To be precise, anything can happen anytime as long as everyone enjoys it. There is no right way or wrong way—anything goes well. But the idea should be to make everyone comfortable and make the mom-to-be feel proud and happy at her shower.

Showers are a great tradition to congratulate the new mom and her family, shower her with lots of gifts and blessings. Games are lots of fun and especially good to play if guests do not know each other well. In that case games act as a big icebreaker. Typically, three to five games are played at a baby shower, depending on how much time each baby shower game takes. The winner of each game sometimes is given a small gift from the hostess as a prize.

Basic Tips And Hints:

• Be prepared! Have enough pens, pencils, erasers and paper on hand for any game you decide to play.
• If it is a couples shower, include the games that men and women both can enjoy.
• Try to include the party games that mom-to-be can participate in from her cozy chair.
• Have gifts for the winners such as: scented candles, potpourri, crystal vases, picture frames, address books, day planners, movie passes, plants, coffee mugs, gourmet coffee, hand mirrors, bath soaps, flowers, etc.

Although the traditional showers were “ladies only” celebrations, these days men are also being included. The baby shower is usually held about 4-6 weeks before or after the birth. Literally there are no specific guidelines to celebrate the baby party, just plan what you think everyone will enjoy.

However, a well planned and an easy-flowing shower can be something like this:

Pre-shower events:

• You should do thorough planning to invite everyone close to the mom-to-be and her family.
• Send the invitations well ahead of time around 4-6 weeks in advance.
• If you have a special theme let everyone know on the invitation.
• To plan a surprise baby shower or not should be decided carefully.

During the shower activities:

• Upon arrival, greet the shower guests, make them comfortable, put the gifts on the gift table, take their coats, pin on their name tag and offer them a beverage.
• Provide a gift table near where the mom-to-be will be seated to open them. As guests arrive, ensure their envelope or gift tag is securely attached to their gift before putting it on the table.
• Introduce them to other guests.
• When everyone has arrived, start with an icebreaker game to get things started.
• Now is the time to serve light beverages to everyone.
• If serving a meal, let the guests know when to help themselves.
• Provide seating chair and tables to the senior ladies for meal.
• When the meal is over, serve dessert.
• While guests are enjoying their desserts, the mom can open her gifts.
• Play one last game and pass out any gifts for the shower guests to gently bring the shower to a close.

As these are one-time events for many couples, try to capture every single moment with the help of still photography, videography and voice recording. Give the mother-to-be and the guests something to remember and cherish these special.

Generally at showers light snacks and beverages are served. However, as the hostess, you decide on the food, if it will be catered, etc.

With careful planning your shower will be a fantastically fun and memorable event for the guest of honor and all of the shower guests!

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy has dozens more baby shower related articles such as Baby Shower Invitations and Free Baby Shower Games

Pregnancy can be exciting or daunting, depending on the circumstances. Do you suspect you’re pregnant? Below are some of the tell-tale first signs of pregnancy.

Most women mark the first missed period as the first sign of pregnancy, but a missed period can be caused by a number of factors. A large change in diet, exercise or stress level can also contribute to a missed period.

Some women experience spotting about two weeks after the first day of the previous period as the first sign of pregnancy. This spotting is caused when the fertilized egg implants in the uterus and is usually very light.

Mood Swings caused by hormonal surges early in pregnancy can be more severe than those experienced during PMS. Often this is the first symptom of pregnancy noticed by family members!

Breast tenderness and enlargement, caused by the breast preparing for breastfeeding is especially common during very early pregnancy, but often disappears after a few weeks. Darkening areolas, or the area around your nipples, occurs soon after conception and may persist throughout the pregnancy.

Fatigue is an early sign of pregnancy, but also a sign of many other conditions.

Nausea and vomiting, sometimes referred to as morning sickness, ranging from queasiness to severe vomiting that can manifest just in the morning (when hormone concentrations are highest) or all day.

Changes in appetite and food cravings often plague the newly pregnant woman and can occur early in the pregnancy right through delivery.

If you are experiencing any combination of these symptoms, and you suspect that you may be pregnant, try a home pregnancy test. These tests detect the level of pregnancy hormone (HCG) in your urine. If you test positive, you should make an appointment with your doctor to begin prenatal care!

Maria writes for Pregnancy Due Date, a site that tries to information for expectant mothers. For more great pregnancy articles, visit our Pregnancy articles archive.

Your baby shower invitation wording can be either generic or specific. If you know the gender of the baby, then you should try to create gender specific wording for the baby shower invitation. There are wonderful little sayings for baby boys, as well as wonderful sayings for baby girls. But if the gender’s not yet known, don’t worry. There are many standard wording options as well.

You will find ideas online for twins, triplets, and even adoption baby shower invitation wording. You can search for ideas in many places, but the best place to look for anything in our world today is the Internet. Many invitation websites have what’s called ‘Wording Libraries’ where they offer hundreds of wording options for you. Your baby shower invitation wording could be in the form of a quote or baby poem. Wording for invitations can be casual or formal depending on the overall style and theme of the event. Just be sure to be consistent. People will assume that casual wording means it’s going to be a casual event!

Your baby shower invitation wording needs to contain some important information, like the time, date, location, and the names of the guests of honor! Don’t forget to include where the mother or mother to be is registered for gifts. And perhaps you’re throwing a surprise baby shower - what fun! Just be sure to tell your guests to keep it quiet in the baby shower invitation wording. Here is a sample wording for baby shower invitations when you want to keep the big event a surprise:

Shhh! It’s a Secret!
A Surprise Baby Shower for
Anne Marie Glenn
and newborn Joe Steven

Date:
Time:
Place:
RSVP:
Registered at:

Here is a sample wording when the invitation is for an adopted baby:

Let’s rejoice with the Thompsons
as they welcome

Lily May

to their family.

