Australia is a great place to live in. However, Australia is also an aging country with over 1 in 7 people over sixty-five according to a 2017 census report. The number of elderlies in Australia comprises fifteen per cent of the country’s total population. The birth rates in Australia have also lessened over the years, with 12.7 births for every 1000 people. Nevertheless, when you compare the rates for Australia’s entire population, approximately 300,000 babies are being born in the country every year. With this number of births, Australian residents must have attended a lot of baby showers.
What is a Baby Shower?
A baby shower is a celebration to honour a woman who is about to give birth for the first time. Do not let the name of the celebration confuse you; there is no act of literally showering a baby during a baby shower. Baby showers are parties that aim to honour the woman who is about to have a baby by showering her with well-wishes and presents. The tradition of giving baby shower gifts in Australia is meant to help the woman complete the necessary items needed for caring for her newborn baby. People who attend baby showers will often give items that a baby will need for the first few years after being born.
When to Plan a Baby Shower?
It is customary for baby showers to be scheduled late into the pregnancy or a month before the baby arrives. Scheduling a baby shower late in the pregnancy allows guests to know the gender of the baby already and, therefore, can purchase baby shower gifts in Australia that are gender-specific. Likewise, when a baby shower is scheduled well into the pregnancy, the expectant mom may even use the event as a gender reveal party.
Who Should Plan the Baby Shower?
Tradition suggests that the person or persons responsible for planning the baby shower should be the pregnant woman’s best friend or relative that is not part of the immediate family. Having a baby shower planned by an immediate family member may appear to be simply a ploy for the family to collect gifts. However, this tradition is already antiquated. Nowadays, anybody, even the expectant mother, may plan her baby shower.
Where to Hold Your Baby Shower?
The venue for a baby shower will depend on the number of guests invited and the hosts’ ability to take after the party. If there is a small number of guests, then a home can be the perfect venue. However, when the party is going to be held at the pregnant woman’s own home, make sure that guests will stay to help out with the cleanup. On the other hand, holding the event at a venue such as a restaurant will free you from worrying about logistics and cleanup.
What are the Activities in a Baby Shower?
Baby shower activities will depend on the expectant mother. Remember that the event is to honour the mother. It is, therefore, important to ask her what activities she wants to have. You may get overly-eager to plan for a shower with many activities that may overwhelm a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy.
Planning baby showers and giving out baby shower gifts in Australia have long been a tradition, especially for first-time mothers. Knowing how to go about planning this event will go a long way into making the shower successful.