A modern-day baby shower will set attending guests back by an average of £50 as over a quarter will buy designer baby products for the unborn tot, while one in eight will fulfil the baby gift wish list and buy a present that the mum-to-be has asked for.

Parenting on Female First

Parenting on Female First

Once the preserve of American housewives, the baby shower is the latest trend to cross the Atlantic, with one in seven British women claiming they’ve attended one in the past year alone.

Baby shower spend

A study of over 1500 British females from VoucherCodes.co.uk reveals UK women now spend a whopping £220 million attending baby showers each year – equating to £50 per woman, per shower. One in eight even claim to spend over £100 gearing up for a friend’s baby shower.

While baby showers should be an occasion to celebrate, many women admit attending one puts them under financial strain, having to splash out on gifts, a new outfit for the party and food and drink at fancy venues. In fact, one in six report they have declined invites to baby showers, as they are worried about the cost involved in going.

Designer gifts

Following in the footsteps of Harper Beckham, who owns a pair of mini pink Converse, more than a quarter of baby shower guests have bought designer gear for the newborn, with baby versions of both Converse and Uggs named as popular gifts. 

One in ten have splashed out on engraved baby jewellery, whilst one in seven have bought posh baby toiletries.

Baby gift lists

With pregnant celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jessica Simpson compiling an extravagant ‘baby gift list’, it seems that giving guests an idea of the presents you would like them to get for you, is fast-becoming popular - one in eight expectant mums now creates such a list for their baby shower.

A good an idea as this sounds, these lists aren’t being received well, with one in five guests admitting they resent having to buy from a gift list largely because it forces them to purchase a more expensive present than they had hoped to buy.

One in six report feeling worried that their gift will look cheap compared to others if they pick an inexpensive item from the list.

Helen Evans, site editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk said: “Baby showers are a great excuse to make a fuss of the expectant mother, but as our research shows, they can also have a big impact on guests’ finances.

“And while it’s tempting to pick up a flashy gift, guests might be safer bringing something more practical, especially if the mum-to-be is trying to get used to juggling shopping with the demands of her new arrival.

“That said, it’s always going to be difficult not to be dazzled by baby versions of brands and expensive toiletries when you’re buying gifts for your friends and their babies, so try to your best to hunt down the best deals if you really can’t resist those designer baby goods.”

Find gift-inspiration for your next baby shower with our pick of 20 Best Baby Shower Gifts to Shop Now. 

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