Baby Shower Activities to Help You Prepare for Birth & Postpartum
We’ve all been to baby showers, and we all know the classic baby shower games. Though these activities can be fun, break the ice between family and friends, or get you excited to meet your baby, are they helping you prepare for birth and parenthood?
Often we get a truckload of loot but are left to put it all away by ourselves. We have a ton of adorable onesies and the crib we needed, but we’re still left with a big to-do list and some lingering anxieties about managing being a parent.
Here are some of our favorite suggestions for how your baby shower planning team can plan activities to support you beyond that cute “Minnesota Made” onesie.
Set up a meal train.
Your guests can all contribute to a meal train for your family to have after your baby arrives. This can be done in several ways.
More traditionally, a meal train means each person is assigned a day to bring you a meal after your baby is born. You’ll be getting fresh, hot food and a friendly face in the first few weeks postpartum.
Not that into hosting guests? Have your baby shower guest help you prepare freezer meals to have once your baby arrives. Pick several meals to prep and have ingredients ready. Everyone chooses a task as part of an assembly line, and before you know it, you have five bags of freezer meals ready! Most postpartum freezer meals can be prepped quickly, either placed in a crockpot, straight into the oven or as a one-pot meal. Are you a Gather Birth doula client? Check out your Nourishing Postpartum Freezer Meals recipe book for ideas!
Prep padcicles for postpartum.
Padcicles are a postpartum treat you didn’t know you needed. A classic padcicle recipe includes wetting an overnight maxi pad with witch hazel and aloe, then sticking it back into the wrapper and into the freezer. These pads help with inflammation, soreness, and healing in the first week after you’ve had your baby.
Because you don’t need another thing to prep before baby’s arrival, have your friends and family help. Throw on some great tunes or your favorite baby-themed movie in the background and make a padcicle assembly line. Once again, you’ll be going home with something beneficial and not just items for your baby.
Have guests help pay for your birth team.
People once thought fundraising money for your honeymoon was a bit odd, but now many people use a honeyfund to allow their wedding guests to pay for their post-wedding trip. The value here isn’t just in the things we can receive, but people contributing to the non-tangible needs we have for our birth and postpartum.
It’s perfectly acceptable to encourage people to contribute to a fund you have set aside for your doula, birth photographer, postpartum doula, post-baby cleaning service, or anything else that will make your birth and postpartum experience easier and special for you.
Hold a diaper drive.
Diapers can be expensive, regardless of if you choose disposable or cloth diapers. An easy way to make part of your parenting journey more manageable is to ask guests to help fill your diaper stockpile.
If you’re doing disposable diapers, assign each guest a size of diapers to bring to your shower. Be mindful to ask for more diapers in smaller sizes, as babies tend to go through more diapers at a younger age. Some parents never find themselves using diapers beyond a size four.
Cloth diapering? You can certainly request each guest purchase a cloth diaper shell, a package of inserts or a pre-fold, which can help cut down on the initial cost of cloth diapering. If that doesn’t fit your style, ask each guest to bring a pack or two of wipes. Every parent goes through an ungodly amount of wipes, especially in the early days when you’re still learning how many to use.
Ultimately, baby showers are meant to be a coming-together of friends and family who just can’t wait to meet the little person you’ve created. Your guests love you and want to support you, especially as you make a new transition with your family. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, especially on a day that is meant to celebrate you!
