Next to planning a wedding and wedding reception, having to organize a baby shower takes a close second for the potential to rapidly become overwhelming. For first time moms and experienced mothers alike, having to plan that baby shower can seem almost impossible, but it’s absolutely necessary. Baby showers are a great way for an expectant mother to receive the items they will need in order to care for a newborn, and what better way for friends and family to gift them, than at a party? If you want to take some of the pressure off of your expectant friend’s shoulders, here are some tips for planning a baby shower for them.
Form a guest list.
This step is a great starting point. Get a head count of all the people you might expect want to be there, so that you know how to proceed. A good way to go about doing this is to invite anyone who is remotely close to your best friend. Of course you’ll want to invite family, but you’ll want to cast the net wider to friends, coworkers, etc. first, as the former are guaranteed to be there. Not to seem disrespectful or diminish the celebration of a new life coming into the world, but their gifts are going to make your friend’s dive into motherhood much more simpler, now that she won’t have to worry about spending a ton of money on breast pumps, diapers, formula, infant clothing, and other necessities. Instead, she can put all of her focus on her new baby.
Create a special invitation.
This part, of course, requires you to first, pick a shower theme. Once you’ve got that part figured out, then you have to design your invitations accordingly, making sure that they match the theme so the guests know what to expect. Look online for a free app to customize and format the invites with little to no fuss.
There are at least seven things to include on your baby shower invites: the guest of honor, the date, time, location address, the first name of the hostess, the RSVP deadline and details, and the baby registry. These elements are pertinent party information, and little else needs to be included on the invitation card.
The host or hostess of the party will also be in charge of baby shower games, and they will be even more fun if they also go with the party theme. For example: if the theme of your party is Rubber Duck, then you would have the group play a game of “pin the ducky on the bathtub” followed by a “lucky duck” raffle for a prize.
Build a Registry.
This is the most important element of the preparation for the baby shower, and will potentially be the most challenging, so it will be best if you get a head start on it. If this registry covers the needed items like baby onesies, diapers, bottles, pacifiers, diaper bags, etc. then your friend and first time mom will be able to save her money for a big purchase like a hands free breast pump.
Incidentally, traditional breast pumps are important to have, but can become a hindrance on day-to-day life. There are a myriad of breast pump options, but a silent wearable electric breast pump is worth the investment. The elvie breast pump is a great option because it only uses milk containers and can hold five ounces of milk on each side for those with a larger milk supply, whereas other pumps require you to lay down and hold far less. The elvie pump is an electric double breast pump that allows you to pump cord and hassle-free with its revolutionary technology that fits inside your bra, and pumps the breast milk silently. This allows the mother to then continue on with her day with no cords or tubes, and there is a free elvie pump app that allows you to control the breast pump from your smartphone.
It would still be an excellent idea to put an elvie pump on the registry just in case a close relative ends up buying this special gift for your best friend. This way she will potentially have everything she could need and want to start her venture into motherhood on the right foot.
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