Whether this is your first baby shower or you are becoming a seasoned pro at baby-showering, this one is sure to be different, and the normal advice you read and watch online might not be all so useful right now.
Because of the coronavirus outbreak, everything has come to a grinding halt and this might have you questioning what will happen to your baby shower.
The good news is... Even in this lockdown, you can still have your baby shower, but it will have to be enjoyed virtually, rather than in person. And unlike traditional baby showers, virtual ones require different a different toolset, logistics, and planning. If you are having a virtual baby shower, here are some tips to help you out.
Planning your virtual baby shower
Virtual baby showers center around the same fundamentals as all those work meetings you are probably having via a video conferencing app. When planning one, there are several things you must do:
Pick a date Pick a date and time that is convenient for everyone. Something doodle.com can really help streamline this. If you had already planned one before this lockdown, you could still keep the date.
Pick a theme Next, you have to pick a theme for your baby shower and the invitations.
Create your baby shower invites Use a smart online tool to create your personal invites. Use this opportunity to inject some of your own touches. We recommend a tool like canva.com - It's quick, the templates look amazing, and you can even order prints through them too. Oh and it's free!
Food and drink Since it’s all virtual, these baby showers don’t center around food; however, attendees are free to prepare and eat whatever they want. You can also choose to stick to a theme and have everyone enjoying similar snacks such as cake to commemorate the baby shower.
Games We recommend leaving this up to your guests. Maybe brainstorm together and come up with a few mutual choices, but it's your day, so surprises are always welcome!
Creating your baby registry
If you haven’t done so, this is a great time to create a baby registry. Just like a wedding registry, this list allows your guests to figure out what to get you and your newborn. Most people love to buy a gift or two, and the best place to let them know about your baby registry is on your invite, so we recommend including the link to your wish list on there.
For a few ideas read our article on essential items for your baby registry.
Streaming your event
Now the lockdown has been on for quite some time, the choice for video conferencing apps is great. You'll do best picking one which can show multiple video feeds simultaneously, that way no-one misses out on seeing one-another, and you get to see everyones expressions and feel closer to everyone. The top video conferencing apps right now are Google Hangouts, and Zoom, but Skype is also a good choice too.
These apps all have pros and cons; for instance, Zoom calls are capped at 40 minutes unless you have a paid subscription, and some apps have virtual guest books so you can see who has come to your baby shower. It's worth reading about the features of each one before you make your decision.
Gifts you have received you can open while streaming your event, and your guests who didn't want to post you anything but have something with them can choose to open them and show them to everyone and later mail them to you. Some mum-to-be's might not want to open them on camera, and they don’t have to; that’s the beauty of virtual baby showers.
Your checklist for planning a remote baby shower
Pick a date
Pick a theme
Decide on a streaming service
Create your invites
Decide on some collective food and drink you can all share remotely
Have fun!
Remember, just have fun
This pandemic requires everyone to practice social distancing the total opposite of what a party should be but it's great to know you don't need to cancel your much-awaited baby shower. Having a virtual one, you can still celebrate your baby bump with family and friends. So embrace this opportunity in these trying times because it can be an amazing experience.
