Over the past few years the practice of throwing baby showers (parties for friends that are pregnant) has changed significantly, becoming more and more elaborate as time goes on.

The baby shower provides support to the expectant mother both morally and financially and can make her feel more secure in the knowledge she has friends to help her. It is not unusual today to have baby showers organized by family members or church friends etc., although it is normal that the shower is organized by non-relatives.

Inviting the Guests

It doesn't hurt if the expectant mother gets a first look at the guest list so that she can suggest who should be invited. Usually, the guest list will only include those nearest and dearest to her. If you are planning a surprise baby shower, you will have to do a little research on who should be attending instead of running the list through the expectant mother.

The main thing to remember when deciding in the list is that nature of baby showers is intimacy. To this end, keep the list down to the intimate friends of the mother to be.

You could use informal ways to invite these guests: email, phone and others. Invitation cards and other letters are the best way, however, as they provide a tangible, traceable evidence of invitation. Plus, it is the most sure and formal way to invite a person. Also, if you are planning a themed baby shower, the invitations can be made to fit in with the theme.

Venue

The more usual places on baby shower lists are backyards, formal halls, restaurants, and basically any room that has the amenities to make a baby shower successful. Just make sure that the venue keeps to the nature of the event and doesn't offer too many obstacles that have to be 'dealt with' in order to host the shower. It should not be too crowded and should as an absolute minimum provide seating for the mother-to-be.

When to Throw a Baby Shower

Usually this is one or two months before the due date though it would be wise to co-ordinate with the expectant mother to avoid embarassing appointment clashes. The baby shower is the perfect time to get your friend baby needs and stuff she may not have had time to purchase yet. It has to be well-timed though not too close to the due date, and not to far as to whittle down the excitement.

Baby showers are a pleasant surprise to expecting mothers. It takes a lot of the stress of expecting a child off of their minds and provides a means for friends to show support and concern (and of course, baby gifts) to expecting friends.

A properly coordinated baby shower will be greatly appreciated and forever remembered by mothers long after they have delivered their children.