Birth & Beginnings: childbirth conversations : Baby Showers

Birth & Beginnings: childbirth conversations

Hello mothers and mothers-to-be! This blog focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, children, and parenting. Along with providing helpful information and resources, it is also a place to discuss choices and trends in these areas. The blog will inform and encourage mothers as we share and learn from each other. It is not a place to say that one opinion is better than another; instead it is a forum for camaraderie and for sharing personal experiences. So feel free to read, respond, and absorb information on a daily basis as together we traverse this world of motherhood.

Laura Tolman, CCE, LSP

Laura Tolman is a local certified childbirth educator and labor support professional. She also works as a postpartum doula. She and her husband are long time Alaskans and are the parents and forming relationships with families while learning about other cultures. In her free time Laura enjoys writing freelance articles, poetry, and the performing arts. Her favorite pastime is being with family and coaxing uproarious laughter out of her young son.

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Baby Showers

Posted by mamas

Posted: November 30, 2008 - 10:51 pm

Comments (0) |

A baby shower is usually about blessing the new parents with gifs and celebrating the birth of a new baby. Traditionally, there is food, games and presents for the new baby. However, things are changing.

A lot of baby showers are now “co-ed” with males and females all enjoying the festivities. Also, the list of gifts are not what they use to be. Mothers are registering at small children’s boutique’s and on-line stores instead of the mainstream retail shops. In Anchorage, the specialty shops such as Spoiled and Junior Town are being sought out instead of or in conjunction with, Babies R Us and Burlington Baby Depot. It is also becoming more popular for parents to request services for themselves, instead of just baby items. Such as: housecleaning services, birth or postpartum doula services, babysitters, or a massage.

Many baby shower guests appreciate if the parents have registered somewhere, so they will know exactly what to buy. However, inevitably there will be those who just go out and buy the first baby item that strikes their eye. The problem with this is that there is usually an over abundance of tiny newborn shoes, clothes, and diapers that will fit a baby for the first month or so. It is generally much preferred by the parents if they receive either sizes 3 months and up, or a gift card so that they can purchase their own items.

The dreaded games of “taste the baby food”, “change the diaper fastest”, and “find the poo in the diaper” are less popular. Instead, thematic grown up parties are tending towards conservative measures and are in favor of fancy desserts and decorations. Many will spend upwards of $1000 on the perfect baby shower cake and décor. Others view baby showers as time to ooh and ahh over cute outfits and prefer the relaxed home atmosphere of a relative’s house.

Two questions often raised regarding baby showers are: 1.) Should you have the shower before or after the baby is born? And 2.) Should there be a shower for each subsequent baby? These questions can never seem to be fully agreed upon by the population. There are pros and cons to both scenarios.

What are your thoughts? What kind of shower did you have or do you want?

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