Do Baby Showers Need Favors?

Baby showers are a time to celebrate the new life that will be entering the world shortly. The focus should be spent on the new mother and the baby that is coming. 

With that being said, most parties you attend have some sort of favor. If you are hosting a Halloween party, you typically have a Halloween favor bag for your guests. If you host a birthday party, you typically give the guests some sort of party bag favor as a thank you for coming. 

What about baby showers? Would giving party favors pull the focus away from the new family? 

Giving party favors at a baby shower is entirely up to you. You do not have to give favors to guests for attending the shower. With this being said, if you have games planned, it is expected to have prizes as an incentive to have people participate. 

If you do plan on handing out favors at the baby shower, be sure to put a limit on the price. If you are planning a large baby shower, you should limit the cost to just a few dollars per guest. If you are hosting a more intimate baby shower, you can spend a little more on the favors. 

Here are a few ideas that you can use as party favors for a baby shower. 

You can give your guests candles, lip balm, lotion, bath bombs, succulents, cookies, hand sanitizer, and flower seeds. These are all options that are great favors and won’t break the bank. 

To see other popular party favors just click here. 

What Is Proper Etiquette For A Baby Shower? 

Planning a baby shower can be a fun way to show the mom-to-be some love. Attending a baby shower is also a great way to show how much you love her and are excited for the new chapter in her life. 

Whether you are hosting or attending the baby shower, are there certain etiquette rules that you should follow? 

Here are a few rules of proper etiquette that you can follow when hosting or attending the baby shower. 

Baby Shower Hostess Etiquette

Are baby showers appropriate for the second and third children? 

Before, baby showers for second and third children would never have been considered or accepted. It almost looked as though the parents were just asking for more gifts. 

However, in recent years it has become more accepted to throw “sprinkles” for the expectant parents. This can come in handy when the first child is a boy and the second is going to be a girl. 

A “sprinkle” can help the new parents get girl clothes and other things they may not have for a girl. Additionally, getting diapers and wipes as gifts is always a huge help to parents as well. 

Who should host a baby shower? 

Anyone can throw a baby shower. If you plan on going all out and throwing a huge shower, it can be best to ask a few other friends and family of the mom-to-be for help. 

You should coordinate with other family members and friends as well to make sure that there aren’t three different parties being planned. 

When should baby shower invitations be sent and who should be invited? 

Etiquette says that shower invitations should be sent 4-6 weeks before the baby shower. This gives your guests plenty of time to set aside the date in addition to saving money for a gift. 

You should run the invitation list by the guest of honor. She would know best about who she wants at the baby shower. 

Typically, family and close friends are invited to the baby shower. The invitations should also include the date, time, venue, how and when to RSVP, registry, and other specific instructions (fancy theme dress, themed presents, books instead of cards, etc.)

Baby Shower Guest Etiquette

What should you do when you receive an invitation? 

You should always check to see who is invited to the shower. Never assume that your kids and significant other have been invited. 

The next thing to look for is the date and to see if you can attend. Let the hostess know immediately whether or not you will be able to attend. 

If you can’t attend, do you still send a gift? 

If you already have something scheduled for the date of the baby shower, you will RSVP no. You do not need to feel obligated to send a gift. 

Though gifts are always welcome, you can give a gift next time you see mom-to-be. 

Do you need to bring a gift to the shower? 

It is proper etiquette to never show up to a party empty-handed. If the parents have a registry set up, you can choose to get a gift from there, but it is not required. 

You can also go in with a group of friends or family members to purchase one of the bigger items that the family needs; a rocking chair, stroller, crib, etc. 

What do you talk about with the mom-to-be? 

It is always best to keep the conversation positive. If you had a rough labor, now is not the time to share your horror birthing stories. It is also not the time to comment on how big the mom looks in her third trimester. 

She is most likely already feeling very self-conscious and uncomfortable with the changes her body is going through. There is no need to add to her uncomfortableness. 

You want to leave the mom feeling encouraged and happy that she invited you, not regretting it because she had to hear how big she looks or about all the horrors of childbirth. 

What Should You Give Away At A Baby Shower? 

Baby shower games are a fun way to get everyone involved in the shower. There is no maximum or minimum amount of games that you can play at a baby shower. 

Just be sure that they are fun, appropriate, and if there are children present, good for all ages. If you are planning on having games, it is best to have prizes for the winners. 

You should plan on two prizes per game and decide if once a guest has won whether or not they can win again. 

Your prizes should range anywhere between $1-$10 depending on your budget and how many games you are playing. You can choose to let the winners choose from $5 gift cards to various places or you could also go to the dollar store and choose cute decor or cooking utensils for prizes.

If kids are in attendance, you can also use stuffed animals as prizes too. You could have a cute mug and stuff it with cocoa or tea. 

You can purchase a popcorn bucket, popcorn, and popcorn salt shaker as a gift. The options for cute and cheap presents are endless. 

Final Thoughts

If you are hosting a baby shower, it is not mandatory that you purchase favors for everyone. If you do plan on passing out favors to the guests, do not put yourself into debt buying favors. 

The same goes for purchasing gifts for the games as well, don’t spend more than you have on gifts or party favors.