To ask for baby shower help ARGHHH

[meladeso]

I loathe them.
Dear friend loves them. Like, LOVES them.
It falls to me to plan one for this friend.
Gah.
Tasteful non cringe ideas please?
So far I'm hosting afternoon tea with a few gifts and balloons.
I don't want to let her down!

I don't think she'd want any grim stuff like nappy games, but certainly would enjoy plenty of fuss

Me and a friend did one last month for our friend for a suprise we did tasting the baby food guessing it's contents, all ladies invited brought in a baby picture and had to guess who's who, baby names from celebrities, guessing the chocolate in a nappy,a general knowledge on all things baby related.and baby bingo.lots of ideas on pintrest.good luck with it we all had a really good time

Buy a load of white bibs and get guests to design. Mum to be chooses winner.

Playdoh. Make a baby.

Message book.

I really don't understand why people on MN hate baby showers so much.
It's not just on mumsnet, believe me. But if you don't understand then read through this thread, that should give you some idea.

I don't like baby showers because I am so mindful of what can go wrong, and the thought of celebrating to that extent before baby is safely here makes me feel a sense of foreboding tbh

All for enjoying pregnancy and getting excited, but buying lots of stuff for an unborn child makes me anxious

Aside from that, organised fun is grim as

noeffing quite!! Haha

A stack of plain white bibs and some fabric pens, get everyone to personalise a bib rather than write something in a book. You can never have too many bibs!

Why does it "fall to you" OP?

I assume your friend knows you loathe them- it's a pretty strange request then to ask you to organise knowing you will not have real joy and enthusiasm.

I would decline- and suggests she finds someone who is on board with the idea.

Would a blessingway appeal more than a baby shower? I've been to a couple and they were really lovely... very relaxed and much more meaningful than the shower... gifts are still given but the focus is on the mother and everyone gets involved offering their good wishes...there is loads online about them..

* I really don’t understand why people on MN hate baby showers so much*

Agree with the OP. You're celebrating something that hasn't happened yet

You celebrate a wedding or engagement or christening after it's happened. You don't celebrate it beforehand hoping that everything will go ahead as planned.

My friends whose babies were stillborn said the pain and agony of coming home from hospital without their baby, was compounded by coming home to a house full of baby stuff.

I don't believe it's bad luck, I just think it can make a hard situation even harder if the worst happens

I thankfully haven't had to attend any baby showers proper, just a couple of afternoon tea events which were nice 'let's celebrate being together as friends before the baby arrives', no games or presents expected.

I would also personally really struggle with a baby shower proper because we have struggled with infertility and miscarriage and can't have children, but that's all on me personally, that's nothing to do with a shower in and of itself