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By Citizen Reporter

Journalist


Could drive-by baby showers be the way forward?

New trends for a new pandemic.


As we social distance to curb the spread of the coronavirus women who are pregnant during this time are forging new traditions like a drive-by baby shower.

Here are stories of some of the many moms who have had a drive-by baby shower:

Dinika Rooy, East London, South Africa

After seeing something similar done in the US, East London mom Dinika Rooy’s loved ones hosted a “drive-by and drop off” baby shower for her at Buffalo flats.

Her friends and family arrived in a procession of cars, lined up outside her place, got out one after the other, and dropped off their gifts for the mom to be. The celebration, featuring the emotional mom to be, was caught on camera with the video ultimately going viral.

 

Also Read: Should I continue with prenatal classes? Our midwife says yes

Katie Rodriguez, Long Island, United States

This seven and a half months pregnant nurse was feeling sick (having tested negative for the coronavirus) and in quarantine due to Covid-19 when her family and friends threw a drive-by baby shower for her.

Brittany Abernathy, North Carolina, United States

Even though this mom is an essential services worker, as an emergency room nurse, she’s currently at home due to her pregnancy and got a lovely surprise when her friends threw her a surprise drive-by shower on a Saturday afternoon.“I didn’t know it would be all this at all. Suddenly I saw my dad, we saw friends, aunts, and uncles, grandparents, you name it,” says Abernathy.

Her friend Stacy Fisher who planned it says, “Being pregnant is a huge deal and your baby shower is something you look forward to. I really didn’t think we were going to get this many people to show up but I just wanted to make sure she still knew she was loved.”

 

Here’s how to plan a drive by baby shower :

  • Create a drive-by baby shower digital invite with all instructions for the drive-by shower.
  • Get friends and family to arrive in the cars and form a line outside the moms’ house/street.
  • Ask each car to be decorated with baby shower messages.
  • Set up a table and chair (on the driveway) for the mom to be to sit and wait for her guests and gifts.
  • One by one, have guests get out of their cars and drop off gifts on her driveway, use the elbow greeting then have them pose for a pic with the mom. Make sure to wear a mask.
  • After they drive off the next car in line can then drop their gifts, sign the register, and take a pic with mom to be.
  • Because, unlike a traditional baby shower, the drive-by shower takes place outside there are no games played, no cake, no lunch shared with the guests. ( Or you could bake some cupcakes and have each guest take a cupcake as they leave)

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