This article is all about how to throw the perfect virtual baby shower so that the mom-to-be can be celebrated and feel special even during these uncertain times.
Reasons Why You Might Not Be Having A Baby Shower
Coronavirus and Crowds
We are truly living in crazy times. Although many cities are easing their social distancing guidelines from coronavirus, that doesn’t necessarily mean you would want to be in a small space with a crowd, especially with a baby in tow.
Just because you don’t want to expose yourself to people, doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice being celebrated.
Superstition/ Tradition
Some people aren’t comfortable doing anything baby-related before the baby is born. This was the case with my husband and me.
We didn’t purchase anything, and I mean anything before our baby was in our arms. Call it tradition or superstition, it’s just what made us the most comfortable.
We had a lot of objecting family members who insisted that we should have a shower. We also had family concerned that we would be financially responsible for thousands of dollars of baby gear that would traditionally be gifted by friends and family at a shower.
We wanted to find an alternative that made everyone happy!
Alternatives To a Traditional Baby Shower
Virtual Announcement
A great option instead of having a shower, especially for the superstitious who don’t necessarily want a party, is to send out a virtual announcement once the baby has arrived.
For us, this worked perfectly because it allowed us to include our friends and family, as well as receive items on our registry without sending out the registry link ourselves.
Here’s what you do:
During your pregnancy, have one of your close friends or family members draft a virtual announcement card on Paperless Post. Include your registry link(s) on the card.
Collect email addresses and give them to whoever is sending the announcement along with the corresponding names of the recipients.
Once your little bundle has arrived, notify the person sending announcements and they will send them on your behalf. You could also send them a picture from the hospital to attach in the announcement.
I recommend doing this before posting on social media. Your friends and family will feel prioritized by receiving a personal email announcement instead of finding out from Facebook or Instagram.
Baby items are expensive, they really do add up. This is a great way to have your registry sent out without having a baby shower.
People want to buy you things!!!! I cannot emphasize this enough. We did not have a shower. We did this announcement method and received literally everything off of our registry within a week. I mean, think about it, who doesn’t love shopping for a cute little baby??
You could also send your thank you cards through Paperless Post, which will be easy because you will already have everyone’s email addresses rounded up!
Zoom Baby Shower
Another alternative option for a baby shower is to host it over Zoom. This is the perfect option if you want to have a party without having the stress of being around too many people.
Although being on a video call isn’t the same as actually being with people, it can still be really fun. Plus this allows people who live far away to join in on the celebration! You can have one of your best friends or close family members plan it for you to be something that you will truly enjoy.
The first thing you should do is send out invitations. You could use Paperless Post or you could send physical invitations if you want it to be more tangible since everything else will be online.
To set up the virtual shower, have someone who lives in the same city as you (someone you are comfortable being around) come set up decorations where you will be on the Zoom call. They can be the one who is hosting the call and stay with you for the celebration.
They could get balloons, banners, flowers, or whatever decor you’ve seen that you really want to be a part of your party.
You can also have people set up decorations behind their own computers. It is something that will make them feel involved in the party and will be sure to make the mom-to-be smile.
One virtual game I recommend playing above all others is Kahoot.
It is a game show type of trivia that can be played on the computer. The host would come up with trivia questions and share her computer screen on Zoom. Everyone participating joins in from their phones and uses it as their controller to submit answers.
It is similar to Jack Box Games but can be completely personalized for the mama-to-be.
Here is an additional list of activity ideas to do during the virtual shower:
-Baby Jeopardy
-Guess The Celebrity Baby
-Who Knows Mommy Best? (Would She Rather)
-Guess That Nursery Rhyme
-The Price is Right
-Guess How Many M&Ms
Last but not least, gender reveal.
If you were hoping to do a gender reveal at your baby shower, you can definitely still do one virtually. The reveals that work best virtually are ones done by the parents-to-be in a backyard (glitter, smoke, or balloon-type reveals).
Have the friend/family who is hosting make sure the reveal is on Zoom. There is also a record option on Zoom so you can record the special moment!
Prepare to be showered!
After all, you deserve it! Incubating a tiny human for 9 months is no joke!
