Top Baby Shower Trends

Showers have changed quite a bit in recent years.  They have become more adult-themed, more practical, even including the dads-to-be.  Just take an upcoming childbirth, add good food, good friends, good conversation, and have a shower the parents-to-be will love!

The shower doesn’t have to be “traditional”, there are so many options, from the mini-shower “sprinkle” to fun events that parents enjoy to a gift theme that all babies need, like diapers (Diaper Dinner), meals (Supper Solutions), and books (Storytime showers).

1. Long Distance Showers and Virtual Baby Showers
Let's face it, no one goes to a shower for the games.  Maybe for the food.  But mostly to celebrate and honor Mom and the new arrival.  But what do you do when the new Mom or Dad live 100's of miles away from friends and family.  Solution - Long distance shower.  My favorite idea is when the host coordinates with the guests to send gifts at staggered points, so the parents-to-be receive gifts almost every day in the weeks before Baby arrives.  Who doesn't love to get mail?  Plus, it supports the postal service, who I think we all agree could use an influx of cash right now. Dwell on Joy threw a long distance shower for her sister-in-law, I love how she organized it.

 

I love her wording, SO cute.  Plus, this is what she sent to the new Mom and Dad to tell them about the shower: 

2. Diaper Dinners
This is a great idea for repeat moms, who already have some kids clothes, the stroller, the pack n play, the crib, and all that other Baby Gear.  What Any mom needs, whether it’s their 1st or 10thchild, is diapers.  The Diaper Dinner is a great alternative Baby Shower, where everyone can get together, eat, visit, and have a great time, while stocking Mom with a much needed stash of diapers.  You never know which diapers will work with the new Baby, depending on skin sensitivity, skinny vs. chubby fit, etc.  It’s great for Mom to have a small amount of many different brands so she can see what works on her baby.  Prep can be as simple as friends getting together for a potluck or as fancy dinner party as you like. Good food, good friends, good conversation, and a well stocked closet of diapers.  What more could expectant parents want?

3. Sip and See
The Sip n See is for after the Baby is born.  Sip champagne or Mom’s favorite drinks, see the New Baby.  Mom gets a chance to see friends and family, friends and family get to visit mom and see/hold a new baby! Check out some great pictures and ideas at Hostess with the Mostess' blog:

4. Sprinkle
A sprinkle is just like it sounds – a mini shower.  YES, it IS okay to have a shower for Mom’s 2nd, 3rdor 8th baby.  All babies can and should be celebrated.

5. Mother Blessings
What a great way to celebrate not only the upcoming Baby, but Mom and the upcoming wonderful yet challenging transition in her life. Mom will be pretty busy and exhausted when Baby comes.  What better than to have a day to celebrate and enjoy herself. Maureen over at Homemade Mothering hosted a Knitting shower.  Each of the attendants knit a square, and all were combined to make a blanket for Baby.  They had someone there to teach the entire group.

6. Event shower
Choose something where everyone can participate that Mom enjoys - Spa/Pamper day, Movie night, Hiking in the woods, Bowling, Scrapbooking, the possibilities are endless.

7. Gender Reveal Shower
Let everyone find out together if it's a boy or girl - Decorate for each side – boy vs girl.

8. Supper Solutions
For new parents, even eating can be a challenge.  Shower the parents-to-be with frozen crock pot meals, casseroles, soups, one handed foods, everything they need to easily eat with they are too exhausted to think

9. Storytime Shower
Every baby needs a library!

10.  Eco friendly Baby Showers
Parents everywhere are going green as they prepare for the new addition.  Support their efforts with eco-friendly options, like nontoxic baby toys and essentials, reusable serving ware and decorations, cloth diapers.

*** OTHER IDEAS ***

Vintage
So many things you can go with for this theme. Lilac n Lavendar has some lovely ideas and printables:

Got any great shower tips?  Let us know on our Facebook page:www.facebook.com/diaperdabbler.  

Here’s one to get you started: Unwrap Presents As Guests Come In: as guests came into the party, steer them towards a table where the parents-to-be open the gift on the spot. Each and the new parents get a little one on one time, allowing them to give an personal thank you for the gift that was brought. The gifts can then displayed on a table so everyone can see, making a great conversation starter.

4 Essential Diaper Creams to keep on Hand

First and foremost, protect Baby’s skin, especially for that long nighttime stretch consider using a light cream.   Remember that Baby’s skin is very thin and sensitive, so take care what you put on it.

Baby Center photo by Joe Shlabotnik

That said,

Babies get diaper rash.  You can do all you can to prevent diaper rash (#1 - change diapers frequently).  You can switch diaper brands and change from disposable to cloth and back again, but Diaper Rashes happen.  There’s teething, food sensitivities, too much pineapple one day, or that middle of the night poop that no one woke up to. But Rash Happens. 

I always prefered to start with something thin and gentle.  Coconut oil, olive oil, and breastmilk are both natural options to protect and heal minor skin irritations, as well as plenty of fresh air. 

Butt Paste – This was always my go-to.  Glides on smoothly with castor oil, Butt Paste has active ingredients including Zinc Oxide, 16%, Aloe Vera, and Beeswax.

Another soothing, natural option includes Burt's Bees.  With 4.6 stars from over 220 reviews on Amazon, Burt's Bees Baby Bee Diaper Ointment has rave reviews.  With sweet almond oil as the first ingredient, followed by zinc oxide, calendula, lavendar oil, vitamin E and other products, it's an effective, sensitive solution. The only red flag in the diaper ointment is it’s source of vitamin A - Retinyl Acetate. 

