January 6, 2026
Alternatives to Traditional Baby Showers: Podcast Episode #324
In this episode of Ask the Doulas, Kristin Revere of Gold Coast Doulas explores creative ways families and friends can celebrate pregnancy, honor expecting parents, and offer support without the typical party format. From meal trains and nesting parties to postpartum prep gatherings and intimate blessing ceremonies, we break down fresh ideas that focus on connection, practicality, and true support. Whether you’re planning for yourself or a loved one, you’ll walk away with inspiration to create an experience that feels personal, stress-free, and deeply helpful as parenthood approaches.
This episode is brought to you by Seesee pajamas for postpartum moms. Use the code Doula for 20% off. Find them at shopseesee.com.
Hello, hello! This is Kristin with Ask the Doulas, and I am excited to chat with you about our topic today, which is modern alternatives to baby showers.
In my book, Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby that I co-authored with Alyssa Veneklase, we covered this topic, and I thought it would be a great podcast episode. There are, of course, fun and traditional baby showers, especially for first-time moms. It’s fun to decorate and have themes. They could be in the workplace, with family and friends. Oftentimes, especially new parents, there are multiple baby showers, and there are often games accompanying baby showers, and of course, registries. At Gold Coast Doulas, we do offer virtual and in-person baby registry consultations. So think about that as you’re planning a shower or diaper party or other gathering related to pregnancy and birth preparation.
Let’s get into alternatives to that traditional baby shower. One is a sprinkle, and I find that sprinkles are often for baby two and beyond. It’s a way to still give gifts and celebrate a pregnancy without having as formal and expensive an event and not needing necessarily all of that baby gear. Sprinkles can be great if baby is expected to be a different gender or if some time has passed between children. Some of my clients have a 5-year spacing; I’ve even had clients with a 13-year age gap with children. So a lot of times, you’re going to want new registry items and you’ll want to gather to celebrate.
Another option is a mother blessing or blessing way, and that is focused more on celebrating the mother. With my second pregnancy, I did not have a sprinkle. I had a blessing way. My doulas helped to throw that, and I invited friends. It was a very small gathering, and they all brought a dish that was a family recipe that was passed down, so we were able to have more of a potluck at my house. No gifts that time around. It was more spending time together and celebrating my upcoming birth. You can have rituals or give gifts to the attendees. I gave everyone a bracelet that they wore up until I delivered. You can give candles or other gifts. We did henna, so I had a henna artist who did henna on my belly and also applied henna to all of the guests. I have done mother blessings for some clients and students of mine in the past. I’ve given foot baths and brought in henna artists, as mentioned, and had some words of wisdom shared between guests. They would have different blessings that the guests would write out. You can certainly make it whatever is most appealing to you!
And diaper parties are another way to help couples get ready for baby. Diapers are expensive, and that’s why Gold Coast holds that annual Diaper Driver because of that unmet need that social services do not cover. Babies go through diapers like crazy, so to stock a family up on diapers is a lot of fun. I often see dads get together with their friends and have a diaper party. That’s certainly something that could be considered. But moms can, also, or it could be a couples shower. That could be a way to gather and celebrate but also help with some of the costs of the upcoming birth and postnatal phase.
Then I love the newer concept or trend of nesting parties. I’ve been interviewed for a couple of articles about the topic. Nesting parties are more focused on helping the mother and family get ready for the birth of the baby, and that could be setting up the nursery or organizing the nursery, helping with washing baby clothes. Oftentimes with nesting parties, they will either bring pre-prepared meals or gift cards for meal delivery services or prepared meals or if the space allows, friends will gather and family members, of course, to make meals and then freeze them there. So it’s more task-oriented, but I love setting up families for success that way.
And whether you have a traditional baby shower or a sprinkle or a mother blessing or certainly nesting party or diaper party, I love gifting services and not just things. I also, as I mentioned at the start of the episode when I brought up Seesee and their amazing postpartum pajamas – it’s so important to gift the mother. In pregnancy, the mother is celebrating and the growing bump and talk of the baby, but then after the delivery, it’s all about the baby. People are bringing presents for the baby. They want to hold the baby. But the mother also just went through a major life change, even if it’s her fifth baby, and needs to be held and supported or given ways to pamper her; some lovely teas, for example, or just holding her hand and asking about her birth story, being there and intentional. So I love gifts of service. That could be a meal train, setting that up a baby shower, for example. Or figuring out if they’re interested in a day or overnight postpartum doula, or housekeeping service, diaper service, whatever would be most helpful to family. I am all about gifting that, and I would say in the last handful of years, I have been getting not only companies wanting to gift postpartum support for their employees and doing gift cards for the company baby showers, but also family members. I had an uncle gift postpartum support, and he was in a different state. And certainly mothers and mothers-in-law. So thinking about some service-related options like lactation consultants; gifting that support, or a birth doula or a childbirth class or an early parenting class. Those are some options to think about.
I would love to hear if you held a traditional baby shower or if you tried some of these other trends that are not necessarily replacing, because I don’t think baby showers will go away – but again, nesting parties, diaper parties, and other ways to help a family out. So feel free to reach out to me on social media or reach out to us at Gold Coast Doulas. Again, if you need help with your registry, we are here to help. Take good care!
IMPORTANT LINKS
Birth and postpartum support from Gold Coast Doulas