Hellobee Boards

Before! My mom didn't attend because she thought it was poor taste to have it before the baby arrived.

I've been to many baby showers, but they have all been after the baby was born (about 2-4 weeks old).

Before. In my religion/culture it's the norm to do it after.... but now a days everyone still does it before.

Before. I've never been a shower after the baby is born.

I've only been to ones before the birth, and never heard of someone doing one after the birth until I made a Jewish friend in adulthood. (Grew up in Ohio, so not exactly much cultural diversity growing up).

I much prefer before. The whole point of a shower seems to be to get stuff to prepare for the baby. If I had my shower after the baby was born I'd have to buy all that stuff myself and then what would there be left to buy after? Just clothes/toys? Meh.

I've always seen it done before. Not too early, but usually in the 3rd trimester.

I had all four showers that were done for us after LO arrived. From 3-6w on. Two were at our home, basically the hostesses came in and took over, which was actually fantastic!

I am in the camp of baby only needs so much in early days as is, and anything big ticket/purchase wasn't an appropriate thing to receive as a shower gift or register for, plus they all got to meet the baby, so after was the best option for us!

@kiddosc: to each their own like I said

To me carseat isn't something you register for, stroller was also something too much to register for in my opinion (ILs then gave it as gift). PnP we didn't use until months later and was a shower gift, and swing was loaned and even then not used until a couple weeks in!

I had never heard of having one after until I joined HB. From the South (US) for what it's worth. I've also never heard of it being inappropriate to register for things like a car seat. Everyone I know definitely has registered for big ticket items, and received most of them either from parents/grandparents, or people going in on one big gift together.

I've only been to one where it was after the baby was born, but the baby was born at 25 weeks. They wanted to wait until she was about to come home, but the baby didn't make an appearance at her own shower.

Personally I wouldn't want one afterwards. I was a hot mess for a long while after DS was born!

@Alivoo01: I like that one month celebration! It took a while for me to recover and get into the swing of being a mama.

@HellOnHeels: cool

I've never been to one after the baby was born, the only ones I've been two were a bit before the mama was due.

All before-- the only time I went to an after shower was because the baby was a preemie.

For our area, all showers take place before the "big event"-- so although it's *possible* that with a bridal shower, the wedding could be called off, the fiance could die in a freak hang gliding accident, etc., we still have the shower beforehand.

Around here, they are very rarely AFTER the birth, even if the parents don't know the baby's sex. Actually, @sapphiresun is the only person I *know* who's had one after...it just doesn't get done that way around here.