Just because Covid has affected a lot of our social engagements, doesn’t mean you can’t have a brilliant baby shower. You and your belly deserve to be the centre of attention for at least one special day when you’re pregnant.
The trick is to be creative and maintain all the specialness of a gathering, whilst being mindful of the Covid factor.
Follow the Government guidelines for gatherings and be mindful of the restrictions which are currently in place. You may plan for a gathering of people, but at the last moment need to resort to an alternative plan if a lockdown is planned. Aim to be flexible, this can help to avoid disappointment.
If you can meet in person, remember to
- Follow the social distancing rules and if possible, plan your baby shower for outside. Your own, or a friend’s backyard or perhaps the local park are workable options.
- Keep the numbers down if you can, or have a couple of smaller gatherings rather than one large one.
- Make sure you have masks and hand sanitiser close by. Encourage anyone who’s sick to stay away or call in from home on their phone.
10 baby shower alternatives if you can’t meet in person
There’s no need to cancel your baby shower if you can’t actually physically get together; consider instead:
- Booking a live chat on your favourite social media channel and invite your nearest and dearest. Send out a ‘virtual’ baby shower invitation with clear log-in details for linking in. You may want to include a postal address for gifts to be sent.
- Decorating one room of your home, or the room you’ll have the camera set up.
- Asking everyone to video their best tips before the virtual shower. Have a competition for your favourites.
- Arranging a synchronised delivery time to each invitee of a home delivered meal or treats. That way you can share the fun and celebrations with ‘shared’ snacks.
- Organising a ‘drive-by’ baby shower where you’ve decorated your front fence or driveway with ribbons and balloons. It may work to organise a time slot for each guest to park so they can stay in their car but still see you. Leave some treat bags for your guests to collect and wave from your porch as they call by.
- Asking everyone to make a special cake or cupcakes decorated with coloured icing to match your baby’s gender. If this is a secret, it’ll be fun to see what everyone’s ideas are.
- Asking your guests to dress up, as if you’re all meeting in person and not linking in with each other. If everyone makes an effort, it’ll be more fun. if you’ve shared the news about your baby’s gender, perhaps you could all wear your best pink or blue finery.
- Asking everyone to email their top three tips and advice for when your baby is born. You could write up a template and send it to everyone a week or so before the shower.
- Asking people to send you videos of them singing their favourite baby related lullaby or song with the word ‘baby’ in it. Have a competition to see which one you like best.
- Inviting your guests to include their own ‘baby’ in your virtual catch-up. Their child, a pet or even a doll or teddy could all add to the fun.
Remember
You can still have a great baby shower and be Covid aware, just by being a little more creative and focusing on what’s important, e.g., you and your baby.
Written by Jane Barry, Midwife and Child Health Nurse, November 2021.