UmMusa Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 When did this type of party come about? I don't remember anyone having them around 10 years ago, but it seems to be a 'given' these days. Anyone? Also, are gifts expected? (assuming there's already been a baby shower before the birth) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've never heard of them. Other than relatives coming over to see the baby but that isn't a party, just them calling to see if they can come over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leav97 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've seen them as a replacement for baby showers but, not in addition to baby showers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've only seen them done *in place of* a shower. It's how I did mine, since my family lived a good distance away, and rather than have them make two long trips, or miss out on the shower, we did a "meet the baby" the same week as the baby's church blessing, when all the grandmothers would definitly be in town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoseInABook Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've also seen then instead of a baby shower. In those instances, yes, a gift is kind but not expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I had one a few months after bringing home my adopted kids. People were clamoring to see the babies, and I didn't allow many visitors at first because of bonding stuff. I combined it with my youngest's 1st birthday party and specified no gifts. I did have a baby shower, but the people wanted to meet the babies. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 I can see how it's convenient to make into an event instead of having visitors off and on for weeks, but I just never heard of it in the US and now someone I know is having 2 meet the baby parties after having 3 baby showers prior. I think she just has a wide range of friends and coworkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've only seen it after an adoption when the mother didn't want or have time for a shower prior to bringing the baby home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Never heard of one of these, but it sounds like it occupies the same social locus as a christening/baptismal reception. Been to plenty of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I could see it as a shower after the baby has arrived, especially if the gender was unknown before birth (although I seem to be the only person who never found out ahead of time). Also, it seems like a nice way to have just one big crowd instead of a constant stream of visitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 We had a "Meet the Baby" party. Gifts are not expected, and if given usually are more like a hostess type gift than a baby shower gift. It was like a regular adult party, except that there was the one baby there. I thought it was wonderful because I only had feed her, and enough people wanted to hold her that my arms got a rest. We also laid out some of the cute baby stuff for the women to coo over. Since it was more casual, there were more people than at her baptism party and way more than for her shower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I can see how it's convenient to make into an event instead of having visitors off and on for weeks, but I just never heard of it in the US and now someone I know is having 2 meet the baby parties after having 3 baby showers prior. I think she just has a wide range of friends and coworkers. In that case, I would say no gift would be expected from those who already attended showers. Those who weren't able for some reason might bring a gift. Why would anyone have to do multiple gifts? I think that would be rude to expect that. I would think it's kind of like those who bring gifts to a wedding because they didn't make the shower. But if I gave a gift at a shower, I don't ever take another one to the wedding. ETA after I posted this I googled some, and apparently some people DO expect a gift from people both at the shower and at the wedding. Some posted, "If someone can't bring a gift to the wedding, they shouldn't come". But I have to say if they were a person with that attitude, I would probably not want to be at their wedding anyway! The only time I bring another gift to the wedding is if the shower was specialized, lingerie or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've always heard of "sip 'n' sees". Maybe it's a southern thing? Gifts are not traditionally expected, especially if there was also a shower. I had one in my home town with my first, and will most likely do the same for my second. It's a nice way for people to see/meet the baby. ETA: Both of my "sip and sees" were/are done in lieu of a shower, and I received very few gifts at the first (and expected none). A few people brought monogramed something-or-others, which wouldn't have been a possible shower gift anyway. We didn't do any gift opening - gifts were set in the hostesses office - and the people who brought gifts were people would would have given baby a gift regardless of occasion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 never heard of them. It never would have interested me to have one. I HATED all the attention that a newborn got, didn't want people breathing germs all over my newborn, and really didn't want to leave the house for three months after giving birth. Just going to church was like running the gauntlet. "No really, I don't want you to hold my baby. Really. LEAVE ME AND MY NEWBORN ALONE! I don't care if all babies love you! Please do. not. touch. the. infant!" But then, I am weird like that. I never ask to hold other people's babies either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksr5377 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 My in-laws have this tradition. So instead of a baby shower my MIL threw a meet the baby party. Gifts were