f

3. A baby is
truly a bundle
of joy and it
well deserves
a warm
welcome in to
the world.
An important traditional family
event celebrated across the length
and breadth of the country with
the north of India celebrating it
as Godh Bharaai, as Seemandam
in South, as Valaikappu in Tamil
regions, as Srimanth in Gujarat
and as Shaad in Bengal. Every
region has a unique ritualistic
practice that signifies blessings
for the to-be-mother and the
baby.
03

4. 04

5. Organize the Shower
05

6. Traditional celebrations of baby shower call for a lot of guests and
the mother-to-be is the center of attention. Though this is a low-key
celebration, there are many things that families must take into account
before they organize the shower. This is the first celebration around the
baby and the event will leave behind pleasant memories for years to come.
Baby shower is also the occasion that will give the mom-to-be a positive
frame of mind as she prepares for labour. Here are some tips to plan and
manage the day:
∞ The time of celebration of godh
bharai differs between cultures.
Try to choose a public holiday.
This way none of your guests
can find excuses to miss the
event
∞ Choose a venue that is close
to your home. This will
help you cut down on the stress
of traveling and other logistics
∞ Start preparing the guest list
a month prior to the date of
the godh bharaai so that there
is ample time to design the
invite and ensure that no one is
missed out
∞ Take the help of your friends
to organize the décor and the
theme during the event
∞ Delegate. Make specific task
lists for the husband, the close
friend and the relatives in the
family. This will ensure that
there is only little for you to
handle
∞ Start planning and shopping
for things required for the
event theme and the games
∞ Start collecting the e-mail ids
of all the guests. This will make
it easy to send the invites in
one go, once the invite is ready
∞ Shop for return gifts and
plan ahead to take the help
of friends or family members to
wrap them
06

7. In many homes, traditional
practices dominate trendy new-
age themes for baby showers.
These are usually restricted only
to the close family members. You
and your husband can plan to add
a fun theme to the celebration.
Such theme based celebrations
give you an opportunity to invite
and celebrate with friends,
colleagues and neighbours.
Once the rituals for the day are
done with, thematic décor and
activities can take over.
Themes
∞ Pastels and baby colours can be the primary theme of the décor
∞ Guests can be seated on colourful plastic rocking chairs
∞ Drinks can be served in small feeding bottles
∞ Food can be served in bowls or baby plates
∞ Replace napkins with bibs
∞ Guests can be given small toys as gifts
∞ The parents-to-be can be asked to cut a fondant cake that is in the
shape of a pregnant belly or a diaper etc
∞ Guests can also be given badges such as Uncle-to-be, Cool-aunt-to-be
07

8. 08

9. Theme ideas:
Lady Bug Theme:
Lady bug is the most adored
insect and it represents
femininity. A lady bug theme for
your baby shower would be cute
and well received by your guests.
Here are some ways to bring the
theme alive:
∞ There are lady bug cushions
available that can be placed on
the chairs
∞ Little cut outs of lady bugs can
be hung from the ceiling
∞ The guests can be requested to
wear clothes in black and red
Rubber Duck Theme:
The rubber duck is the most
adorable toy that is used to keep a
child engaged.
∞ Small bowls of water with
rubber ducks floating on them
could be placed around the
room
∞ Guests can be made to walk
around like ducks
∞ Craft out duck beaks that can
be worn by the guests
Jungle/Safari Theme:
This theme gives a lot of scope for
arrangements:
∞ Leaves and greens can be used
for the décor
∞ Guests can be asked to dress
up as different animals
∞ The mother-to-be can herself
be dressed up as a pregnant
animal
∞ The spread of food can include
a lot of leafy salads
Flower/Garden:
Flower and gardens can represent
the blossoming of something new.
This is one of the best themes for
a baby shower:
∞ The entire room can be
decorated florally with many
designs
∞ The women can be asked to
wear flower bands
∞ The guests can also be asked to
make floral decorations as part
of the games
09

10. As the mother-to-be, you would be the center of the event. Baby shower
will have guests galore and many activities throughout the day. Most often
than not baby showers are organized when the mother-to-be is heavily
pregnant. While baby shower will give you something to look forward to,
the planning and the event itself call for a lot of work and involvement.
It is important not to strain yourself too much. Baby shower is your day
and you should make the best of the event without compromising on your
health.
Planning For Mom-To-Be:
∞ During a baby shower, feeling
comfortable in your clothes scores
over looking your best. Choose
traditional clothing sans heavy
work and that is light on your
body. The material you choose
can differ based on the season.
The make –up and henna can be
light so that it doesn’t hide your
pregnancy glow
∞ On the day, take ample rest
before the start of the function.
Hold a bottle of water close to you
and keep yourself hydrated
∞ The spread of food will have
many of your favourite dishes.
It is however important that
you don’t overload yourself as
overeating may cause discomfort.
Be polite and refuse too much
food that is offered to you. Eat
only to your capacity
10

