Waiting for the baby is already a holiday. But the final weeks of pregnancy can become very tiring: there are only a few days left before meeting the main person in life, and they, as luck would have it, drag on for a very long time. To bring the meeting a little closer and support the expectant mother, you can arrange a Baby Shower holiday, gather guests and prepare gifts.

What is Baby Shower
In America, the tradition of holding a Baby Shower has been going on for several decades. This holiday began to be celebrated after the end of the Second World War, wishing to congratulate the expectant mother on the approach of the most important event in her life.

The funny phrase Baby Shower is translated into Russian in different ways: "baby rain" or "baby shower". The holiday received such a name for a reason, because on this day the closest friends made surprises for a pregnant girl and literally showered her with a rain of gifts.
In the classic version, the Baby Shower is organized by the closest friends of the pregnant woman, and she herself does not know anything about what kind of surprise awaits her. But now many are deviating from this rule and warn the future mother about the upcoming holiday so that she can plan her time in advance, choose an outfit, do her hair and makeup. After all, nobody wants to look ugly at their own party. Especially if the girlfriends invite a photographer.

How long can you spend
Usually the Baby Shower is organized in the third trimester of pregnancy. It is not recommended to drag out the party too much: it is held no later than 6 weeks before the expected birthday of the baby. This unspoken rule has a simple explanation: at a later date, it is no longer so easy for the expectant mother to have fun and spend a long time surrounded by a large number of people. Pregnancy can proceed in different ways, but even the most active pregnant women get tired quickly, because the baby inside is growing every day.

Who to invite to the holiday
A party in honor of a mother and her future baby is usually held in the format of a bachelorette party. Initially, the entrance to men was prohibited, but now the strict framework is erased: sometimes the stronger sex is still called to the party.

In any case, invite only the closest friends and relatives, in the circle of which the main character of the evening will be easy and comfortable. Such a party should become homely cozy, sweet and light, so you don't need to make it too noisy and crowded.

Baby Shower Gift Ideas
Gifts are the most important part of the holiday. Initially, it was customary to give gifts made by hand. But when there were so many useful things for mothers and babies in stores, this tradition gradually disappeared. The most important thing is that all invited guests should take a responsible approach to the choice of presents.

For example, you can choose as a gift:

• clothes for newborns (there are definitely not many of them);
  
• baby cosmetics and hygiene products;
  
• bedding;
  
• toys for toddlers;
  
• a certificate for a family photo session with a newborn;
  
• children's books for the little ones;
  
• an album for photographs taken in the first year of life;
  
• plaster set for imprinting the hand and foot of the child;
  
• care cosmetics and vitamin supplements that will help the mother recover faster after childbirth.
• baby shower book with a good wishes (if you don't know what to write find ideas in my post What to write in a baby shower book)
  It is better if the organizer of the party makes a list of possible purchases, and the guests choose the suitable options. Another way of agreement is possible: each invitee will inform the organizer what kind of gift he plans to buy. It is important to agree on presentations in advance in order to exclude the possibility of identical purchases and to make gifts as useful as possible.

If the pregnant woman is warned about the planned holiday, then you can ask her to make a wish-list of the necessary gifts, because there is a possibility that many things have already been bought or donated by the later date. Such a list of useful things will make it easier for guests, but parents will be sure that they will be presented with everything they need.

By the way! If the party organizer has contacts for all guests, you can create a general chat in one of the messengers to make it even easier to distribute gifts.