaid wooden tray filled with goodies and good wishes for herself and the baby carved on the wooden tray.

Victorian Age:

During this period, though pregnant women were rarely seen in public, they enjoyed the privilege of lavishly celebrating their pregnancies. Further, this was also the period in which pregnant women were reluctant to announce their pregnancies publicly yet got to experience all the honors and fun events that came with it openly by hosting tea parties and get-together evenings. Grandmothers carelessly spent on giving their expecting granddaughters worthy gifts such as silverware, baby essentials as well as mother essentials. This was hence also an excuse to help the new parents-to-be financially stable.

When should you throw a Baby Shower?

Although there is no hard and fast rule as to when the baby shower should be thrown, the parents-to-be usually host it 4 to 6 weeks prior to the baby’s birth. This is due to the risk of miscarriage decreasing with each passing pregnancy week and also because then it makes it much easier for the guests to purchase gifts relative to the baby’s gender.

In some parts of the world, particularly in South Asian countries, the baby shower is done in the seventh month. It is simply believed that in the seventh month, the baby and the mother-to-be are in a safe phase. Hence, similar to the baby shower, mothers-to-be are showered with gifts and pampered to the max.

How Points to Remember while throwing a Baby Shower:

Yes, Baby Showers can either be small or big, simple or extravagant, but it’s highly important to keep in mind a few important points while throwing one. Although the moms-to-be are not the ones who plan everything about their own baby showers, it is important and considered quite helpful to seek some of their preferences because you do not want to cause the disaster of serving a chocolate walnut cake for somebody who is allergic to walnuts! Unless you are someone who is really close to the mom-to-be and knows A-Z about her, then yes, let it be a surprise while you keep the following in your mind throughout the whole planning, organizing, and throwing the baby shower period!:

• Food: While the Baby Shower cake is a must, it is also important to make sure the rest of the items on the menu are well-planned. You can either have a buffet of different dishes or simply ask each of the guests to bring something to contribute to the food time. It could be more than fun and exciting to combine dishes from different friends and family members joining the event. Further, if the baby shower is planned to be held at a restaurant or coffee shop, you can simply explain to restaurant management about your budget and they will curate the menu accordingly. P.S: Make sure to cut off anything the new mom-to-be is allergic to!

• Favors: Now this is something not everyone who throws a baby shower does, but most of them do. Hence, favors are a small gift, thank you for attending the party sort of thing everyone who attends the event receives while going back home at the end of the baby shower. It is important to note that this favor doesn’t have to be lavish or extravagant. It could be a bag of cookies, candies, or a small customized scented candle as per the preference, taste, or choice of the mom-to-be.

• Games: There are plenty of baby shower games one can organize in order to add to the entertainment and joy of the baby shower event. Games like Blindfolded Diaper Changing, Baby Shower Diaper Signing, Pacifier Hunt etcetera will ensure plenty of giggles from those in attendance!

• Gifts: If the parents have created a baby registry, it makes the whole purchasing of gifts easier for the guests. However, if the parents have not set up a baby registry, the guests can bring their own gifts which are sure to be of use to either the baby or the new mom-to-be.

We at Bellus believe new mom gifts symbolize a form of “Appreciation, Encouragement and Motivation” for all the women who have stepped into the next most interesting phase of their lives, motherhood. Hence, if you’re too confused, you can read over one of our previous blog posts, Trendy New Mom Gifts, to choose a worthy gift for a mom-to-be!

Throwing a Baby Shower While On A Tight Budget Guide:

Now it’s not a secret about how from individuals to families, every single person suffers financially, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown situation. And it’s completely normal to want to host a baby shower within an allocated budget. It’s all about priorities and planning accordingly. Here’s how you can still host an amazing Baby Shower within a tight budget:

• Guest List: Make sure to keep the guest list small. We understand this is a very important part of your life and you would want to celebrate it with all your known as well as closest friends, family, and co-workers. However, with a tight budget, all you’ve got to do is to first figure the line between long-known and close people in your life. Then proceed with only inviting the close people you would want to spend this important milestone of your life with.
• Affordable Decors: It is important to keep the decorations minimalistic. Hence, go for affordable decoration items which look good and suit your preference as well as aren’t highly expensive.
• Easy Games: You can transform the general indoor games into something even more exciting with a different set of rules or exciting gifts instead of going for games that require you to make additional purchases and spend more. You can play something like the musical chair, chess, monopoly sort of games,
• Simple Baby Shower Favors: This is also a department of the baby shower through which you can save by choosing something simple to gift the guests. A bag of cookies or a customized card would do.