Very popular in the United States for many years, the baby shower is now becoming increasingly popular in France. Usually organised towards the end of pregnancy, around the eighth month, its main purpose is to celebrate the baby’s upcoming arrival. Friends of the mum-to-be gather together to enjoy a special moment over delicious treats and fun activities.
What theme should you choose for a baby shower?
Most baby showers are organised around a theme, which serves as inspiration for the decorations, food and activities planned for the event.
Here are a few theme ideas for your party:
- Colour theme
(Pink to announce a baby girl, blue for a baby boy,
or other colours if you do not wish to reveal the baby’s gender)
- Childhood memories theme
(organise the party around games and activities from your childhood)
- Film and/or music theme
- Country theme
What about the food?
At a baby shower, the table is usually decorated to match the theme and filled with delicious bite-sized treats. For something sweet, choose macarons, cupcakes, cake pops and colourful jars of sweets. For savoury options, consider verrines, canapés, skewers or wraps.
What activities can you organise during the party?
Are you pregnant and thinking of organising a baby shower?
Cache Cœur has selected a few games to make your party even more fun!
1. Give each guest a necklace when they arrive. Every time someone says the word “baby”, the person who catches them saying the forbidden word takes their necklace.
At the end of the party, the winner is the person who has collected the most necklaces. You can give them a small prize.
2. At the beginning of the party, each guest picks a rubber bracelet featuring a new name such as
“Dummy”, “Nappy” or “Bottle”. Throughout the baby shower, everyone must call each other by their new names. Anyone who makes a mistake gives their bracelet to the person who noticed it. The person with the most bracelets at the end of the party wins a prize.
3. Each guest brings a photo of themselves as a baby. Put all the photos together and try to guess which photo belongs to which guest.
4. A classic! Guests have to guess the mum-to-be’s waist measurement. Each person cuts a piece of string or wool to the length they think matches the pregnant woman’s waist. The person whose guess is closest wins a small gift.
5. Prepare a container filled with words related to pregnancy. Pick a word and try to make the others guess it by drawing it or acting it out.
6. Blindfold two participants. Place the same baby-related objects, such as a dummy, bottle or bottle brush, into two boxes. Call out the name of an object, and the first person to find and remove it from their box wins one point. The person with the most points once all the objects have been found is the winner.
What gifts should you give at a baby shower?
At a baby shower, you can give gifts for the baby, such as toys, soft toys or developmental games, but you can also—and especially—choose gifts for the mum-to-be.
For example:
- a pregnancy bola, symbolising the bond between the pregnant woman and her baby
- a beautiful set of maternity and nursing lingerie
- a maternity swimsuit
- maternity pyjamas to wear during relaxing moments.
