How to Share Baby Registry Announcement Without a Baby Shower

Why Might You Skip the Baby Shower?

There are so many reasons why couples today are choosing to forgo the traditional baby shower.

1. Personal preference: some people just don’t enjoy them. Maybe they don’t like being the center of attention or feel uncomfortable with the idea of a baby shower.
2. Avoid Large Crowds: the COVID 19 pandemic has definitely slowed down, but some couples may still feel uncomfortable hosting large gatherings at home just before bringing home a baby.
3. Financial Concerns: Baby showers can be expensive and some couples may want to use those expenses for other things.
4. No one to host: Some couples may not have someone who can host and don’t want to host it themselves.
5. Location: If you are far from family and friends or recently moved it doesn’t make a lot of sense to plan a typical baby shower.
6. Baby came early: It can happen that the baby arrives before the scheduled baby shower, and in such a situation, you might not feel at ease organizing a big celebration while recovering from childbirth and taking care of your newborn.
7. Not your first baby: Throwing a big baby shower is not as common with baby number, 2, 3, 4….you get the picture. Even if you don’t need a lot of baby items you will definitely still need some diapers and wipes.
   • The Best Second Baby Registry Tips

Can you have a Baby Registry without a Baby Shower?

The answer is 100% YES! It is definitely possible to create a baby registry even if you don’t plan on having a baby shower. However, you might be worried about how to share your registry without appearing tactless.

The truth is that those who care about you would most likely want to support you in this beautiful journey. Often they want to support you in the form of gifts or financial assistance. They just don’t always know what you need.

Given the wide range of baby products and approaches to raising a newborn, such as breastfeeding or formula feeding, cloth or disposable diapers, a registry can guide your loved ones toward items that your family would truly benefit from and appreciate.

How do you Share Your Baby Registry Announcement Without a Shower?

Times are changing and the way we share exciting news and life events have changed significantly. Hardly anyone sends invitations in the mail anymore. If you have decided that you don’t want a baby shower here are 5 tactful ways to announce a baby registry without a baby shower.

Share the News on Social Media

As you share your pregnancy and other exciting developments on social media share a link to your registry. If done in the right way no one will feel obligated to buy you anything, but will know what you need if they desire to contribute something in support.

For Example:

“We are so excited to share with all our friends and family that we will be adding a new member of our family in June! For those that would like to send gifts, here is a link to our baby registry! We appreciate all the love and support as we embark on this new adventure.”

Share in an Email

send an email to close friends, family, and co-workers that you know want to contribute. These individuals will want to know what you actually need.

For Example:

“Little Avery will be here in a few months. We are so excited to welcome her to our family! Many of you have asked if we have a registry so you can send gifts for her. Her is a link to our baby registry.”

Share When Asked

Many people when they find out you are pregnant will ask if you have a baby registry. If they ask, feel free to text them a link to your registry.

For Example:

“Thank you for your love and support. It means so much to us that you would like to contribute a gift. Here is our registry link for baby Smith.”

Create a Pregnancy Website

I’ve seen this trend for several years when it comes to weddings. It’s a great way to share all the details. Creating a simple pregnancy website with the details about your upcoming new arrival can be a great way to share your registry with those you know. Event Create specifically created a site just for baby announcements and showers, and it’s totally free to use.

For Example:

you can build a simple website for little to no money to announce everything about your new baby on sites like Wix, WordPress, or EventCreate. You can share it with family and friends to follow you throughout your pregnancy. It can be a place to announce your gender reveal and baby’s arrival. In your new site you can build a page just for your baby’s registry so people can choose to contribute if they wish.

Birth Announcement

Send a baby announcement once your baby is born. You can include a link to your registry in the announcement. Newborns don’t need much in the first few months so sharing your registry after the fact might be a better option since now you know what you could actually use.

This can be a physical announcement or virtual announcement. This is something my husband and I did with our second child as a way for others to contribute if they wanted to.

For Example:

“Baby Muro has finally arrived. He is 8lbs 4 oz and big sister is loving every minute of having a new brother. He has already brought us so much joy and some sleepless nights. For those who would like to contribute a gift to celebrate his arrival you can find our registry link here.”

The key is to always show gratitude and and make contributing to your registry optional. No one should feel pressured to buy you anything.

At the end of the day if you feel uncomfortable with sending out your registry you can also make a registry just for yourself and use the perks of the completion discount at Amazon. This is what one second time mom is doing to save a little money.

What Alternatives are There to a Baby Shower?

If the traditional baby shower just isn’t your thing there are so many other creative and fun ways to celebrate the upcoming birth of your child in a way that feels right to you.

Dinner Party

Keep it traditional with just the girls or shake it up and make it a co-ed event. This is a much more intimate alternative without all the themes, decorations, and games.

Virtual Baby Shower

Invite everyone to a virtual baby shower event. I did this with a small group of family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was such a fun way to celebrate with family that lived both near and far. You can even play some great baby shower games virtually if you would like.

The host can ask all those invited to send gifts early so you can open them at the virtual shower.

Sip & See Party

Sip & See parties are very common in the south. These parties happen after the fact to show off that beautiful new baby. It is typically a very casual event where you can invite friends and family to come see your baby, and those guests bringing gifts to celebrate the baby’s arrival.

Most couples host this in their own home around a schedule that works for them and the new baby. Typically you will want to spread out your guests so you don’t feel overwhelmed with too many guests at a time. You can do it when you feel comfortable, in the first few weeks or months of your baby’s life.

Sprinkle

This is usually a more low key baby shower. Sprinkles are typically thrown for parents that have already had one child and have the big ticket baby items such as: a crib, stroller, car seat, etc. The focus is more on support and love and less on the formalities of a typical baby shower. There still might be a few games here or there, but there is often much less pressure.

Diaper Party

Diaper Parties are usually just for the guys. It’s a opportunity for the men in the father-to-be’s life to get together and celebrate him becoming a father. They are casual and fun with guests bringing diapers and wipes to share with the new couple.

Co-ed Shower

Make it a party everyone can enjoy. More couples are choosing to have a co-ed shower so that their partner and the other men in their lives can participate as well. It’s a great way to get parental advice for both mom and dad.

Can I Ask for Cash Instead of Making a Baby Registry?

Yes, just know not everyone will choose to follow your requests. Be grateful for anything anyone chooses to gift you, as it is their way to show their love and support for you and your growing family.

It can be as simple as saying, “As we are preparing for the birth of baby Jones we are grateful for any gifts that friends and family choose to share with us. We do ask that if you choose to give a gift that you would contribute to our baby fund. As first time parents we are still unsure what will work best for our family, and would like to wait until out little girl is born to determine what she will really need.”

Adding in some ways that you plan to use the cash can also be helpful such as: decorating the nursery, purchasing a stroller and car seat, childcare, or medical bills. People often feel better about contributing cash if they know how you are going to spend it.

Final Thoughts

Mama’s I know this is a crazy time of life and a lot of things are happening. Getting things for your baby can be both financially draining and exciting. Remember so many people in your life love you, and want to support you. By creating a registry and sharing it with them you will reduce your stress by directing them to purchase gifts that will actually help you.

It also makes your family and friends lives a lot easier as they don’t have to figure out what to get you. All in all this is a happy wonderful time and I hope these ideas and suggestions will help you traverse welcoming a new baby without having to plan a baby shower.