Baby showers are delightful celebrations. They are a perfect way to welcome a baby into the world and to distract an apprehensive mom-to-be. And what better way to do this than to invite all the well wishers of the parents-to-be at a single place? Baby showers are generally given by friends or co-workers, but can also include relatives as guests.

The guest list can be drawn after consulting the parents to be. This helps to avoid disappointments or embarrassments such as leaving out someone important or inviting someone undesirable. If the baby shower is for the second or third baby, it is very important to include people who could not make it to the baby shower of the previous babies. Even though surprise parties are fun, it is not advisable in the case of baby showers as it may not be convenient for the mom-to-be.

The invitations may include basic information like the who (Host/hostess), what, when (time), where (address, phone number and maybe a map of the location), and RSVP information, along with other interesting things like the gender of the baby (if the baby is already born or if the gender is known), the theme of the party (nursery rhymes, Noahs Ark, or A to Z), and the name of the Guest of Honor.

Baby showers can include any number of guests, the usual number being between 5 and 20. Invitations can be mailed 4-6 weeks before the actual date for out of town guests and they can be mailed 2-3 weeks before for local guests.

The invitations cards can also be based on a theme and can have interesting shapes and designs like balloons, diapers, baby bottles, pacifiers, or teddy bears. The cards can also be hand made as long as they reflect the true spirit of the party. These days, there are many websites that offer ideas as well as products specifically for baby showers.