Tips for Hosting a Socially-Distanced Virtual or Drive-by Baby Shower

With social-distancing guidelines and lockdown orders still in place for the foreseeable future, planning a baby shower can seem lackluster. Don’t let Covid-19 ruin your pregnancy experience, host a virtual baby shower or a drive-by baby shower! In this article, we will discuss the different options you have for virtual baby showers, how they work, and tips for hosting one.

What is a Virtual Baby Shower?

A virtual baby shower is exactly what it sounds like. Friends and family come together online and celebrate the new addition to the family. There are a variety of online platforms that make this easier than ever. Not only that, but you can get really creative and enjoy time with friends, right from the comfort of your own home. Virtual baby showers allow everyone to meet at a designated time on an online platform and enjoy spending time together. No catering costs, no travel costs, and no risk of health problems.

What is a Drive-by Baby Shower?

A drive-by baby shower may not be for everyone, particularly if you live in a city or don’t have a car, but for some, it is a great option. A drive-by baby shower consists of your loved one’s driving by your house, honking, playing your favorite songs, and shouting their love and support. Typically, the time is chosen in advance and the family and friends line up like a parade and go by the house at the same time. This allows the mom to experience the love and support of their friends and family, without the risks of a large gathering. The attendees can also drop off their presents and skip the shipping costs.

Some family and friends may not live near the mother-to-be, so by incorporating a virtual baby shower ensures everyone gets a chance to share their love.

How to Host a Virtual Baby Shower or Drive-by Baby Shower

The main goal of hosting a virtual baby shower or a drive-by baby shower is to allow friends and family to show their support and love. If you had a person in mind to host a baby shower prior to the coronavirus pandemic, you can still ask them to do it! The planning process will be much less taxing, but they will still enjoy being able to help you out on your special day. Or, if you don’t want to burden a friend or family member, you can always host it yourself. Planning a virtual baby shower does not take as much effort as an in-person one and is much more manageable.

As a host, there are a few things you will need to consider.

• Where will you host the party? Online platforms such as Zoom, Facebook Messenger, FaceTime, and Skype are all great options. You will need to make sure that each person invited has access to the platform that you are hosting on. Some party-goers may be a little less technologically savvy and may need help figuring out how to navigate the platform.
• Send out Invites. You can make this as formal or informal as you want. You could send out a text message or an email with the details, or you could send a paper version in the mail. Just make sure to include the time, date, and any other information they will need. You can also include the registry information and the address of the mother-to-be.
• Choose Games and Themes. Just because the shower is online doesn’t mean you have to lose all the fun aspects of a baby shower. You can still play fun games and have a theme! It will all just be online.

• Open Gifts. You don’t have to, but a fun thing to do during the virtual shower is opening gifts. It allows guests to see your excitement and gives you an opportunity to show your appreciation.

• • Gift Ideas: If you are attending a baby shower, there are a variety of objects that a mother-to-be may want. Make sure to check their registry before choosing. If they don’t have a registry you can always stick with something practical like diapers, cream, wipes, or a postpartum girdle.

Tips for Hosting a Virtual Baby Shower or Drive-by Baby Shower

Hosting a virtual baby shower and making it fun and creative can feel like a lot of pressure. You don’t want people to get bored and you want to be able to have fun--even if you are socially-distanced. We put together a small list of tips for hosting a virtual or drive-by baby shower that are sure to make your day memorable.

Make the Most of Your Time

With virtual and drive-by baby showers, some people will not understand the idea. Make sure that everyone is able to access the meeting and knows how to navigate the program. If someone doesn’t know how to work it, you can always set up a time to help guide them through it before the part begins. This will ensure that everyone is ready and you don’t have to deal with any technical problems by the time the party starts.

Similarly, if you choose to open gifts during the party make sure you take the gift out of the extra packaging. If a gift was shipped in the mail, it likely came in a cardboard box. Make sure you take all of the gifts out of these boxes. That way they are ready to be opened when the time comes.

Having a general timeline for the party can also make it flow much smoother and easier. It can be as loose or as tight as you want it. It just depends on how much you want to get done.

Get creative

With many of the online platforms, you can display a customized background on your video. Get creative and design your own background, or make it into a fun gender reveal! You can have the background a neutral color at the beginning of the call. Then display blue or pink to reveal the gender to everyone. There is no limit to what you can do. With drive-by showers, you can decorate the front lawn and sit outside and wave to your friends and family.

Games

One of the best parts of a baby shower is undeniable, the games. They bring out a little competition and make the day more fun. Having a virtual or drive-by baby shower doesn’t mean you have to get rid of them. There are plenty of fun games you can play online. You can also use screen sharing to do fun fill-in games such as How Well Do You Know Mom or a game of The Price is Right.

Key Takeaways

Baby showers are a fun opportunity to celebrate and congratulate the new mother-to-be. Even with social-distancing and stay-at-home orders, you can still have a fun day with friends and family. Virtual and drive-by baby showers are increasing in popularity, and give loved one’s a chance to share their excitement.

Make the mother-to-be’s day special by sending them a Bellefit postpartum girdle. Not only is it a unique gift, but it is practical and helpful too. Bellefit’s postpartum girdles are designed to provide compression to the abdominal region which relieves pain and discomfort. Show your loved one you care by sending them one today.