What is an Online Pregnancy Celebration?

An online pregnancy celebration is an event where all guests participate through their computers. It only requires an internet connection to attend, so no one has to leave their homes. The mom-to-be still gets to feel special and receive well-wishes and gifts! If you are considering planning a pregnancy celebration online, let me explain exactly how to make it happen!

How do you do a virtual pregnancy celebration?

I understand your concerns about an online celebration possibly feeling impersonal compared to a traditional in-person pre-birth celebration. However, there are multiple ways to involve guests so that it doesn’t appear as though you’re simply asking for gifts. Virtual celebrations are gaining popularity for various reasons. Let me explain how it all works!

1. Reasons to Have an Online Pregnancy Celebration

• In the event of future situations where large gatherings are restricted for safety reasons, such as during pandemics or other public health concerns.
• Military families who are stationed far from friends and family.
• The mom-to-be is on bed rest, so having a big celebration is not feasible.
• For any mom-to-be who doesn’t live close to family and friends.
• To ensure that even guests from out of town can participate in the celebration for the expectant mother without having to travel.

2. How Do You Host a Virtual Pregnancy Celebration?

There are many ways to host an online baby shower, with various platforms to choose from. You can send personalized invitations, play pregnancy-themed games online, and even livestream the mom-to-be opening gifts. Choose the options that best fit the experience you’re looking for!

Virtual pregnancy celebrations don’t require video, but a live stream is always enjoyable! Choose between these options for the path you want to take:

• Are you planning to send out traditional paper invitations for the online party, or will you also be sending electronic invitations?
• Would you like to schedule a date for a live stream of the mom-to-be opening previously received gifts?
• Or would you prefer to use something like Google Hangouts, where guests have the option of being visible and chatting with the mom-to-be while she opens gifts?
• Would you prefer to use a platform where you can play games, upload pictures, and skip live streaming?

Creating Invitations for Online Pregnancy Celebration:

“If you want to send out paper invitations for the pre-birth celebration, there are several options available. Postable is a website where you can create invitations online, and they will print and mail them for you. You will need to pay for the shipping and provide the addresses when you place the order. Other popular websites for creating customizable paper invitations to print and mail include Shutterfly and Vistaprint. Additionally, you can always purchase paper invitations from retailers like Target and Walmart.”

How Do You Organize a Virtual Pregnancy Celebration?

Below are 3 different options!

1. WebBabyShower: An Online Shower & So Much More

If you want to completely eliminate the hassle of planning this celebration, consider paying WebBabyShower to take care of it for you! WebBabyShower is the #1 market leader in online pregnancy celebrations. They provide a customizable website set up by their team, invitations, a guest book, a gift registry page, multiple pre-birth celebration games and quizzes, photo and video albums, and video chat options with easy-to-follow instructions. Check out this video to see what the platform looks like and how easy it is to set up.

WebBabyShower offers a unique feature – the website created for the baby shower doesn’t have to be a one-time event. It can serve as a platform for the mom-to-be to continuously share updates with her family and friends. From pregnancy to after the baby is born, the mom can post updates for her close friends and family. Instead of resorting to emailing, texting, or sharing on social media, which may not be preferred by everyone, WebBabyShower offers a solution for sharing updates selectively.

You can continue using the website beyond the online celebration. It can be a special gift for the mom to share updates with her closest friends and family throughout the baby’s first year. The mom can upload pictures to a secure place where only guests can view them. It’s like a social media account specifically for the new baby, where guests, including those who don’t use Facebook, can celebrate the baby’s milestones with the proud new parents.

2. Facebook Group Virtual Celebration:

How do you do a virtual pregnancy celebration on Facebook?

If most of the people you want to invite to the celebration are already on Facebook, using the platform is a great option. It allows friends and family to interact leading up to the event and eliminates the need for physical invitations since you are invited to the group through a Facebook notification.

