When To Have A Baby Shower

If you’re the mom-to-be celebrated, or the one wanting to host the celebration, you may be wondering when to have a baby shower. Believe it or not, baby showers didn’t start gaining popularity until the early 1950s. Since then, the ways you can host one have grown substantially, but there are still a few details that remain the same.

Who hosts the baby shower?

Tapping into tradition, baby showers are typically hosted by a distant family member or close friend. With these folks making the arrangements, it was said to help avoid the appearance of the expecting parents simply wanting a bunch of gifts. With this old-fashioned thought in the rearview mirror, today’s baby showers are known to be thrown by anyone close (or far) to the expecting couple.

Anyone from the mother-in-law to the manager at work are known to host baby showers, and some pretty good ones at that. The only thing that’s still uncommon is the mother-to-be hosting her own baby shower. 

READ MORE: Who Traditionally Hosts a Baby Shower?

When should you have a baby shower?

Since you want the expecting mom to be at the peak of her pregnancy journey, past all the morning sickness but not quite ready to pop, it’s ideal to choose a time between late second trimester, early third trimester. This typically falls anywhere between six to eight weeks before the due date.

Although a baby shower date is picked, some parents-to-be may wait on other aspects such as when to receive gifts. This is typically the case when the coupe is waiting to find out the gender, or for cultural and/or religious reasons. 

There are also times in which it is most proper to wait to have a baby shower altogether. Events such as adoption is one good reason for waiting. Just as a pregnancy, there is an “expecting to arrive” date, but waiting until the child is in tow would guarantee the party is a sure go. 

Always keep the expecting mom in mind when having a baby shower.

One of the biggest determining factors of knowing when to have a baby shower is when the expecting mom (or couple) is available. Always keep her in the know unless it’s going to be a huge surprise. In that case, solicit the help of her partner to make sure nothing conflicts the party. Every situation is different, so you can’t go wrong by planning for a day and time that ultimately works for the mama.

Another point to consider is leaving enough time post baby shower. There will be gifts to go through, items to put together, hang up, and set out. And don’t forget about those thank you notes. It’s important to give the mom-to-be plenty of time to do this before the baby arrives, that way she won’t have to worry about anything but baby snuggles once he/she makes their arrival. 

Other things to keep in mind when having a baby shower.

Consider the season. The weather will be a determining factor on the venue of choice and if out-of-town guests will be able to attend. If you’re planning a mid-winter shower and you live in an area that always gets tons of snow, that may decrease the chances of having a bigger bash. Same for it’s polar opposite – mid-summer showers can get pretty hot, so plan accordingly.

Overall, having a baby shower is always meant to be a fun time of celebrating mom and baby on the way. To help plan your baby shower at the perfect time, snag our baby shower checklist and bookmark our list of fun baby shower games to play!

Leave a Comment