When I became pregnant, my mother informed that I should not have a baby shower since our tradition believes that it is "bad luck" to buy things for a baby before he/she is born. Not wanting to do anything that might jeopardize my baby's health and safety, I adhered to this superstition and did not have a baby shower. Through the years, many friends and relatives found themselves in similar situations, opting to postpone a shower until after the baby's birth. When my daughter became pregnant, she was very disappointed that she couldn't have a baby shower.Wanting to make things up to her, as mothers are inclined to do, I began thinking about ways to "shower" the expectant mother before the baby's birth.

Some of the ideas that I came up with included:

Gift certificate for a "fancy" restaurant, the kind of place where one would not be able to go with kids in tow, so that the soon-to-be parents can enjoy one of their last worry-free, leisurely dinners out together.

Pampering products for the mom-to-be such as hair care products, bath oils, body lotions, scented powder or perfume.

Gift certificate for a manicure, pedicure,facial, massage or other salon service.

A cozy bathrobe,comfortable pajamas or sweat outfit for those pre- and post baby days when getting dressed before sunset is not an option.

Gift certificate for a department store where Mom can indulge herself with a gift or wait to purchase baby gear after the little one arrives.

Books can be a great gift for the expectant Mom -and Dad. These might include standard books related to pregnancy and child care or one of the humorous editions that parody the guides for new mothers and fathers. Some light fiction or a cookbook with easy, healthy recipes
might also come in handy in the days before and after the baby arrives.

New parents take an incredible amount of pictures of the new arrival and there are a number of photo gifts that can help them capture these moments.

A digital camera, while expensive, could be a gift from a group of friends or relatives.
Similarly, a photo printer might be a gift from a group that will make it easy and convenient for the new parents to make copies of baby's pictures for themselves and the proud grandparents.

Just as the new parents will have an abundance of photo shots of baby, there can never be enough photo albums and picture frames to store and display all of these photographs.

While most people will not be encumbered by superstition in planning a baby shower, these gift ideas might be helpful on those occasions when one wants to balance gifts for baby with some gifts for the expectant mother or father

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth Tragash.
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