brought. I would say no gift if there was already a shower though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've seen them as a replacement for baby showers but, not in addition to baby showers. I've heard of them in place of baby showers when either geography or medical issues made an earlier shower impractical. While I do like the idea of actually seeing the sweet new baby, I'm one of those moms who preferred to stay rather isolated those first few months. Perhaps that's from having winter babies, often during flu season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 When my daughter was born, my SIL had a bunch of people who she wanted to meet the baby. I didn't know any of these people and didn't care if they met my daughter or not--and really didn't want to entertain a long string of them at different times--but they had distant connections to my husband (from his childhood), and he said he'd like to see them again. So when my SIL wanted to host a "meet the baby" party to get all these people taken care of at once, and also include her husband's family (whom I have met and like but don't have a close relationship with), we agreed to it. I didn't expect gifts, but a few people brought them. I had not had a baby shower in that area, as we were living overseas and had come back to the States specifically for the birth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 We had one for my first son. He was born prematurely, so when he was home from the NICU, and we had permission from the doctors, you best believe we had a party! I didn't have a baby shower because there was no time. He arrived too soon. I have been invited to other meet the baby parties but they weren't called that. There have been christening parties and 'our adoption is final' parties and "everyone come and look at the new baby all at once so we can get this over with" :lol: I never complain about getting to welcome a new member of the tribe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 When did this type of party come about? I don't remember anyone having them around 10 years ago, but it seems to be a 'given' these days. Chinese has a baby party for family (and sometimes friends are invited too) when babies are a month old. It dates back to ancient time when infants may not survive the first month. No baby shower though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Everyone up here has the baby shower after the baby is born. Everyone wants to see the baby and it just makes more sense I suppose from that point of view. I have only ever been to one baby shower before the baby was born and that was because the lady wasn't from here and her friends wanted to give her a shower before she left again. My dd was a preemie and at her baby shower a person came with a horrible nasty cough and had had a fever the day before. I was not impressed and didn't let my baby get passed around at all. It didn't make me very popular, but I was pretty annoyed that anyone would come to something like that sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajfries Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 We had one for our 3rd baby. We didn't need anything and hadn't considered that we might get gifts, but the baby & both older siblings all got quite a bit of swag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've seen them, by various names, as the secular alternative for the post baptism lunch/gathering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I had a casual meet the baby open house. No gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Really, I think anyone can throw a party for any reason they want. Guests can decline for any reason. Gifts are never a given. I think it's a fun idea! Especially if you didn't have a shower. I personally think showers are often overdone. They're nice if someone wants to throw you one but not a right of every pregnancy. I never had a baby shower. My first pregnancy was pretty high risk and I was uncomfortable with the idea of the shower before baby was born and SIL didn't want to throw one after. I still got a TON of gifts for both kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 In that case, I would say no gift would be expected from those who already attended showers. Those who weren't able for some reason might bring a gift. Why would anyone have to do multiple gifts? I think that would be rude to expect that. I would think it's kind of like those who bring gifts to a wedding because they didn't make the shower. But if I gave a gift at a shower, I don't ever take another one to the wedding. ETA after I posted this I googled some, and apparently some people DO expect a gift from people both at the shower and at the wedding. Some posted, "If someone can't bring a gift to the wedding, they shouldn't come". But I have to say if they were a person with that attitude, I would probably not want to be at their wedding anyway! The only time I bring another gift to the wedding is if the shower was specialized, lingerie or something. Not sure if it is an established rule or not, but I always thought you brought a gift to both if you came to both. Dang, you mean I could have saved some money? :P The way I did it was that I'd decide what I wanted to give all together, and then break it up between the shower and the wedding. For a work colleague when I was kinda broke, I bought matching crystal stuff and gave part of the set for the shower, the other part for the wedding. (I didn't really want to go to either event, but I didn't know how to gracefully avoid them.