Baby showers?

[orriskitten]

My SIL is pregnant and ~7 months along. She has one other child (he is 2.5 but adopted and only in our family for 7 months. SIL got KU the week she found out she would be getting her son) and has never had a baby shower. I'd like to throw her one, but is this done outside of the states?

If not, I'm thinking of doing a small family party/shower for her since the family accepts me and my crazy American ways lol.

Just curious! I also plan on asking some friends here that are my age and MIL.

[pippilongstocking]

I don't know about Iceland but we do them in Australia!

[pittpurple]

No one ever has them here but I think anyone adding 2 kiddos to the family within a year deserves a party! I would personally do it as a celebration party without a huge emphasis on gifts.

This definitely varies by area though so I'd ask around where you live.

[frlcb]

I know my SIL in the UK has thrown several baby showers for friends, and that they are getting more common in the UK. I would do it.

[Deleted]

Going to my first UK baby shower this weekend. Was surprised at the invite but most people are Internationalers (Western European, Australian) and there are a few that are American or have lived in the states.

[potatopie]

They do them here in South Africa. And I'm always a proponent of getting a free pass for strange things because we're foreigners. It's the bulk of my excuses with MIL!

I can't see anyone not liking a party. The only fallback could be if some cultures think gifts before the baby is born are bad luck, but I think it's a pretty old-fashioned idea in any part of the world.

[orriskitten]

Sept 5, 2014 6:51:28 GMT -5 potatopie said:

They do them here in South Africa. And I'm always a proponent of getting a free pass for strange things because we're foreigners. It's the bulk of my excuses with MIL!

I can't see anyone not liking a party. The only fallback could be if some cultures think gifts before the baby is born are bad luck, but I think it's a pretty old-fashioned idea in any part of the world.

I need to make sure the gifts before baby being bad luck isn't a thing here. I know they don't share names before birth (asked SIL and just asked if it's something they share and she said usually not but they may have some ideas).

[orriskitten]

Thanks for all the input ladies! Going to talk with MIL about something soon!

[crimsonandclover]

Yep, I say it's best to ask others there to find out. My friends here in Germany threw me a shower for DD1, but that was because they knew I'm American and they actually contacted my parents to find out what to do at a baby shower Otherwise here it's often considered bad luck to give presents before birth. No clue about Iceland!

[rupertpenny]

I don't think baby showers are a thing in Iceland, but I don't think they are bad luck either. Christening is the really big deal, and in my experience people don't share the baby's name until they are christened. I had to wait over a month to learn my youngest nephew's name!