Nesting Parties - The Coolest New Trend in Parenting Preparation
What’s the difference between a baby shower and a nesting party?
A baby shower focuses on the baby. It focuses on STUFF. Some stuff is good and useful — a baby needs a place to sleep, a car seat, some clothes, a few bottles or boppies or burp cloths. But if you end up with too much stuff, you just have to sort it out and manage it and find a way to give it away later. If you're a first time mom, you may really want —or need — to have a baby shower. Just be aware that you might not need twenty adorable onesies or a dozen stuffed animals, and the money spent on those items might be better spent elsewhere (see ideas in the downloadable PDF below).
"I wish I would have ‘said no thank you’ to so many given clothes, and put less on my registry... I got sucked up into needing all the things... I only use about 20% of what we got. It was a lot of work to donate, and return things after the baby arrived." E.B.
"I wish they'd put all the money they wasted on toys and fancy baby clothes into a cleaning service once a week. And food we actually wanted to eat (instead of what they cooked)."
On the other hand, a nesting party is focused on preparing the home and the family. Close friends can come to help deep clean the house or prepare meals. Co-workers or distant relatives can contribute gift certificates or money towards house cleaning or pet-care services, restaurants or meal- delivery, or doulas or mother’s helpers. A nesting party focuses on providing you with the support you need to have more snuggle time with your baby and more "me" time to take a long hot shower or get in a nap after your baby is born.
"Planning a nesting party opens the conversation of what a family's needs will be after birth and how people can help out. You need that support whether it's your first baby or your fifth!... It allows the guests to feel like they really made a difference." (Instead of Baby Showers, Expecting Moms are Throwing Nesting Parties)
Remember that the goal of a Nesting Party is to set up a family for success after their baby is born. This can be a new concept for both expectant parents and guests. So take the time to think about how you want to reframe the traditional baby shower into its modern-day version.
“I wish I had thought more about the support I would need after baby was born. I hardly knew what I needed, but I just knew I needed SOMETHING...” says Laura Baker, pregnancy/newborn photographer.
Now go have fun planning for your amazing postpartum time, and the Nesting Party that will help you achieve it! And if your friends can’t help themselves and still give you a cute onesie, oh well...
To learn more, download my free PDF by entering your name and email address below. Within the next few minutes, you will receive an email containing the link to download your free PDF to get started having your own nesting party today!
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