Kathy on March 7th, 2010

As everyone knows, preparing for a baby means acquiring a lot of new items – which makes a baby shower almost a necessity. It allows family and friends to show the mom-to-be how much love and support she has. In the past, it was often viewed as improper to hold a shower for a second child, seeing as the parents were not likely to need much, especially the “big” items. However, having a second-baby shower is still appropriate, if you make certain adjustments.

You could hold a mini-shower where gifts are limited to those basic necessities that are always needed, such as diapers, wet wipes, bottles, burping cloths, undershirts, and bath items. You can add to the gift registry those items which the parents did not receive with their first baby. Or, instead of a baby shower, you can have a mom shower, asking guests to bring gifts that mom will appreciate as her delivery date approaches. These items can be both useful and a treat for mom, like extra soft slippers for the long night’s she’ll spend getting in and out of bed.

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 can also pool your money together to purchase gift certificates for spa treatments or an elegant dinner, though if you can prearrange babysitting, even better. You might also consider sitting down with the father-to-be and the guests, prior to the party, to draw up a dry-erase calendar with offers of assistance to the new mom.

There are many things you can do that will be appreciated, like getting the house organized while mom and baby are in the hospital, taking the older child to and from school (especially during that first week) or helping mom and dad juggle kids while doing errands. The finished calendar, with names and phone numbers in case of adjustments, can be presented to mom at the shower. 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.

An optional activity is to have guests purchase small baby items and then donate them to a local shelter or charity. Another fun way to organize a shower for a second baby is to have a “freezer party” where guests bring dishes that can be frozen or otherwise easily stored. This will be of great help to the mom as she gets closer to her due date and during the first week or so after the birth. If having this kind of a shower, however, you’ll need to let mom know so she can see if she has enough space for everything, as well as choose a date very close to her delivery date.

A final note – if the baby-to-be is a “caboose” baby – one that is being born several years after the last child the parents had – you can feel comfortable hosting a traditional shower. In these situations, many parents will have donated or given away even the big-ticket items, or even if they still have them, they might need safety updates.

No matter what kind of shower it is and what kinds of gifts are given, don’t lose sight of the main reason you are there – to show the mom-to-be your love and let her know that you are there for her and her new baby.

We hope you enjoyed reading the article, if you would like more info please go to baby shower games, baby shower centerpieces and baby shower games. Hope you have a great day!

Related posts:

  1. Ideas for Baby Shower Planning If you have decided to have a baby shower for...
  2. Favorite Ideals for Baby Shower Favors Just about anything you can think of can become baby...
  3. Unique Baby Shower Party – Sharing your joy with your loved ones. Of all the news you have heard, the news about...
  4. The Perfect Gift For A Baby’s Shower An upcoming arrival of a newborn baby is a life...
  5. Getting Innovations For a Memorable Baby Shower Party When talking about a baby shower, one strives to be...