What do you think of baby showers? - if indeed you've ever heard of them.

Mixed feelings before I went to one - my DD did not have one, but her cousin did and it was actually a lovely get together. The overt sense of 'come and give a gift' bothers me when I think these same people then end up giving again when the baby arrives, but I guess if you are on a budget there is plenty of scope to buy a relatively modest gift.
At my niece's BS, everyone brought food for the table and we all had fun with 'guess the birth date' - I won! (Simply because I know what the women in our family are like and therefore predicted 2 weeks late hoping I would be wrong!)
The spirit of the occasion was genuinely lovely and no gifts were over the top - it was just really nice to meet up and look forward - and a tonic for a family that have had a lot of loss in recent times.

There have been two or three threads on this topic in the last few months.You may like to read them through and then add your own comments.

I've read the other threads and added my views, which are very similar to those ofImperfect. I felt uncomfortable about the whole idea and very reluctantly agreed to host one for more daughter. It was a very enjoyable afternoon. The guests were friends who organised themselves to bring useful and beautiful gifts, as well as practical items like disposable nappies and all those other essential items.
It was fun, games were organised and everyone joined in. I'm no longer sniffy or judgemental about Baby showers, they're on my growing list of things that have changed and not all for the worse!

Don't like them and don't attend if I'm invited

My DiL is a births and deaths registrar and is vehemently against them. Especially for a first born. Even these days so much can and does go wrong, and I believe many stores such as John Lewis will still hold all the baby's things until after its safe delivery. The angst of returning everything must be torture if your baby hasn't survived.

I'm sure they are lovely parties. So are the large weddings with all the trimmings. But I personally don't like them as I feel it's just yet another commercial pressure to persuade people to spend more money than they'd like. Something else to add to the list of must does and must haves. Your baby hasn't been welcomed properly without one so you're not caring enough.

Another crass American import

I agree with Iam.

Greenfinch

Sorry! I only come on here about once every 3 months.

I wasn't being critical.Just stating a fact.

My dd have had2 and at each one they asked for the guests to bring their favourite bedtime stories. We had tiny sandwiches cakes and tea in China cups and saucers.
No over spending at all.

Tacky American, but I will attend. Afternoon tea, drinks, and sweets. The ones I have gone to usually don't last too long. Good wine does a bit to makes shower bearable.

Love them, for all the reasons given by Imperfect, kittylester and Iam. They are whatever you decide to make them. Gifts are not compulsory, and at my DD's everyone put in £5 which was enough for the organiser to buy several small presents, all very personal and useful. The main purpose was to enjoy one another's company and have a fun afternoon before the baby arrived.

Anything where people get together to share fun and friendship and in this case the imminent arrival of a baby sounds like a good thing to me.

Not keen on the whole idea.

We did an afternoon tea for my DIL , no alcohol as she couldn't drink. We told people not to bring a present but a book. This could be a much used former favourite of their children, no need to be new. We had a really lovely afternoon but I think some of them go a bit OTT .

I can take or leave them, but just wonder why every idea that comes over from America has to be labelled tacky/crass? Hallowe'en customs, proms, baby showers - understated or over the top, they are what we make them, surely?

We were lucky enough to be in New York one year for the Easter parade, and it was fantastic, fun and not at all tacky.

I can take or leave them, but just wonder why every idea that comes over from America has to be labelled tacky/crass?

Because it's all about spending money.

i love them, both DD's gave birth exactly a week apart, and both had showers, youngest was self catered and about 20 people came, eldest was organised by her best friend and was an afternoon tea in a hotel, both equally fun but the afternoon tea was less stressful on me as I didn't have to spend hours baking and running around making tea and coffee. Now in grandma heaven as I have 2 beautiful granddaughters both under 10 weeks who I totally adore.

Because it's all about spending money.

Well, it's more about having a bit of fun, really. How much or how little you spend is entirely up to you.

exactly maggiemaybe, fun - shocking!

Maybe a throwback to my mother's era, but I feel uncomfortable about buying major items until a baby is born. We chose the pram and paid a deposit, but didn't collect it until baby arrived.

Have you been to any baby showers Daddima? This isn't meant as a confrontational question. I posted previously about my reservations about baby showers, for all the reasons given here - scary to receive gifts before your baby arrives safely, tacky US import, etc. Having somewhat reluctantly hosted one for one of my daughters, I lost anxiety and prejudice.
Great fun, all those friends gathered together, silly guess the date, weight etc games. Lots of nibbles, tea, coffee, soft drinks and eve a drop of fizz for some non pregnant attendees. I organised a second baby shower a few months later, for another daughter, this one attended by previous baby shower baby - now thankfully safely with us.

No, Iam, but I've never been asked to one! I'm sure it is great fun, but my grandmother ( and, to a lesser extent, my mother) was a very superstitious woman, and I suppose some of it rubbed off on me.

My dd has just been to a baby shower. It was low-key and no one gave the expectant mother a pram so no superstitions were invoked. There were about a dozen people including expectant grannies and aunts and the rest were friends.

I asked if gifts were also given after the baby arrives and apparently some people do give something, some don't and some people give something pampering to the new mum.