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Baby Shower: The planning

babyshower

Baby showers can be boring at times. Opps, I just said that, but really they can be, unlike bridal showers, which can always be spiced up with talks on sex, baby showers are a lil bit hard to spice up. Especially for a first time mums, she will come in all too scared because of all the horror stories she has heard since she first announced she was pregnant. If you are the first one among your friends to get a baby, all the other future mums sit and go into the details of how you should push as though all there is to motherhood is pushing, really.

Motherhood starts when you get pregnant, for 9 months we prepare ourselves for labour, which will last for 2-30 hours depending on how the heavens smile at you, or a CS, then after that the real work begins. The Swahili saying ‘Kuzaa sio kazi, kazi ni kulea,’ is nothing but pure truth. Yet like marriage where many prepare for the wedding, forgetting that the marriage is where real life begins, many plan for the birth and forget about life after birth.

Here are a few pointers to having a successful baby shower.

  1. Select a Date

Since you already know your friend is getting a baby and you have the EDD, plan way in advance. Get a perfect date towards the end of the pregnancy and remember the baby may come a few weeks before or after, so do not plan way too close to the date. This give people time to plan their days and include the shower in their calendar. Communicate often and remind the guest of the date every so often, get the numbers this will help know and plan for a venue.

  1. Determine the budget

Depending on the number of people who are planning on coming, determine how much it will cost to put up a whole shower. Décor, food, cake and venue charges (depending on where the shower is held) are some of the expenses that will be incurred. If the planner if footing the bill, this will give a chance for guest to get a bigger gift but it leave the ‘host’ with the financial responsibility. If you are having people send in contributions, communicate the amount at this point.

  1. Come up with an agenda

Without a plan, the guest will end up chatting and the soon to be mother will leave having not gained useful info. Plan the event, guest arrive at this time, drinks are served, food is served, games and fun, QnA session, which include the advice as well, gift opening and finally hangout. Planning like this ensures there is order especially if the group of people attending the shower are friends, it becomes easier to control them.

  1. Look for a ‘Senga’

Just because you have a baby doesn’t make you passionate about motherhood, look for someone who is passionate about it and have them sit in at the shower. Let them be referenced often, let them teach the soon to be new mum how to cope with motherhood. Technology, times and generations are changing, be sure that the mother get relevant information. The reason why she should be involved in the planning since she can suggest the parents she has seen and admired and would like to have a chance to talk with.

  1. Get a core group

A core group is a couple of people who will help you plan he shower and help you run the day and make sure that it is a success. This can be 2 or 3 other friends of the soon to be mum who will run around and have everything set and ready for the day. Do not attempt to do it by yourself, it seems like little work especially if you plan early but it can be overwhelming in the end

  1. Consider having dads

Conventionally, a baby shower is for the mother, where ladies come together and send her off to have a happy motherhood. However, what this does is that it leaves the mother with too much information and the dad with little to none. Having fathers present helps them feel like they are a part of the child and the process, though they may not think the same. It helps the father know what or how to help the mother when they are the two of them days after the bundle of joy arrives. It can be annoying when a new mum is trying to figure out what to do and a dad asking her what should be done. Help them learn together. Here is more details on dad’s baby shower

  1. Gift

You are planning a baby shower, a gift is appropriate, and however, people do not often know what to give at a baby shower. Ask the mother what she hasn’t bought, make a list and send it to the guest so that you do not have double gift or buy what the mother has already bought. Remember one can get the new baby a gift or the mother; she needs the TLC after birth.

 

Part 2 coming up soon

Category: #Uncategorized

Comments (2)

Faithie
February 10. 2015 5:12 pm
Reply

Amazing…. So insightful…. And tailor made for Kenyan moms. God bless y’all…

Faithie
February 10. 2015 5:12 pm
Reply

Amazing…. So insightful…. And tailor made for Kenyan moms. God bless y’all…

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