The Cutest Baby Shower Trends of 2019
The days of pink or blue sheet cakes are gone. They've been replaced by Instagram-worthy balloon towers, trays of delectable sweets, themed parties, and gifts that the new mom will actually want to use. Here are some of the top 2019 shower trends, baby shower gift ideas, and party ideas that will make an impression on your guests.
Sip & SeeFor some people, traditional showers are giving way to post-baby sip and sees. These parties allow friends and family to admire the new baby, still shower the new parents with gifts, and have a perfect excuse to pop some bottles. They can be as extravagant or simple as the host and mom would like, making them perfectly customizable to your budget and preferences.
Co-ed ShowersAnother current take on traditional showers are co-ed BBQs or parties to celebrate the coming baby. Rather than leaving out half of your friends and loved ones, these parties allow everyone to be involved and celebrate.
It’s All About the DecorIf you do decide to go the traditional shower route, your best way to keep things trendy and current is to tie in the decor. From balloon arches and creative uses of the mom and dad’s baby pictures to diaper cakes and themed buffets, this is your way to get creative and fun.
Double Duty TreatsTreats for showers go way beyond having something simple to fill up plates between games and gifts. From macaron towers to unicorn cakes, your on-trend treats should look as good as they taste.
Gifts that MatterThe days of experienced mothers gifting random baby things are gone. Baby registries make it easier to make purchased that the mother-to-be will actually want, and group gifts are a great way to split up the cost of the high-dollar but extremely wonderful big ticket items. From baby monitors to Magic Sleepsuits, there are certain gifts that will always be considered staples. To buy the best possible baby gifts, head online today and check out the options available from the Baby Merlin Company that are sure to make a difference in any new mother's life.
Also in Our Blog
What’s the Difference Between a Swaddle and a Sleepsack
Five Questions about Early Morning Wakeups for Baby
The team at NAPS helps you tackle the issue of early wakeups. *BONUS* NAPS is hosting a webinar on February 24th. Register here and use the extra-special code MAGICMERLIN and you can join the webinar FREE of charge!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sound of cheery calls of “MAAAAMAAAAA” from the next room may be lovely at 7am. At 4am, or 5 am, not so much. Your baby may be up and ready to start the day, but you probably aren’t.
Answering the questions below may help you get there.
- Is your nap schedule mucking up your baby’s overnight sleep?
This might seem like an obvious question, but your baby’s sleep needs will change fast in the first few years of their lives. A quick look at the average nap number and duration might give you an idea:
- For babies from 3-6 months old, it’s normal to take 3-4 hour-long naps per day.
- For babies 6-15 months old, expect 2 naps with 3-3.5 hours of total sleep.
- For one and two-year-olds, you should expect a single 2-hour nap.
Part of the reason you might be seeing earlier wakeups is that your baby has graduated from one nap cycle to the next.
- Does your baby have enough time between their last nap and their bedtime?
We call this an “awake window,” and it can make a big difference. It might seem strange that your baby went to bed fine the night before, and you’re seeing a response to nap scheduling in the pre-dawn hours, but if your kiddo’s sleep is disrupted at night, it will impact the morning.
- 3-6 months, at least 1.5-2 hours between final nap wakeup and bedtime.
- 6-12 months, at least 2.5-3.5 hours between final nap wakeup and bed.
- 12-18+ months, 3.5-4.5 hours between final nap wakeup and bed.
- Is the room staying dark after the sun comes up?
Black 0ut curtains can make a big difference here. Remember that our brains signal wakeup when the light changes. So if dawn is at 430am, and even a little bit of light comes into your baby’s room, their little brains will PING with wake up juice.
- Is your baby going to sleep too early or too late?
It might seem counter-intuitive, but a late bedtime can actually backfire on you. Overtired kids don’t sleep as well. If you made their bedtime later and it didn’t fix the problem, try an earlier bedtime and see if that helps. You might be surprised.
- How do you make it better?
Try to make one change at a time; just one. Stick with that change for 3-5 days to see if it impacts things. (One night is usually not enough to see substantial change.) Be as consistent as you can with the change you made. For instance, if you decide to increase the space between bedtime and final nap wakeup, make sure to stick to the wakeup time you planned.
If your baby is waking up and chirping happily to themselves, feel free to leave them there for a little while. Let them get used to being alone in the crib. If you can, try to delay the start of the day by 5-10 minutes each day. This can make a big impact.
Everything else aside, remember that this is a short time in your kid’s life; as they get older, their sleep will become more regular, and so will yours. Don’t let yourself get too discouraged. Things are hard now, and you’re doing a great job.