A+D Zinc Oxide Cream; Uses 10% Zinc Oxide and Dimethicone 1% to heal the rash.  A & D includes Aloe Vera, and coconut oil, cod liver oil (source of the vitamin A and D for healing), beeswax.  It’s not at thin as Butt Paste, but still pretty smooth.   Negatives are fragrance and mineral oil, synthetic beeswax, Benzel alcoholol

Triple Paste is essential for every mom to have on hand.  This is the emergency, guaranteed to work  diaper rash healer.  When nothing else worked, this was always my go-to.  With a higher percentage of Zinc Oxide 12.8% (Skin Protectant), Triple Paste also includes cornstarch, beeswax and oat kernel extract to help heal the skin.

CJ’s BUTTer is the only one from this list I have not tried.  The skin-friendly ingredient list includes shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, lanolin, beeswax, cocoa butter, Vitamin E (derived from soy), gluten-free colloidal oatmeal, and essential oils.  This is one of the few cloth diaper friendly creams available.  What I love about this is that it is available in a Spritz!  Instead of spreading/dabbing on a cream, and possibly causing irritation from friction, you can just spritz on the protectant.  I LOVE this idea!  Hard to find locally, you’ll have to check out a specialty store or order online. 

If the diaper creams aren’t working or the rash worsens, call your pediatrician.  If you have ANY concerns about a rash or change in your baby’s skin, it never hurts to give Baby’s pediatrician a call, if for no other reason that reassurance.  Your baby may need a prescription or an exam to determine if the issue is yeast or a bacterial infection to receive appropriate treatment.

Common sense disclaimer:

This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE.  The author nor publisher takes responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

Earth's Best Diapers

Earth's Best - Would you like to try a sample?

Considerations, Research and More

Owned by an American company, The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.

Earth's Best diapers are produced in Mexico, as are other brands like The Honest Company and Nurtured by Nature.  

No dioxin concerns here!  These diapers are Chlorine-free, latex-free, dye-free, perfume-free, which really helps reduce allergic reactions. 

The diapers use corn and wheat to reduce the amount of SAP in their products.  These diapers are also narrow and trim, with a silky outer feel.

Newborn: covers up to 10 lbs is one of the smallest brands at 4”x6” and does not have an umbilical cord notch or the wetness indicator you see in many brands.  (The wetness indicator is a chemical that reacts/changes color when wet, so no indicator means 1 less chemical)

Size 1: covering 8-14 lbs, adds a little height, with 4”x6.5”. 

Size 3: covers 16-28lbs is also one of the narrowest  brands, 4.5” wide, 8” tall

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) certification of compliance

***Disclaimer***

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Diaper Dabbler, LLC (also referred to as Diaper Dabbler) is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the site. While the information contained within the site is periodically updated, no guarantee is given that the information provided in this Web site is correct, complete, and up-to-date.  Links from Diaper Dabbler to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by Diaper Dabbler of the parties or their products and services and Diaper Dabbler has not investigated the claims made by any advertiser. All of the information within was based solely from respective company websites and/or respective customer services departments. Although Diaper Dabber may include links providing direct access to other Internet resources, including Web sites, Diaper Dabbler is not responsible for the accuracy or content of information contained in these sites. Consumers are encouraged to read the package labels for the most current information and contact respective customer services with questions.  Individual company/brand links, including their customer services and FAQ’s have been provided.  The below was collected for informational / educational purposes only and no comparisons between companies were intended or should be inferred.  Every effort was made, using paraphrasing and direct quotes, to ensure the accuracy of the information.  No inferences should be drawn from the information.    Diaper Dabbler LLC is not responsible for any inaccuracies.  If you do notice an inaccuracy, please contact us.  Any errors will be corrected within a reasonable timeframe.

Target Up & Up

Target Up & Up

Target Up & Up - Would you like to try a sample?

Considerations, Research and Samples

Cost:	$
Company:	Target Corporation
HQ Location:	Minneapolis, MN, USA
Website:	www.target.com
Contact:	www.target.com/HelpContent?help=/sites/html/TargetOnline/help/contact_us/contact_us.html
Diaper Features:	No chlorine, no petrolatum; “No lotions, parabens or latex”; Hypoallergenic; May contain natural aloe, chamomile, Vitamin E. May include:  ·         Polyethylene or polypropylene films and fabrics ·         Block polymer construction adhesives ·         Wood pulp (all are ECF – Element Chlorine Free bleaching) ·         Polymeric substitutes for latex ·         Polyacrylate super absorbents ·         Organic substance based inks
Absorbent Material:	polymer
Environmental:	Link to corporate responsibility information:http://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility

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***Disclaimer***

Diaper Dabbler, LLC (also referred to as Diaper Dabbler) is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the site. While the information contained within the site is periodically updated, no guarantee is given that the information provided in this Web site is correct, complete, and up-to-date.  Links from Diaper Dabbler to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by Diaper Dabbler of the parties or their products and services and Diaper Dabbler has not investigated the claims made by any advertiser. All of the information within was based solely from respective company websites and/or respective customer services departments. Although Diaper Dabber may include links providing direct access to other Internet resources, including Web sites, Diaper Dabbler is not responsible for the accuracy or content of information contained in these sites. Consumers are encouraged to read the package labels for the most current information and contact respective customer services with questions.  Individual company/brand links, including their customer services and FAQ’s have been provided.  The below was collected for informational / educational purposes only and no comparisons between companies were intended or should be inferred.  Every effort was made, using paraphrasing and direct quotes, to ensure the accuracy of the information.  No inferences should be drawn from the information.    Diaper Dabbler LLC is not responsible for any inaccuracies.  If you do notice an inaccuracy, please contact us.  Any errors will be corrected within a reasonable timeframe.