You might also make it a “baby” baby shower – as in a shower focusing on those small, basic items that are always going to be needed, like burping cloths, diapers, and other essentials. You might ask the parents to list whatever items they never got or need to replace from the first time around. Another idea is to have a shower dedicated to the mom, where guests bring gifts that will help her relax during the last weeks of her pregnancy and after the birth. She’ll appreciate receiving something soothing like aromatherapy candles, or even something for day-to-day use, like a soft robe.

You might want to make the shower focused on mom, reminding her that she will not be pregnant forever with gifts like wine or her favorite hard liquor, or savory salty snacks she may have had to give up. You might want to arrange for tickets or gift certificates to some special event or treat, like a concert or spa day – but be sure to include babysitting. A practical option is to have a meeting before the party, with the guests and the father-to-be, to draw up a helping hands calendar (using an eraseable board and markers).

You can include activities like getting the house in order while mom’s in the hospital, helping run the older child to school or lessons, or even being an extra pair of hands during a big grocery trip or errands day. You can then give mom the finished calendar at the shower, with all the contact information in case of changes. In some cases, neither the baby nor mom needs anything new. You can also just have a straight-up party, intimate or with many friends and family, to celebrate the upcoming birth.

Optionally, guests can bring unwrapped baby gifts and these can be donated to a womens charity or other organization that can put them to good use. A “freezer party” is another practical theme for a shower, where everyone comes with a freezeable or easily-stored dish of food. Mom will appreciate this help in the last days of her pregnancy and immediately after the birth. Obviously, you’ll want to check with mom to see if she has adequate room in her freezer for al the goodies, as well as select a party date close to her delivery date.

Finally, if the new baby is going to be several years younger than the next-oldest sibling (a so-called “caboose” baby), you can feel free to host a full-on baby shower. A lot of moms and dads won’t likely have even the big items (cribs, etc.), anymore, or they could be outdated in terms of safety requirements.

Don’t forget that the type of shower is secondary to the purpose of the shower itself, which is to show the mom that she has the love and support of her friends and family.

Hope you found our article useful, if so you might want to take a look at baby shower invitations, baby shower centerpieces and baby shower invitations. Please take care and gave a nice day.