News of a cancelled baby shower can be unsettling, but doesn’t have to mean tragedy. While terribly sad endings do occur, many more cancelled baby showers actually result in happy endings. As someone who personally experienced pregnancy and birth challenges, and witnessed two sisters experience similar situations, the possibility is common enough. Anyone sending out baby shower invitations on behalf of a family or friend should be prepared for any of these:
- Mom gets put on bed rest and doesn’t want the party
- Baby arrives early and mom spends all her time in the NICU
- Repeat early labor scares are so upsetting and unsettling it’s just not the right thing
Baby Shower Invitations Have Already Been Mailed
Frightened and anxious, my sisters and I each made different decisions regarding our baby showers. We were each blessed with healthy happy babies in the end, shower or not! Even with some of the advantages of sisterhood–open and (brutally) honest communication–not all went smoothly. After many, MANY phone calls, we figured out some key things worth sharing with anyone faced with the possibility of cancelling a baby shower after baby shower invitations have been sent:
The “Need to Know” Rules:
- Ask the expecting mom what she wants to do. Let her sleep on it, and confirm it with her again at least a day later.
- Get her input on how you will contact her guest list (email, phone, follow-up note?)
- Review with her exactly what information you should share with guests. Everyone has a different degree of sensitivity and privacy during an at-risk pregnancy.
Guests:
- Make sure guests understand whether there is a cancellation or postponement
- Clarify where gifts should be sent in lieu of the shower
- Suggest how guests can reach out to the expecting mom during the remainder of her pregnancy
One way to make up a cancelled shower is to host a “sip-and-see”. This is a party designed for people to drop in and see the new mom and baby. Invite the same guests who received baby shower invitations; they’ll enjoy all the same fun–food, favors, friends–without the gifts, which would have been sent or given already. Find stylish, original baby shower invitations online for your expecting friends at www.looklovesend.com. You’ll be thrilled with our quality and fast turnaround!
