When to Send Out Baby Shower Invites

Curious about when to send out baby shower invites? We’ll take you through the details.
The first thing to know is there’s no one-size-fits-all schedule when it comes to organizing a baby shower.

It’s all about what works best for you.

With that in mind, here are some helpful tips that can help you plan your special day.

(And when we say you, we mean whoever is organizing the party. It’s often a friend, family member, or coworker. But again, no strict rules here.)

Ready to dive into the details? Let’s go.

In this article 📝

How far in advance to send baby shower invites

Giving your guests enough time to plan can help ensure that your nearest and dearest can attend.

It also gives you enough time to set up a registry — if that’s what you’d like to do — and for everyone to prepare.

But, there’s a catch here.

Sending out your invites too soon may increase the chances that those invites will get lost in an inbox or a drawer.

So, a good compromise is to send them out about four to six weeks before the shower.

Which brings us to the next all important question:

When should you hold your baby shower?

Again, don’t worry about getting this “right”.

Rather, think of making the day meaningful and enjoyable.

And that may mean hitting the sweet spot in your pregnancy.

For some, the first trimester can come with some uncomfortable symptoms.

Yep, that concoction of nausea, fatigue, and searing heartburn can be a potent mix.

And then there’s the other side of the timeline.

As you inch closer to your due date, you might be pretty pooped.

Sleep may be more difficult to come by, and you may be feeling aches and pains in all sorts of interesting places. (Hello, Lightning Crotch!)

The other factor? Newborn babies sometimes like to arrive fashionably early.

Put that all together, and it’s a good idea to leave enough time between your due date and your shower.

That’s why it’s common to have a baby shower at the beginning of the third trimester, somewhere between the sixth and eighth month.

But there are so many other things that might want to consider when you’re figuring out your calendar.

You may want to factor in the weather. (Sunny picnic, anyone?)

You might want to make sure that your great aunt is in town for the weekend.

Or you might want to wait until you go on maternity leave.

You do you, according to your own unique set of circumstances.

But as a rough guide, let’s do the math:

• Let’s say you plan your baby shower for about month seven.
  
• Minus six weeks, so that your guests have ample time to respond and plan.
  
• That means sending out invitations at around the middle of month five, or in the second half end of your second trimester.

How much time do you give guests to RSVP to a baby shower?

Giving your guests two weeks to reply will give you enough time to tick off your to-do list according to exact numbers.

You may also want to send a reminder a few days before the deadline to help make that happen.

If children are invited, be sure to mention this in the invite.

And ask your guests to confirm if their children will be coming on the day.

And here we go, stuck-recording about this again, but these are only guides.

There are so many ways to do baby showers.

If you feel like having an impromptu shower where you tell your guests a few days before, that can work too.

You can then opt for a baby sprinkle, which is a more low-key affair.

Or you can choose to have a virtual shower, which requires a different kind of planning.

A baby shower (in all its different variations) is meant to celebrate and provide support for the new mama-and-baby combo.

How you do that is up to you.

What is the etiquette for baby shower invitations?

Baby shower invites can be printed out and mailed or sent out digitally.

They can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish.

If you feel like getting crafty, it can also be fun to think up a theme or color scheme for the baby shower and plan the invites around that.

Or you can simply send a text or social media message.

Whichever method you choose to use, here is a template of useful info to include:

• The name of the mama-to-be
  
• Date
  
• Time
  
• Location
  
• Contact details of the person to RSVP to
  
• Baby registry details, if one has been set up. If not, and you want to mention gifts, it can help to offer guests gift-giving info and ideas. This could include the planned color or theme of the baby room, or a list of essential items that are still on the shopping list.

And finally, a baby shower is all about cultivating community around the birth of the new baby.

That’s what matters.

Of course, it’s nice to put effort in to do this into a memorable occasion.

But it also doesn’t have to be a source of stress.

If you feel checking in with other mamas about their baby shower experiences, join us on Peanut.

💡 More baby shower tips from The 411:
28 Show-Stopping Maternity Photoshoot Dresses
10 Baby Shower Themes for Boys
10 Baby Shower Themes for Girls
What to Wear to a Baby Shower
25 Baby Shower Food Ideas
What to Write in a Baby Shower Card
Baby Shower Favors: Ideas, Cost, and More
15 Baby Shower Games
7 Fun & Memorable Gender Reveal Games
26 Ideas for Baby Shower Prizes
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10 of the Most Fun Virtual Baby Shower Games
The Ultimate Baby Shower Playlist
Our Top 10 Baby Shower Venues
25 Baby Shower Decorations Ideas: Costs, Etiquette & Inspo