Date:
Time:
Place:
RSVP:
Registered at:

Whatever you decide to say on your baby shower invitation, be sure to proofread your baby shower invitation wording and spelling to make sure that all of the information is correct. It would be a shame to order and pay for so many baby shower invitations, only to find printing mistakes and have the shipping delayed because of waiting for reprints. Taking time to proofread in advance is always a wise idea.

And if you’re not sure what to say, or if you’re not sure if the information is clear or if you wonder if it sounds all right, then don’t hesitate to get a second opinion. Family and friends can help you, and many vendors will have customer service representatives standing by ready to assist with wording for invitations.

While you’re ordering or creating the wording for your baby invitation, don’t forget to consider the wording of your thank you notes! Often these are ordered at the same time and made to match the invitations. Again, your wording can include poems quotes, etc. and you will want to keep the same style, color, or theme. Hopefully, you know the mother well enough to know what her preferences are.

And if you’re not trying to keep the baby shower event a surprise, then go ahead and ask her or her close family members about her opinions about the baby shower invitation wording. She may appreciate being a part of the decision making process, or she may be just as happy to have someone else make some decisions for her, so her mind can be on other important things, like preparing for the new baby’s arrival!

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy has dozens more baby shower related articles such as Baby Shower Centerpieces, Free Baby Shower Games and Baby Clipart.

Ectopic is another way of saying “out of place”. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants itself somewhere outside of the uterus. Although most ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes, embryos can also implant in the ovaries, abdomen or cervix. None of these sites will provide the fertilized egg with enough space or nutrients to properly develop, and the resulting fetus will eventually rupture the space that it inhabits, usually causing extensive bleeding that will endanger the mother’s life.

Since most early pregnancy symptoms, missed periods, nausea and breast tenderness, also occur in ectopic pregnancies, these pregnancies can be difficult to detect. However, pain can be the first indication of a problem, and blood loss from the rupture of the implantation site also causes low blood pressure, dizziness or fainting. Some ectopic pregnancies present with lower back pain and sharp pain in the pelvis or abdomen.

A quantitative blood test to measure the traces of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (HCG) in the blood is often used in the initial diagnosis. If the hormone levels are lower than expected, an ectopic pregnancy may be the cause. The blood test is often followed with a pelvic or ultrasound exam to check for the presence of the developing fetus in the uterus. Another test, called a culdoncentesis, is used to check for internal bleeding and involves the insertion of a needle into the top of the vagina and behind the uterus. Blood present in this area is usually caused by a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.

Treatments for this type of pregnancy vary depending on the location and size. Methotrexate can be injected into the earliest stages of the pregnancy to dissolve the fertilized egg. However, as the pregnancy progresses, laparoscopy or surgery may be needed to remove the fetus.

Maria writes for Pregnancy Due Date, a site that tries to information for expectant mothers. For more great pregnancy articles, visit our Pregnancy articles archive.

Baby shower recipes are available on the Internet and in various cook books. It is a great idea to have a wide variety of snacks, drinks, and desserts since people enjoy so many different things. Most people who are planning a baby shower plan a few simple appetizers. Some juice, pop, perhaps a punch, and some desserts such as cake and cookies. Try to stick to the baby shower theme and basic flavors and your culinary work will be appreciated by all that attend.

There are cook books at your local book store that offer great ideas for baby shower recipes. There are many cook books that guide you through entertaining a variety of occasions, not only baby showers. Some of these parties could be bridal showers, Halloween parties, and holiday entertaining, not just baby shower parties.

One of the tastiest treats at a baby shower is baby shower punch. This type of baby shower punch is quite delicious and always alcohol free. The new or expectant mother would surely like to enjoy some as well! There are many different types of baby shower punch recipes. Some of the most delicious we’ve tried for a baby shower are as simple as orange juice, Sprite, and orange sorbet.

If you do a search on the Internet for baby shower punch recipes you are sure to find many baby shower recipes to choose from.

If you prefer, you can always have some white wine or champagne on hand to add to each cup of the punch. Be sure to check with the new mom if this is okay with her.

Baby cake is another must-have treat at a baby shower. A baby shower cake can be any sort of cake that you choose, shaped into a baby-type shape. This can be anything really, but the most popular shapes for baby showers are bottles, diaper pins, and teddy bears. Chocolate or vanilla are the most popular type of cake used to make a baby cake. You can do something a little different though with black forest, angel food, or marble cake for your baby shower.

Of course there is the other type of baby cake. It is essentially a gift basket containing items for the new parents and baby. These are usually referred to as baby diaper cakes or just simply a diaper cake.

Appetizers are also a must at a baby shower. You should have a variety of different types. Be sure to have some vegetarian ones since many people don’t eat meat these days. Keep in mind that seafood allergies, especially to shellfish are also common.

A great type of appetizer is baked brie. This is always a hit at baby showers and so easy to make. All you need is a round of brie placed into a baking dish. Place garlic cloves and sun dried tomatoes on top and bake at a medium temperature for approximately 15 minutes. It should melt nicely and the cloves of garlic should be soft. This goes well with crackers or baguette rounds for your baby shower party.

Some other baby shower recipes could be finger sandwiches, crackers and cheese, spinach dip, veggie plates, and fruit plates. If you are expecting a large crowd to show up you may want to consider asking some close family members to help with the baby shower food. Making all these appetizers may sound simple, but if you are planning baby shower food for 20 or so people you could be in the kitchen for hours.

The Internet is a great resource for finding help and guidance for all of your baby shower planning.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy has dozens more baby shower related articles such as Baby Shower Centerpieces, Free Baby Shower Games and Baby Clipart.