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaS Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 A young friend of mine had one. It was her first baby. I know she expected gifts because she posted on Facebook that she was weeding through her 50+ pages of her baby registry in anticipation of it. She had also had 3 baby showers: her dh's family had one, our church gave her one, and her parents' had one. I thought it was all very nuts. How much stuff does one baby need? :P This was my first experience with such a thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 We did something like this for our first, but only at the behest of DS's birthmother. At about 2 weeks, she needed to come to our area for a court date (legal requirement in our state) and she wanted to turn it into a party. It was very sweet. So we all met at the courthouse, BM, BM's mom, social worker, Guardian ad Litem, etc and DH and my extended family. We went in together, Guardian ad Litem was friends with the judge and took DS back privately to meet him (which was very cool) and then we did our little court thing - and the judge commented about so many people being supportive of it, how nice it was... Then we all met back at our house for an open house and a gathering of family and friends. No gifts. Just a gathering to greet and welcome baby. And it was very special for BM to be there, be part of it, and be celebrated, too. It was good for us, good for DS, and good for BM to both see the support and to know that we all welcomed her into our lives and hearts, too. Not exactly a "meet the baby" party, but still... :) We didn't do the same thing for DD, because her birthfamily didn't have the same level of need/desire to be part of our family, but we still did a sort of open house, no gifts. (Do I need to specify that these were both adoptions and there were no showers prior to arrival?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've always heard of "sip 'n' sees". Maybe it's a southern thing? Gifts are not traditionally expected, especially if there was also a shower. I had one in my home town with my first, and will most likely do the same for my second. It's a nice way for people to see/meet the baby. ETA: Both of my "sip and sees" were/are done in lieu of a shower, and I received very few gifts at the first (and expected none). A few people brought monogramed something-or-others, which wouldn't have been a possible shower gift anyway. We didn't do any gift opening - gifts were set in the hostesses office - and the people who brought gifts were people would would have given baby a gift regardless of occasion. I've heard of sip'n'sees, but it wasn't a gift giving party. It made it easier for the parents to have family and friends come all together (and the house only needed to be tidied once). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Not sure if it is an established rule or not, but I always thought you brought a gift to both if you came to both. Dang, you mean I could have saved some money? :p The way I did it was that I'd decide what I wanted to give all together, and then break it up between the shower and the wedding. For a work colleague when I was kinda broke, I bought matching crystal stuff and gave part of the set for the shower, the other part for the wedding. (I didn't really want to go to either event, but I didn't know how to gracefully avoid them.) You may be right, the more I'm reading. Although I guess it just depends on your social group. The weddings I have been to were usually more "group" affairs, where people bring food, etc. No one I know closely would ever think in a million years to be upset over who brought what. It's kind of sad it comes down to that these days... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 When did this type of party come about? I don't remember anyone having them around 10 years ago, but it seems to be a 'given' these days. Anyone? Also, are gifts expected? (assuming there's already been a baby shower before the birth) Never heard of them, either, so no, I wouldn't say that they are a "given." Perhaps it's just common where you live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I've always heard of "sip 'n' sees". Maybe it's a southern thing? Gifts are not traditionally expected, especially if there was also a shower. I had one in my home town with my first, and will most likely do the same for my second. It's a nice way for people to see/meet the baby. ETA: Both of my "sip and sees" were/are done in lieu of a shower, and I received very few gifts at the first (and expected none). A few people brought monogramed something-or-others, which wouldn't have been a possible shower gift anyway. We didn't do any gift opening - gifts were set in the hostesses office - and the people who brought gifts were people would would have given baby a gift regardless of occasion. I've never heard of a "sip 'n' see," so my guess is that it would not be *Southern,* but more of a local-to-you event. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 My aunt had a 'meet the baby' party. They didn't christen the baby, so the party was a way of bringing the family together to celebrate. We don't have a tradition of baby showers though. I think some people took gifts to the party, but it wasn't a big focus. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyacinth Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Am I the only one thinking of that Seinfeld episode: "Jeh-Ree, you gotta see the Bay-Bee!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 We don't have baby showers as far as I have ever seen back home (it may be common now due mainly to american tv shows :lol: ). All I ever had was a party after the baby was born. Close friends would come over to visit and bring food/gifts. Traditionally we do a big invitation (meal) at 40 days old (gifts are common (gold and money) but these are usually open to the whole village affairs, so everyone is invited). My oldest son actually had 3 of these (but he only attended 1 :laugh: ) as the other 2 were hosted by grandparents overseas, so I guess they just got a picture of the baby. (He was the 1st born of the eldest, so kind of a big deal.