One woman recounts a story where a friend visited her right after she gave birth and brought a bottle of Champagne to the hospital. They were very surprised when the nurse gave them a scolding. Why? Both of them were European and it was normal for them to celebrate the birth of a baby with a gift of wine BUT they were both in an American hospital.
Which brings us to the topic of this article – what about serving alcohol at baby shower? Is it ok or not?
As the story above shows, it depends on the people involved. People's cultural values color their choices and they should be respected, no matter what anyone's opinion is. There are good arguments for and against this very topic.
A lot of Americans don't approve of having alcohol at a baby shower and they do give very good reasons for that. First of all, the baby shower is child-centered, at it seems rather wrong to have children around while the adults are imbibing. It also doesn't seem right to be playing games centered on babies with a glass of wine or beer right beside the players!
The majority of the nay-sayers cite the mommy-to-be as the main reason. It is a bit rude for people to be taking something that the guest of honor can't take. All the more if it's something that has been denied her for almost a year and she has a craving for it!
There are a lot of other people that don't agree, though. One reason to have alcohol at a baby shower was because it was a couple’s shower and that was one way to get the males to show up! Most males still have a notion that a baby shower is a very girly thing, but couples showers are changing that quite a bit. These are now more like a party but where the gifts are all baby-themed. The baby shower is no longer a bastion of female domination.
Other mothers stated that they ASKED for alcohol to be served at their baby showers. One mother even stated that she wasn't about to ask her friends to become Puritans just because she got pregnant. According to them, it didn't bother them that their friends were drinking and they were not; after all, it was a party, wasn't it? Alcohol at these baby showers ranged from a glass of alcoholic punch, wine, or beer to a full bar. Party, indeed!
So, both arguments for and against are logical and practical. What should you do, however, if the mommy-to-be or the daddy-to-be asked for alcohol to be served at the baby shower? First of all, what the guest of honor requests is always right. So it would be perfectly ok for you to include it on the beverage menu. In general, the mom-to-be should have the final say in this matter.
A good compromise would be to have a variety of drinks available, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. You can place more emphasis on the non-alcoholic drinks if it makes you more comfortable. If you have an alcoholic drink mix, then it is a good idea to have a non-alcoholic version as well.
Have a selection of teas, coffee, and juices available aside from
a special non-alcoholic drink often called a mamatini and a wine
punch. If the males aren't the wine punch type, you can serve beer.