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Original poster

A 'Baby Meet & Greet' party at 3 months old?

73 replies

Honeymint · 28/05/2022 18:15

I'm just looking for some advice. I'm just past 40 weeks pregnant and will be a first time parent.

My OH has been thinking about holding baby meet & greet party in 3 months time. When he first mentioned it I thought he meant a medium-sized event.
But I realised today when he described it as 'a wedding sized event' that he wants to host around 60 guests at our house at the end of August, with several families to stay the night as they'd be traveling from far away.

Since the baby hasn't even arrived yet, I have no idea what it'll be like, how the baby will be sleeping and feeding by this point. Plus I've been hearing a lot about how hard those first three months are.
He got the idea from a meet & greet my cousin held for her son's 1st birthday. (Due to lockdowns, barely any of the family had met him at that point) It was a great day, but he was 1 and there were 30 guests.

It's not like I don't want an event to look forward to, but I said perhaps closer to 6 months and perhaps with fewer people? He's upset now because he was really looking forward to it.

I really don't know what to say. I don't want to be a party-pooper but I'm also wary of agreeing when I have no experience of being a parent! I have no frame of reference at all, so any advice is appreciated.

(As an aside, of course closer family and friends will have already met the baby by this point, but I suppose he's thinking it's a nice opportunity for people living further away and for a nice party.)

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Flopisfatteningbingforchristmas · 28/05/2022 18:22

No. It’s ridiculous.

Do you have space to host 60 people in your house? Who is going to cater it?

ChaosMoon · 28/05/2022 18:23

At three months old, the baby will be coming out of the first trimester and you'll have found your feet. It's quite a nice time.

The only issue I see is that the baby probably won't want to be passed around 60 people. But, as long as you manage everyone's expectations, that doesn't have to be a problem.

It's a bit of an odd idea but if he's got his heart set on it then I'd do it.

ChaosMoon · 28/05/2022 18:24

Oh yes, and he has to do all the party planning. You will be too busy so that has to be agreed up front.

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NannyR · 28/05/2022 18:24

We had a family member who did this for their baby - I think she was about 6 months old. They weren't religious, so it was a bit like a christening party without the actual christening. It was a really nice event. I think they called it a welcome party or something like that - "meet and greet' sounds a bit like a commercial event.

Original poster
Honeymint · 28/05/2022 18:29

ChaosMoon · 28/05/2022 18:24

Oh yes, and he has to do all the party planning. You will be too busy so that has to be agreed up front.

Luckily he's already said he'll do all the planning. He's thinking of getting a food truck-type thing for food, which is a nice idea. At the moment I think 'I wouldn't mind making some cakes or sides', but I feel like that's the kind of thing I might look back at and laugh once I have a 3mo!

@Flopisfatteningbingforchristmas There would never be room for so many people in the house, but the garden is quite big. It's a very good point though, I doubt they'd all fit and what if the weather is bad?

OP posts:
ENoeuf · 28/05/2022 18:44

Won't important people have met the baby by then? Who would come?

akissbeforebed · 28/05/2022 18:46

It'll be like a party after a Christening really.

myuterusistryingtokillme · 28/05/2022 18:52

The did something similar in 'Catastrophe' for family and close friends and I could see the appeal of getting everyone 'out of the way' at once. 60 is way too many though

SenoraAveiro · 28/05/2022 18:53

My friends did similar because they didn't want a christening but wanted some way to celebrate.

It was a nice pretty pointless afternoon in the pub really, and they spent the day stressing about feeling and naps and her outfit getting dirty, while everyone else got pissed.

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 28/05/2022 18:55

Oh I thought meet and greet as in random people to meet people with babies!!!! Like an nct thing!

Johnnysgirl · 28/05/2022 18:57

Is it a party to "present" the baby? A bit like a debutantes ball?!
Honestly, it sounds awful.

carringtonm · 28/05/2022 18:58

We did this when our son was about 10 weeks and it was really lovely. We invited people as a drop-in kind of thing (any time and any length of time between 1-6pm for example) and some people popped in and others stayed all day. It rained but we had a maze of gazebos covering the garden and it was absolutely fine. Our son got passed around all day which really didn't bother me but I know other mums who wouldn't have been ready for that. As others have said, it was like the party after a christening. We had a buffet that our closest family chipped in with and it was just a chance for people to mingle. We'll probably do similar for our second baby this summer.

