How to Plan a Baby Shower

As the mother, you wouldn't throw your own shower. Your friends/relatives would host and pay. As host, they would send the invitations, which usually mention "registered at..." that way you're not the one asking for presents.

Check out these sites:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Proper-Baby-Shower-Etiquette&am...
http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/shower/babyshowers.asp
http://www.plan-the-perfect-baby-shower.com/index.html
http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-shower-planning-and-etiq...
http://www.preggiepeggy.com/etiquette.htm
http://www.babbee.com/shower_etiquette/

Hope this helps!
S.

Hi M.,

If the shower is for you, then you are right in feeling uncomfortable asking for gifts. Brides and expectant moms don't throw their own shower, it's against every rule of etiquette. When women have a baby shower, it's because friends or family members decided to host one.

Most people expect when they receive a shower invitation that there will be registry information. Most stores that you register in can give you cards that go into the shower invitations saying that you are registered there.

Some of the other posters offered you some good sites that whomever hosts the shower can go to for ideas. Some of my favorite baby shower activities have been:
Baby name game: go around the room starting at the letter A and go all the way thru the alphabet coming up with a boy's or girl's name for each letter
Have each guest write a message to the baby on an index card, you can make a great scrapbook out of this
Have each guest share one piece of parenting advice with the expectant mom
Have each guest bring an index card with a one dish recipe containing not more than 10 ingredients so that mom has ideas for simple dinners to prepare after baby is born

Good luck in preparing for baby!

Congratulations on your upcoming bundle of joy! For your shower, here are some suggestions:
Ask one of your close friends to serve as the official "organizer", even if you do most of the organizing. She will send out the invites and keep track of the RSVP's (also, if she has an email, let people RSVP either by phone or email -- you'll get more responses that way). On the invites, your friend can say on the bottom of the invite "Mom to Be is registered at Babies R Us and Target" (or whatever). This is how it is usually done and saves you the awkwardness of telling people where to shop for you.
As for what to do at the shower, try searching "Baby Shower Games" on the internet. You will get lots of sites that will give you suggestions. You can also search things like "How to host a baby shower", etc. For my shower, my sister-in-law hosted it and it was co-ed for the most part (guys were coming and going) -- we basically socialized and ate hors dourves for the first part (everyone had mimosas except me -- helped loosen people up, ha ha). Then we played a couple of games (don't do more than 2 or 3) and had cake and opened gifts. Very nice shower without too much hassle.

Good luck with everything!
~L.

that's about it...food, games and unwrapping gifts

One game that was hilariaous was the guests had to guess the wast measurement of the expectant mom. However each person had to measure it in toilet paper. Whoever got their pre cut toilet paper around the mom's waist won a prize. Also I have seen where men had to identify unmarked bottles of baby food by taste and had a diaper-changing race.

Have fun

I actually am doing this for my baby's first birthday but learnt about it from someone's babyshower. You can show a video montage from the day mommy and daddy got together(married or otherwise, it doesnt matter) to the day of the shower.
For my daughter's first birthday, I am doing her 1st year. I plan to show it on TV when the adults are eating. I got mine done at www.smilingsnaps.com and highly recommend it. I did do a lot of research on this and have other links as well if you want. Just msg me. The only reason I went with Smiling Snaps was becasue I had already seen it work on someone else's babyshower and also she was cheaper than most others.

Anyway, if you are interested in other businesses doing a similar thing as well, let me know.
Don.

I have a slew of suggestions all typed up in a word document which I can send you if you email me. Go to www.toysofdiscovery.com to contact me.

Congratualations!
Below is the website I used when planning my last baby shower. It has great ideas on baby shower games, planning, etiquette etc....
Most people expect registry information to be included when they recieve a baby shower invitation. Remember, they are celebrating a new life being brought into the world so like most other celebrations- birthdays, weddings etc., gifts will be given. You can include registry information at the bottom of the invite in smaller font and italicized-Registered at ..... along with the registry number or drop the registry cards given to you at the stores in the envelope with the invite. This helps to ensure you receive items you need/want and allows you to avoid the exchange lines later.
Hope this helps.
www.babyshower101.com

There are 2 games I thought were kinda fun at baby showers. One is everyone gets a plastic pacifier on a string to wear around their neck. If they say baby they have to give the necklace to the expectant Mom. Then it's kinda fun cause they can say baby and make everyone else say it by accident. This goes on through out the shower.
Also it's fun to get jars of baby food, number the lids, and make a list of the flavors so you don't forget. Then remove all the labels, and everyone has to guess what it is in the jar. Don't make them hard like mixed veggies though. I loved it cause it was easy for me since I already had kids. hehe

That's all I can think of, but since your friends are willing to help, let them do it all. It's not customary for the expectant Mom to throw her own shower. Especially since you are unemployed. All of your income should go to you and the baby right now. Not for purchasing and mailing invitations, and decorations. Have fun registering, and don't forget those cute, handy, wearable blankets!

Hi
You or whoever wants to email me, i have lots of ideas! Good Luck and Congratulations!

You don't usually throw a shower for yourself. It isusually done by your closest friends or family. They take care of it all you are usually surprised by the whole thing.

hi M....what resonated for me was that you offered that you were single and not working at the moment. With 30 people attending your shower i imagine you have alot of people who love you. As a midwife who also sees women after the birth, even those who received alot of gifts at their shower, married, the whole nine, i would ask you (and all women) to consider supportive-type gifts in the mix. Some of these would be paying for visits from a postpartum doula (help with breastfeeding, light cleaning), WRITTEN committments to bring food, do your laundry, clean or pay for a housekeeper for cleaning, etc. Most families don't realize until AFTER the birth how much they would have appreciated this type of help. I know this does not respond to your question on how to created a shower, but I offer these as ideas that might not be as apparent or on a registry. peace and a blessed birth, M.

Fill a bowl with raw uncooked rice and put in tiny safety pins---cover the person's eyes and see how many pins they can get.

Good Luck its hard