• Once logged into Facebook, click the “Create” tab located to the right of “Home” on your desktop.
• Click on “Create” and then select “Event.”
• Then a box will pop up where you can choose a theme or upload a picture. This will be displayed at the top of the event page for all the guests to see.
• Please ensure that all the details of the event clearly indicate that this is a VIRTUAL pregnancy celebration. Some people may mistake it for an in-person event. I suggest titling it as “Virtual/Online Pregnancy Celebration for ________” and specifying the event location as “from the comfort of your own home” or something similar.
• You can also select a co-host to help maintain the flow of conversation within this Facebook group. Then, click “Create.”
• Next, you will invite guests. You also have the option to allow your guests to invite others.

The great thing about using Facebook is that it has its own built-in video chat system.

Questions to Ask During a Facebook Virtual Celebration:

I’d suggest scheduling the event for 2 weeks and posting questions and polls every 2 or 3 days to keep guests engaged. Here are some questions and poll ideas!

• The due date is ____, what day do you expect the baby to be born?
• What color hair do you think the baby will be born with? (This can be a poll and they click black/brown, blonde, red, or no hair)
• How much do you think the baby will weigh? (This could be a poll as well, with the options of under 6 pounds, between 6 and 7 pounds, or greater than 7 pounds.)
• If the parents haven’t finalized a name, do you have any baby name suggestions?
• Here’s a request: Can you share some words of advice and encouragement for the mama-to-be?

3. Free Video-Streaming Online Pregnancy Celebration:

There are various options for live-streaming a celebration. You could use Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangout. When sending out invitations, specify a date by which gifts should be sent, and the mom-to-be will open the presents live on a specified day and time via Google Hangout, etc. Guests can simply watch or activate their video and microphone to interact and stay connected during the celebration. However, consider the level of tech-savviness of the guests you are inviting!

Great Tips for Online Pregnancy Celebrations:

Tell the mommy-to-be about the Amazon Baby Registry.

Please remember to include the baby registries in the event description. Amazon is one of the most popular places to create registries because it is so easy to buy the products on the list, it ships quickly, and it comes with many perks! You can create an Amazon Baby Registry here. Amazon registries include a free Welcome Box for the parents with items valued up to $35, a 10% completion discount (15% for prime members), the ability to add items from any site, a 365-day return policy, and 20% off diapers for a baby’s first year if $500 of products are bought from your registry. Amazon is the best!

What do you do at a Virtual Pregnancy Celebration?

Include Virtual Pregnancy Celebration Games:

No matter which platform you choose, these are fantastic ideas for pregnancy celebration games you can incorporate!

• How about this: “Have a Mom or Dad Quiz for your guests to answer. Ask questions like, Who will change more diapers? Who wants more kids? Who will ask the doctor more questions? Who will discover the first poopy diaper up a baby’s back?”
• Guess the price of a common baby item like a pacifier, bottle, or pack of diapers. The person closest to the actual price wins!
• Word Scramble: Create a list of baby words and then scramble the letters. See who can unscramble the words correctly the fastest or who gets the most correct!
• Guess the Celebrity Baby Name: Provide your guests with a list of celebrity baby names and have them guess the celebrity parent! You can also give a word bank of celebrity parents to make it easier. For example: Who has a daughter named North? Kim and Kanye. Who has a daughter named Apple? Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow. Whose children are named Luna and Miles? John Legend and Chrissy Teigen.

Use Decorations if Live Streaming: Have a Virtual Pregnancy Celebration Theme!

If the mom-to-be is live streaming, create a cute backdrop as if she is at an actual pre-birth celebration! Choose a theme for the party and put up some wall hangings and balloons that will be visible in the background of the video!

Baby Shower Decorations

Make the event extra special for Mom by sending easy-to-set-up decorations in the mail if the guest of honor lives out of town and you are the host!

How Long is A Virtual Pregnancy Celebration?

Please remember to include a specific time limit for the online pre-birth celebration on the invitations so your guests know what to expect. Depending on the number of guests, and whether you plan to open gifts on video, play games, and/or chat with guests, the celebration could last anywhere from 1 to 2 hours or more.