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I had one a few months after bringing home my adopted kids. People were clamoring to see the babies, and I didn't allow many visitors at first because of bonding stuff. I combined it with my youngest's 1st birthday party and specified no gifts. I did have a baby shower, but the people wanted to meet the babies. ;) SKL, I think I might be dense, but did you bring them both home at once? I never realized that before! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Am I the only one thinking of that Seinfeld episode: "Jeh-Ree, you gotta see the Bay-Bee!" "She's breathtaking!" :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fraidycat Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I've seen them as a replacement for baby showers but, not in addition to baby showers. This is the only type of baby shower I've ever been to. That is the way we do it back home. I've never been to a pre-baby shower, and find them rather tacky, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I have only heard of this a couple of times, but I think it makes complete sense. If you're a christening Christian you get a party for that, if you're Chinese you get the 30 day thing with the eggs (the baby lived!), if you're Jewish you get a bris or a naming ceremony... I think there's a social reason for all those things and this gives people an excuse to do the social thing for their communities even if they don't have a cultural or religious tradition that requires it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medawyn Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I've never heard of a "sip 'n' see," so my guess is that it would not be *Southern,* but more of a local-to-you event. :-) Hmmm... I've got family in the Carolinas, Alabama, and Louisiana, but I lived in Oklahoma growing up. If I really think about it, the sip and see concept was less familiar in OK, but we always threw them for friends/family because our extended family's communities celebrated that way. I also think it's a lovely way to celebrate baby-after-the-first. I'm not a huge fan of 2nd (or 3rd or 5th) showers - with some exceptions - but it is nice to celebrate new baby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Hmmm... I've got family in the Carolinas, Alabama, and Louisiana, but I lived in Oklahoma growing up. If I really think about it, the sip and see concept was less familiar in OK, but we always threw them for friends/family because our extended family's communities celebrated that way. I also think it's a lovely way to celebrate baby-after-the-first. I'm not a huge fan of 2nd (or 3rd or 5th) showers - with some exceptions - but it is nice to celebrate new baby! They exist in Georgia too. Definitely an old school thing. I've had to explain the concept to transplants. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 SKL, I think I might be dense, but did you bring them both home at once? I never realized that before! Yes, they came home together. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I have never heard of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan the Girl Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I rarely chime in but a "sip 'n see" was always a Southern tradition as I knew it. It's even in the book A Southern Belle Primer! Suffice it to say I have always attended a s get together after the baby is born to say ""hey" and give mamaand baby a small gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrub Jay Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Am I the only one thinking of that Seinfeld episode: "Jeh-Ree, you gotta see the Bay-Bee!" I was *just* going to post the exact same thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 Am I the only one thinking of that Seinfeld episode: "Jeh-Ree, you gotta see the Bay-Bee!" This is such an inside joke between my mom and me! During my 8+ years of having babies it came up very frequently :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 Just for the record I'm not poo-poo'ing the party, I'm just wondering when it came to be called that. I've heard it a few times in the last 3 years or so and wondered if I just missed the boat or if it were a new trend. And if the mom was given 3 showers and is having 2 meet the baby parties it just seems like a lot of partying, but hey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Some people are extroverts. No one here, but I've heard it rumored that they exist. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueTaelon Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I didn't do the baby shower thing but I did have a welcoming/met the baby party for my oldest 14 years ago. Made sense to me back then, more so then the baby shower which I did not want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 I have heard about a few of these, and it seems to be the answer for second and beyond babies who do not get a shower, because some people think baby showers are for gifts rather than to celebrate babies. That is another soap box all together, but I would not think gifts are expected. I took gifts, but I love to buy baby gifts. :) Your party seems different, but hey, I would totally go, because again I love babies. :) If I had brought a gift to a shower, then I would not bring another, but then I am also not rolling in money. If I was I would totally bring another gift. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 never heard of them. It never would have interested me to have one. I HATED all the attention that a newborn got, didn't want people breathing germs all over my newborn, and really didn't want to leave the house for three months after giving birth. Just going to church was like running the gauntlet. "No really, I don't want you to hold my baby. Really. LEAVE ME AND MY NEWBORN ALONE! I don't care if all babies love you! Please do. not. touch. the. infant!" But then, I am weird like that. I never ask to hold other people's babies either. THIS. Every. bit. of. it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.