Giving the Mother-to-Be the Best Baby Shower Ever

"I'm pregnant!" Two words that put into motion one of the most exciting nine months of a couple's life. As a friend or close family member of an expectant mother, it is your job to plan the best two hours the mother-to-be will have before her baby arrives. Planning a baby shower is not something you want to do at the last minute. To make sure everyone has a great time the planning process should start at least three weeks before the party is to be given.

What Does the Mother-To-Be Want

The first thing that you will want to do is figure out what the mother-to-be wants for her baby shower. If your baby shower isn't going to be a surprise party you can get a lot of the pre-party planning done simply by sitting down with the expectant mother and ask her who she wants to invite, what baby items she wants and what theme she would like to have. However, if you are planning a surprise party then you will need to be a little sneakier about mining this information. Fortunately, as a close friend of the mother, you probably already have a good idea of what the baby shower of her dreams looks like.

Budget

Before you start any planning it is a good idea to create at least a basic budget. This budget should take into consideration food, drinks, party favors, games, location, rentals and decorations. If you are on a limited budget you can save money by hosting the party at someone's house. When budgeting for food and drink keep in mind the special dietary needs and restrictions that pregnancy require. Keep all drinks "virgin" and keep the sugar and caffeine content low.

Guest List

To ensure that as many people on your guest list can make it to the shower as possible, you need to put together your guest list as soon as you can. The guest list will need to include people that are close to the mother including family members, friends and in-laws, as well as co-workers and more distant relations. Try to get a copy of the mother-to-be's address book. If it is a surprise party then try to enlist the help of the father-to-be. You will also want to decide whether this event will be a women only party or a co-ed party.

You are going to use your guest list for several things besides just inviting people to the party. You will also use it to confirm who will be attending, you will use it to determine how much food and party favors to buy, and you will also use it to determine if there are any special accommodations that you will need to plan for. For example, if there are party members who are also in the middle of a pregnancy, then you will want to ensure that there is adequate seating that is comfortable and easy to get out of.

Theme

The next step is to come up with a fun, pregnancy related theme for the baby shower. The theme should be meaningful for the mother and it should include elements that are important to her and her pregnancy. For example:

* If the mother-to-be knows the sex of the baby already, then it is a good idea to focus the theme of the party on the sex of the baby.
* If the sex of the baby isn't known, then focus on a theme that will appeal to the mother-to-be. For example, if the mother is a golfer then consider having the baby shower at the club house at a local golf course. Include golf themed decorations and a round of low key golf for the party.
* On the other hand, if the mother-to-be is a fan of a television show or actor, then try designing the party around that. You can decorate the party room with large stand-ups of the actor the mother-to-be "loves" and games can be planned around her yen for that actor.
* If the mother-to-be enjoys "tradition" then implement traditional baby shower items like ducks, storks, lace and pastel colors.
* If the mother-to-be is in desperate need of a little pampering, and let's face it most women that are in the middle of a pregnancy do, consider having a spa themed baby shower. Host the party at a day spa, or if your budget is tight, host it at someone's home and incorporate DIY spa treatments.

Decorations

Now that you know who will be attending the party and you have a theme, your next step is to pick out your decorations. You will need streamers, balloons, cut-outs, center pieces, table clothes, napkins, place markers, favors, banners, party hats and other fun items to create a baby shower haven. You will also need to select baby shower invitations and thank you cards that fit in with your baby shower's theme.

Baby Shower Games

There are a lot of great baby shower games that you can play. Traditional games include potato babies, name the baby game and ribbon hat. Pregnancy related baby shower games can also be planned. For example, you can play the string game to see who can cut a piece of string which is the closest to the circumference of the expectant mother's tummy. Board games and card games can also be fun, as can scavenger hunts and create games that you make up.

Just Have Fun!

There are two main points of having a baby shower. The first purpose is to help the mother-to-be to prepare for the end product of pregnancy, the baby, and secondly to give her one last day of fun before her life is taken over with the responsibilities of having a baby. Make sure your baby shower is designed to pamper the mother-to-be and to help her to relax and have fun.