When you’re responsible for throwing a baby shower for your friend, the pressure is on! You’ll need to figure out party activities that entertain the mom-to-be and all her guests. At the same time, your party should express all the excitement everyone feels over the little one and provide loving support to the new mom. With so many people to please, the party-planning stage can feel overwhelming.

That’s where we come in! This baby shower guide is designed to explain all the tips, games, and gift ideas you need to plan the ultimate party. Keep reading to learn how to throw a baby shower in no time. And if you’re looking for baby shower gifts that are just for the mom (Nurtured 9’s specialty!), take a peek at our baby shower gift guide headquarters that’s packed with tons of gift ideas at various price points, or read on for some quick ideas.

Baby shower gift ideas

Baby Shower Tips

Although every party is different, there are several ways to help make every baby shower special. Check out these tips on how to throw a baby shower as you start party-planning:

Run ideas by the parent-to-be: The first step to throw a baby shower is to talk to the guest of honor and ask them what kind of party they want, such as any theme or guest preferences.
Set a date, time, budget, and guest list: You can’t move on with any party planning until these details have been taken care of. Make sure the date and time work with the guest of honor, and let the budget and guest list shape the location for the event.
Pick a theme: Think outside the box! No need to stick to pastels and the stork. Consider the baby’s nursery theme or the mother’s favorite things for inspiration.
Send out invitations: Four to six weeks before the event, mail the invites on paper or digitally. Don’t forget to include details about where the parents-to-be are registered.
Set the menu and decide on decor: Avoid anything the guest of honor has an aversion to, and make sure there’s food for any guests with special dietary needs. If the event is at a restaurant, communicate this menu with them, and ask if decor is allowed in the space.
Write a detailed agenda: To keep the party organized, create an agenda for each phase of the party, such as the arrival, activities, gifts, and dessert.
Choose simple party favors: When choosing party favors for guests, keep it simple and go with flowers, a few decorated cookies, or another token of gratitude that averages around $3 or $4 per person.

During the party, there’s a lot to keep track of. Your number one goal is to make sure everyone has a good time, especially the guest of honor. The tips below can help with that.

Be cognizant of personal struggles: Although everyone is there to celebrate the new parent-to-be, you’ll want to be sensitive to guests who may be struggling with infertility or a loss of pregnancy.
Keep an eye on the food and drink: No one wants to run out of snacks! Encourage people to eat, and make sure you replenish anything that runs out, especially if you’re offering a signature mocktail for the event, which we think it’s a wonderful idea.
Ask guests to address thank-you cards: To take some stress off the new parents’ plates by asking guests to address envelopes when they first arrive and randomly draw one of the envelopes for a prize later.
Pay attention to the guest of honor: It’s hard work being a mama-to-be, so if you notice she isn’t feeling well, it’s okay to tweak the agenda.
Prepare for gifts: Usually a highlight of the event, gift unwrapping can get a little crazy and messy. Before the guest of honor starts tearing into all the exciting packages, gather a notebook and pen to record gifts and delegate the task to a friend. Place a recycle bin and a pair of scissors nearby so you don’t have to hunt for them later.
Document the event: Like other big days in our lives, we tend to forget the details. Help the guest of honor remember the event long after it’s over by encouraging guests to sign a guest book and stop in the photo booth for a few selfies.

When the party's over, your work still isn’t quite done. Don’t forget these steps to wrap up the event.

Transport gifts: If you’re holding the shower somewhere other than the guest of honor’s house, you’ll need to transport gifts to her home. Many of the gifts parents receive at a baby shower are heavy and large (think strollers, car seats, and cribs), so you may need more than one car. This is a great detail to coordinate with mama’s partner.
Don’t let the guest of honor help with cleaning up: This is mama’s special day! And, chances are, she is going to be exhausted. Encourage her to put her feet up and relax while you clean up the decorations and food from the party.
Give the new mom the gift list: Don’t forget to give the guest of honor the list of gifts so she can write thank you cards before the baby arrives. Bonus points for handing her envelopes that are already addressed and stamped!

Baby Shower Gifts

Time to pick out the special gift that you’ll be giving mom-to-be (besides planning her baby shower, of course!). This is our favorite part! Our entire expectant and new mom gift shop, Nurtured9.com, has been curated by moms to contain the coziest, most soothing, and luxe essentials for maternity and postpartum. You can choose one of our signature pregnancy or new mom gift boxes or you can curate-your-own! Here are some of our bestselling pregnancy gifts:

The Mom and Baby Care Package: With a few items for mom (flowy lightweight robe, dry brush, bath bomb) and a few items for baby (sleepy bear lovey, swaddle, silicone teether, diaper caddy), this well-rounded baby shower gift basket has it all.
The Replenish and Restore New Mom/Postpartum Gift Box: Focusing more on mom’s breastfeeding journey, this postpartum gift box includes a chic nursing cover that provides privacy, Earth Mama organic nipple butter to soothe sore skin, a “Just For You Mama” water bottle to help keep mom hydrated, and a gorgeous nursing-friendly robe.
The Peaceful Postpartum New Mom Gift Box: From soothing tea to delicious cookies to plush cloud-like slippers to a non-toxic candle and matches to set a relaxing tone at home, this postpartum gift box is all about peace and rest for mom!
The Feel Good Pregnancy Gift Box: This gift box includes a cozy Nurtured 9 robe, a non-toxic candle, nourishing Zoe Organics belly butter, and soothing tea to help every mom-to-be feel her best.
The Spa Day Pregnancy Gift Box: This gift box features everything a mom-to-be needs to pamper herself, such as a beautiful Nurtured 9 robe, Mother Mother face and belly oil, Kitsch spa headband and rose quartz face roller, SnowFox Skincare sheet mask, and Ella + Mila nail polish.
The Soothing Recovery Postpartum Gift Box: This gift box comes with a pair of nursing-friendly Nurtured 9 maternity pjs, a postpartum cookbook filled with replenishing recipes for mom, a soothing sitz bath from Mother Mother, and a lightly-scented non-toxic candle to help Mom relax, rest, and recover after birth.

Shop Baby Shower Gifts

Baby Shower Games

Most baby showers involve baby-themed games for guests. However, these activities run the risk of being boring or even awkward. To make sure you choose games that won’t make the guests cringe, give these ones a try:

Guess Who? Parent Edition: Tape each of these printable cards with famous parents on each of the guests’ backs and give a prize to the first person to guess the name of their card.

Lullaby Emoji Pictionary: Have guests try to guess which popular lullaby the emojis in this printable pictionary game represent, and give a prize to the person who guesses the most correctly.

Other baby shower games we love are the Left Right game and Baby Shower Family Feud, which are both described in detail by our friends over at The Bump.

When you’re in charge of planning a baby shower, the process can feel daunting. However, by using these tips, games, and gift ideas, you’ll be well on your way to throwing every mom-to-be’s dream baby shower! When all else fails, remember to put mama first and fill her up with all of your love, well wishes, and support - you simply can’t go wrong with that sentiment guiding the way. Good luck and enjoy!