ParkheadParadise · 28/05/2022 19:00

My family were all in the house when we arrived home with dd2.
About 30 people in total 😀
It was great I came home 6 hours after having her. Handed her over, got in my jammies, and relaxed on the sofa. We ordered takeaways for everyone. My siblings all fussed over the baby.
Her christening at 3 months old we had 60 guests but got caterers into organise everything.

MmeMeursault · 28/05/2022 19:01

Yeah just don't call it "Baby Meet and Greet".

Excruciating.

Yutes · 28/05/2022 19:03

It’s essentially a “sip and see” party.

i think the premise is ok, as everyone that wants to pop by has a time and day thst suits you.

Dont let your partner guilt you into it though OP. You will both be first time parents. It seems like a great idea but please bear in mind - sleep deprivation, baby maybe not sleeping too, any other issues that may arise, you may be feeling a bit yuck (it’s possible).
all your partner needs to deal with is a new addition, not body or emotional changes.

Bottom line: it’s a lovely celebration of a nee addition to your family. And if that’s what you want and how you see it then don’t let anyone change that. Even whether you have a gathering, or not, will not change that. So don’t get swept away Smile

InTheNightWeWillWish · 28/05/2022 19:04

I don’t live near my family and travelled to see them when DD was about 3 months old. There were 13 people at my relatives and she was passed around so everyone could say hello. She wasn’t passed around everyone but there was still a lot going on. Lots of noises, new smells. She’d also already met 4 of the people who were there. She got really cranky after a couple of hours because it was very overwhelming for her. We had to leave because she wouldn’t settle.

Honestly, this sounds like a disaster. Even if the baby has met some important people already. You’re going to have to clean enough for people to come over, which will not be the top of your priority list. If baby is unsettled you don’t have any option to leave as it’ll be at your house. Parties at your house are likely to go on longer than a couple of hours.

AutumnOrange · 28/05/2022 19:19

12 weeks old? 60 people? With dc 2 and dc 4 would have been perfectly doable. With dc 1 dc 3 it would have been a nightmare and would have broken me.
You have the final say on this.
It is great he is excited and wants to show off his child but you have no idea how you will be feeling not whether you get an ‘easy’ baby or not. You have the final say

AutumnOrange · 28/05/2022 19:20

*nor

ElenaSt · 28/05/2022 19:23

A meet and greet event?

Is your baby going to be someone important? The second coming of Jesus Christ?

If not and you're having a bog standard baby, what is the big fuss all about?

ElenaSt · 28/05/2022 19:25

Personally I would let him do all the work and organisation and on the morning of the grand event I would get up early and leave instructions on how to care for the baby and then fuck off to the Maldives for the weekend.

erinaceus · 28/05/2022 19:28

Do you plan to have a Christening or similar? If not, it is not a bad idea to have the baby meeting others but 3 months is so young. I get that your DH might be looking forward to the idea but he will have his hands full enough shortly(!)

I think you are totally reasonable to suggest pushing the date back to 6 months or even a year old, and definitely do not phrase it as a meet and greet! An extravagant first birthday party could make (more) sense.

Tulips21 · 28/05/2022 19:33

ElenaSt · 28/05/2022 19:23

A meet and greet event?

Is your baby going to be someone important? The second coming of Jesus Christ?

If not and you're having a bog standard baby, what is the big fuss all about?

I agree with this, sounds a bit OTT. Surely the people who want to actually see your baby , will turn up Within the first 3 months of arrival?
Do most the people invited, actually want to meet your baby as In, are they really bothered?

vodkaredbullgirl · 28/05/2022 19:36

Meet and greet, never heard of that before.

Johnnysgirl · 28/05/2022 19:37

It sounds like a gift grab to me, to be perfectly honest. From people who will doubtless have called to see the baby with a gift in the first few weeks.

AnneLovesGilbert · 28/05/2022 19:38

Why don’t you have a christening/blessing/naming ceremony depending on your lifetstyle? Plan it for when the baby is 6 months.

It was my birthday about a month after DD was born and we had a party of our usual friends which was lovely, but 60 people would have finished me off never mind the baby.

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