11. Indian
Baby Shower Facts:
Wondering how your counterparts in other regions
celebrate their baby showers? Here is a peek into their
traditions. It will be exciting to exchange ideas between
cultures to make your shower more exciting. Indeed an
interesting idea and the right time for the birth of national
integration, isn’t it? ;-)
11

12. Godh Bharaai or Godh
Bharai means ‘filling-the-lap’ of
the mother-to-be with blessings
and gifts. Traditionally godh
bharai is celebrated with elders
placing gifts of cash and jewellery,
fruits and cash on the lap of the
pregnant woman
Valaikaappu which is
the traditional baby shower
celebration in Tamilnadu is
celebrated by stacking valayals
(bangles) on the hands of the
mother-to-be. These bangles are
not removed until labour. And
during labour they are removed
one by one to take the lady’s mind
off the pain of contractions
In the Gujrati Shrimant, the
junior brothers-in-law of the
pregnant woman gently press
her cheek to leave imprints of
vermillion. In our culture, the lil
bro-in-law is treated as a son. By
gently caressing the sister-in-law,
the brother-in-law reminds her
not to forget her pseudo son, just
because she is going to give birth
to her own child soon. The lady in
turn gives her brother-in-law gifts
to reaffirm her affection for him
and reminding him of his duties
of a soon-to-be uncle
In Shaad or the Bengali baby
shower, the pregnant woman is
served her favourite delicacies.
The idea is that a happy tummy
mommy will make for a happy
baby
Seemantham performed
by the south Indian Hindu
families is a religious
ceremony. A special paste
is made with tender banyan
leaves and poured into the
nostril of the pregnant woman
with a silk cloth. This is
supposed to confer immunity
upon the baby
Dohal Jevan celebrated in
Maharashtra literally means to
satisfy the food cravings of the
pregnant woman.
12

13. Unlikeotherevents,babyshowerisaboutyouandyourbaby.Intheprocess
of organizing the event, do not forget to think about yourself and how you
can make this event as memorable as possible. Small but significant things
that you do around this time will sustain the joy for a lifetime.
Tips
13

14. ∞ Baby shower is the right excuse
to have a pregnancy portfolio
done with your husband. Look
out for a good photographer who
can capture the special moments
that you can treasure for a
lifetime
∞ Right after the baby shower,
it is a good idea to plan a short
getaway or vacation before the
baby arrives. This will be the last
trip the two of you can take before
the baby comes and helps a great
deal to take your mind off the
stress of labour
∞ The cash gifts that you receive
during the baby shower can be
saved up to decorate the baby
room. Involve the guests at the
shower to suggest creative ideas
to do up the baby room
∞ Why not invite your
gynecologist to the shower?
Though her schedule may keep
her busy, it will be a nice gesture
to invite the person who gives
your little one its first welcome
into the world
∞ Through the baby shower,
your child starts receiving love
and care even before it is born.
Some children are however not
so lucky. Why not make this day
special by making a donation to a
children’s home?
14

15. The traditional customs of baby
shower can make the event a solemn
occasion. Including fun games to the
shower will make the day exciting for
both the mother-to-be as well as the
guests. The themes of these games
revolve around the baby and the
parents-to-be. Babies always bring
families together. These activities
provide opportunities for families to
bond well.
Games
15

16. ∞ The gender guessing game
is commonly played during
traditional godh bharai
ceremonies. The pregnant lady
is asked to pick a wrapped sweet
that could either be a pedha or a
barfi. It is believed that a pedha
means she is expecting a boy and
a barfi means she is expecting a
girl
∞ Chits of paper are given to the
guests. They are requested to
write down one blessing on the
paper. This can be just one word
or couple of phrases such as
‘Health’, ‘Wealth’ or can even be
light-hearted ones such as ‘world-
tour’, ‘Lamborghini’. These are
then dropped into a fish bowl.
The mommy to be can then read
out the blessings that her little
one has received. Alternatively,
the guests can be asked to read
out their blessings for the child
and this can be video taped
∞ A number of baby things
including diapers, bottles, and
pacifiers are laid out on a tray.
The guests are allowed to have
one look and the tray is covered.
The guests are then made to
recall the items and make a list of
them
∞ Participants are given baby
dolls and other material such as
diapers, baby powders, clothes
and so on. They are asked to
dress up the dolls in the shortest
time possible
16

17. As godh bharai is a celebration
involving a majority of women,
the gifting ideas revolve around
things that will be cherished by
the womenfolk:
Return
Gifts Ideas
∞ Scented diyas or candles
∞ Decorated jewellery boxes
∞ Embroidered scarves or stoles
∞ Mirror-work clutches/purses
∞ Hand-made thank you cards
with a photo of the guest
along with you
17

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