I came across Courtney's lovely blog Bliss & Baby Brain via Kiwi Mummy Blogs - another fellow New Zealand Blogger I happen to have a few things in common with. We are both stay-at-home mums, teachers by trade & new to the blogging world.
I recently asked Courtney if she would like to be a Guest Blogger and share one of her amazing & honest blogposts on Teacher by trade - Mother by nature. I was very happy when she replied Yes! So today she is here, sharing a post that she wrote earlier this month - "Second Pregnancies and Baby Showers"(3/11/14). I encourage you to head over to Courtney's blog and read some of her other posts and LIKE her Facebook page here for more regular updates.
Here's Courtney! Enjoy!
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| Bliss & Baby Brain |
Hi everyone! I'm Courtney; a 27 year old mama who has been blogging for nearly a year now...Mostly about (but not limited to) my opinions and experiences in this journey of motherhood. A Social Sciences teacher by trade, and we are just 2 weeks away from expecting another little blessing! What an honour it is being asked to guest post on this fantastic blog! Thank you Charlene and I hope you all enjoy.
Second Pregnancies and Baby Showers
Yesterday my best friend threw a baby shower for me in celebration of bubba #2, something I was hesitant about at first.
Having a baby shower for a second child is considered to not be very traditional, and since I had only just had one less than a year and a half ago, I kept telling my bestie I wasn’t sure about it when she’d bring up the subject.
But she kept insisting I should have one and that she wanted to organise it… and I’m so glad she did!
It is so important to celebrate each new life that you are bringing into the world. It doesn’t need to be a baby shower; it could be a simple brunch, a blessingway (I keep reading about how these are growing in popularity), a baby ‘sprinkle’ or ‘nappy shower’, a gender reveal party, anything at all to share the joy of your new baby with your loved ones.
I call yesterday’s celebration a ‘baby shower’ but the one thing I didn’t want a big focus on this time was the gift-giving aspect. We were so spoilt last year and there really isn’t a lot we need to buy this time around. I wanted most of all to just celebrate with the people closest to me and for there to not be any pressure on them to bring along a present.
Yesterday’s celebrations were also a great opportunity for me to take some time out. My partner and daughter headed out for the day and stayed the night at his family’s home, giving me some time to rest. Typically, I had a terrible sleep without them and still woke up at 6.30 (sigh!) but it was definitely nice to have an evening / morning with just me and the bump. I recently wrote about how different this pregnancy has been (here) and how it feels like it’s whizzing by unnoticed at times. It was so great to bring my focus back to our new arrival.
I have read comments online on this topic that are mostly quite positive, however the odd person has said that it is rude, inconsiderate and tacky to have another baby shower, particularly if gifts are given. What about parents who have a huge gap in age between children? Or perhaps are having a child of a different gender for the first time? Or simply are so busy being parents already that they just haven’t had the time to really think about and get excited for their new arrival? If someone offers to throw you a baby shower / sprinkle / brunch / blessingway or whatever, don’t feel embarrassed! The people who truly care about you will want to celebrate with you, and if they think it is in bad taste well that’s their problem and they don’t have to attend.
If it’s something you truly don’t feel comfortable with then obviously it’s ok to go ahead and politely decline the offer, but don’t do so because you’re worried about what everyone else will think. There are no “rules”. Why do people keep referring to all these imaginary “rules” about baby shower etiquette that they just pulled out of thin air? What imaginary person is going to punish you for not following these “rules”? I mean honestly.
Don’t we want every child to know that there was joy and anticipation surrounding their birth? Do SOMETHING to celebrate the impending arrival of all your children, whatever that may be. Create memories and stir up some excitement for both you and your family.
Courts xox
Thank you so much for being my first Guest Blogger, Courtney. It was an absolute pleasure having you here! I wish you all the best for the upcoming birth of your second child and look forward to following your blogging/motherhood journey. Arohanui,
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