Some days, pregnancy feels like it’s never going to end and other days, it seemingly flies by. If you’re like me, you become focused on preparing for the baby and savoring those final weeks and months before a newborn keeps you up all night. Often, those memorable details of your pregnancy get lost in the chaos.
A baby shower book is a perfect way to capture memories of your baby shower while collecting advice and stories from your guests. Suddenly, those little details are written down so you can reflect on them for years to come.
Follow these tips when deciding what to write in a baby shower book that you’re gifting to the mom-to-be.
Baby Shower Book Basics
Depending on the style you select, a baby shower book can operate similarly to a guestbook at a wedding. It gives shower guests the opportunity to share congratulatory messages, words of wisdom, and thoughtful notes in a book that the parents-to-be can take home. These books come in a variety of styles, allowing you to customize it to suit your preferences. The shower host is usually in charge of purchasing the book and displaying it at the shower. Guests can pass it around from table to table to sign their well wishes, or the host can leave it at the gift table or favor table, which are spots that every guest will visit. Guests may also choose to give children’s books as gifts, which is a gift that the family will enjoy for years to come.
Types of Baby Shower Books
Many styles of baby shower books are available, giving the host different ways to collect guests’ messages for the mom-to-be. Creative baby shower hosts can discover a variety of ways to collect guests’ thoughtful messages, often using the baby shower theme as inspiration. Or, you might choose to deliver one of these books as a creative and thoughtful gift. Explore these ideas before deciding what words to write.
Scrapbook
A hardbound scrapbook filled with blank pages offers a blank slate where guests can create thoughtful messages for the parents-to-be. As a result, this is a good book choice if the host is purchasing it for the baby shower. The shower host can assign each guest a page, which they can use to share celebratory messages for the guest of honor. If you don’t want to put the pressure on guests to be creative, do some of the work for them. Add prompts on pages to inspire writing, whether you ask guests to add their favorite parenting hack or their favorite memory with the mom-to-be.
Baby Shower Book With Prompts
Some retailers sell baby shower guestbooks with built-in prompts, which make completing them during the shower simple. If you know your crowd and don’t expect guests to spend a lot of time writing in it, this style of book is the way to go. It takes the guesswork and creativity out of the task, which means it’s well suited for people who would rather fill out a few prepared lines and get back to socializing. Plus, they’re packed with thoughtful ideas that will help to create a book that mom, dad, and baby (someday!) will love to read.
Children’s Book
One creative baby shower book idea is to have a few children’s books on display. Guests can fill the inside covers with congratulatory messages that will make them smile every time they open the book up to read to their little one. These books serve double duty and make a thoughtful gift for the mom-to-be. In fact, if you’re a shower guest who isn’t quite sure what to buy, children’s books are always a hit because the child will enjoy those books for years to come––long after they’ve outgrown the adorable baby clothes that guests just love to give.
If you’re celebrating a first-time parent, the opportunities for finding children’s books are endless since their home library probably lacks kid-friendly titles. My kids loved classic books like Goodnight, Moon, Corduroy, as well as anything written by Sandra Boynton. Dr. Seuss books are another good option because of their fun rhymes, colorful illustrations, and sturdy hardcovers. So, pick up a few books and add some thoughtful messages inside.
Baby Shower Book Messages
Writing a meaningful message on a whim might seem intimidating, so go to your next baby shower prepared with some ideas of what to write in a baby shower book. With a few ideas in mind, you can put pen to paper in any baby shower book confidently, knowing that you’re leaving a message that comes from the heart.
Use these message ideas as inspiration as you write in a baby shower book for the mom-to-be.
Words of Wisdom
If you’re an experienced parent, you probably have plenty of advice to give. You’ve learned lessons along the way, finding out what tricks work for your youngster and which ones don’t. Impart some of your wisdom to the new mom-to-be in a baby shower book gift.
Writing advice requires some thought because you don’t want to come off sounding sanctimonious. So, focus on positive words that serve as inspiration or guidance, rather than instituting parenting rules that dictate what’s right and what’s wrong. Also, avoid cliches because chances are the mom-to-be has already been told to “sleep when the baby sleeps.” Focus on building her confidence as she enters the sometimes daunting world of parenthood.
Thoughtful Congratulations
A baby shower is meant to celebrate the growing family, so a baby shower book offers an opportunity to put those celebratory messages in writing. Use the book as an opportunity to write your heartfelt congratulations to the mom-to-be. If you know her well, this note can get personal, reflecting on your relationship with her as well as her upcoming journey through motherhood. You can keep it short and sweet, write a long note that comes from the heart, or use your sense of humor to bring a smile to her face. This type of baby shower book message gives you total freedom in how you want to share in her happiness.
Note for the Baby
Mom and Dad will get plenty of joy out of reading messages to their little one written from family and friends. Use the baby shower book as an opportunity to introduce yourself to the new addition. In a matter of months, the new parents can read these messages to the baby, and eventually, the child can read them on their own, seeing just how much they were loved even before they arrived.
Like other messages, a note to the baby is entirely personal, and what you say depends largely on your future relationship with the little one. If, for example, your sister is carrying your future niece, you might opt for a more personal tone than if a neighbor is expecting her first baby. You can introduce yourself, offer some words of advice as the baby takes on the world, or discuss what role you want to play in the baby’s life. Don’t go over the top here, but use this message as a sweet way to say “hello” to the baby for the very first time. If you’re gifting a children’s book, for example, you can note your favorite character, favorite illustration, or why you chose the book.
All About Mom and Dad
You’re at the baby shower because you have a special relationship with the baby’s parents. Perhaps they’re extended family members or close friends. As a result, you have a long-standing relationship with mom and dad––perhaps one that dates back to childhood. Use this relationship as your inspiration for your baby shower book message.
Here, you can introduce yourself to the baby in the context of your relationship with their parents. Share a funny story about mom or dad, especially if you knew them when they were young. If the new addition is anything like my kids, they will love hearing about their parents’ childhood when they get older. While intended for the baby, these stories also give you a way to share a cherished memory with mom and dad––maybe one that they have even forgotten about after all these years.
Favorite Quote
If you have a favorite quote that relates to life as a parent, write it in a baby shower book. Sharing a relatable message allows you to connect with the parents-to-be, offering them advice, guidance, or simply inspiration as they navigate new parenthood. You can simply write the quote, or you can expound on it, explaining why it is meaningful in your life. Often, a quote that resonates with you has a similar effect on others, so share this inspiration with a personalized message.
Conclusion
A baby shower book, whether given as a personal gift by you or as a group gift from shower guests, is a thoughtful personalized gift for mom and baby alike. But, let’s face it: Coming up with something to write in the card is challenging enough; the baby shower book might seem even more challenging. With this guide, you don’t have to be intimidated by this thoughtful gift idea. Instead, use the inspirational ideas provided here to write openly and honestly with your sense of humor and personality incorporated into your message. Mom, dad, and baby (eventually) will love to read your kind words.