Baby shower?

[soundbites]

Hello - just wondered if any of you have had a baby shower. A lovely friend has offered to arrange one for me (first baby due 1 Feb) and I wasn't what it all entailed (she saw an episode of Desperate Housewives with a baby shower and thought it looked fun). She has also asked me for a list of things I need so people can bring suitable / useful gifts. I don't want my family and friends to think this is all a ploy to get pressies! Things I haven't bought for myself yet are, for example, baby hat, booties, car sun shield, toy basket, tea tree oil for the nappy pail, bath / room thermometer, muslins. Are these the sort of things you can ask for without looking greedy? It will probably be at our house (banish DH and other halves to the pub!) because my friend's house is a lot smaller and not as easy to get to and we were thinking along the lines of an afternoon tea (get Mum and MIL to bake a cake etc.). It does sound lovely to have some girlie time before the baby arrives. Any ideas / comments welcome!

I generally like baby showers, but I hate some of the games. One game my inlaws play is so annoying. They blindfold the mother while she opens the gifts and she has to guess every single item. It takes forever, and I think is really rude to the people that went out and wrapped a gift just to have it not even be looked at and appreciated. The best thing about giving gifts is seeing someone's happy face.

You never know what you will need. My cousin gave me enough diapers for a month as a present. My sister gave me mylicon and baby tylenol. Someone else gave me a CD of lullabies. I tend to give things I needed but never thought to buy. I also got enough clothes for the first 9 months. Everything that my ds had was given to us. It was nice to not have to worry about purchasing everything.

if people are going to give you a gift - they generally give you one at the shower and not again when the baby has been born. Not sure about giving a list of things that you need - it's kind of nice to buy something that you want to and not off a list - having a babay isn't really like getting married and having a wedding list.
maybe have a theme instead, like having guests bring their favourite children's book, or just let them bring what they want. Usually showers aren't held at the mum to be's place either.
they can be really nice - or as mkg said - excruciatingly painful!!
hope you have a lovely one when feb rolls around

One nice thing that happened at my shower, was women wrote down advice of motherhood. It funny to hear from the ones with teenagers. In the US we do registries, mainly so you don't 4 swings and 8 diaper genies.

I always give gifts when the baby is born, but that is usually something more personal for the mom, like nice bath soap of something.

I live in Canada and baby showers are common practise here. Must admit I felt a little uncomfortable about everyone giving me stuff, but by the time baby arrived I'd realised evryone just wants to buy baby stuff!
Here you usually register at a store (such as Toys R Us) with a huge list ranging in price so everyone can pick you something and you don't end up with doubles.
We didn't do games at mine, just tea, sandwiches and cakes, everyone chatting and looking at all the cute baby stuff. People did write down name suggestions for fun which we then read out later.

Thanks for your replies - much appreciated. I like the idea of favourite books, the wisdom passed on from those already mums. I have been a bit of a spoil sport and said no silly games please!

xxx

Ugh. HATE Them. I'm from America and was soooo glad when I moved here that they're not the done thing.

I like them.

Beig from Ireland they are not the done thing - we Irish are ver superstitious about buying for a baby before it is born.

But when I lived overseas it was common practice as most people went home to their home country to give birth so we would have a baby shower for them before they left.

I hosted a lunch here recently for a friend who was going back to UK to have a baby. I bought lots of funny stuff for her:

Chocolate (v. important for iron!)
TenaLady pads
A dummy
More chocolate
Mini bottle of champagne
Pair of xxl knickers for just after birth
Minute g-string to be worn 2 weeks later
Pack of extra-safe durex

etc etc.

I love them! I did one for my sister and it was great, we had food and games and people gave presents but because she hadn't written a list of things she really needed she got a lot of things that weren't really practical (like toys for 1yr plus!)

I think having a baby is just as big as getting married if not bigger and I'm glad i have friends and family who would like to celebrate that with me.

I have my list already but its mainly stuff ranging from £5 - £50 as i know that some of my friends are very generous whilst others can't afford to be so generous.

I wouldn't expect them to buy me the really expensive things like the travel system, cot and so on but the little things like the breast pump, thermo bags then why not. Plus I knw i will also have guests there who will come empty handed and they are just as welcome!