The tradition of a modern baby shower started after WWII during the baby boom era. Baby showers are a fun way to welcome a new baby and help an expectant mother gather what is needed to take care of a newborn baby. The baby shower is a gift-giving party where the guests “shower” the mother or mother-to-be with baby shower gifts.

Baby clothes, baby care items, crib linens, and crib toys or accessories are popular baby shower gifts. Often friends or family members will pool their funds to buy a larger baby gift, such as a stroller or car seat. Baby gift registries can be a great help in selecting a baby shower gift. Buying a baby shower gift from the gift registry is a convenient way to get a gift that you know the parents need and will love.

Now let’s talk about baby shower and baby shower gift etiquette:

• Baby showers are usually given four to six weeks before the baby’s due date. This helps the soon-to-be parents know what they will need to purchase in order to be prepared for the birth. Baby showers can also be given after the baby is born.
• A shower should not be hosted by the parents-to-be or a family member, but by a close friend.
• Since the host bears the cost of the party, they should decide the size of the party, but the party should be a more intimate affair. The parents-to-be should be consulted on the guest list to determine whom they would most like to invite.
• Invitations should be sent at least three weeks in advance.
• While gift registry information should not be listed or included on the baby shower invitation, enclosing it on a separate sheet of paper is now considered acceptable.
• If you attend a baby shower, you should bring a gift. If you cannot attend, you are not expected to send a baby shower gift, although you can, if you wish to do so.

If you don’t know where the parents are registered, you can easily find out with RegistryFinder.com, the FREE gift registry search service that allows you to search and find gift registries online. All you have to do is go to RegistryFinder.com on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, enter a name, and you will find all the baby gift registries linked to that parent. Try it out….it’s so EASY!