Normally when someone is pregnant with their second, third, or fourth baby, (and so on and so forth), I don't really see a need for them to be thrown an additional baby shower. After all, that's kind of something that is reserved for first-time moms, because the gifts you receive can be passed down and used for future children as well. Seriously, who needs multiple pack-and-plays, exersaucers, and bouncy seats cluttering up their homes?
Earlier this morning, however, I read about a woman who was pregnant with her fourth child, and got her feelings hurt because an office baby shower was thrown for a co-worker who was expecting her first child, while this woman wasn't given so much as a slice of cake to celebrate her upcoming arrival. And you know what? That just doesn't seem fair to me. She totally got the shaft, and she had every right to be upset.
Regardless of how many kids you have, women should be made to feel special during pregnancy even if they've done it quite a few times before, especially in a work environment. I don't see how you can have some big hoopla to celebrate one employee's pregnancy, while virtually ignoring that another staff member is even expecting. Throwing a shower for one and not the other basically says, "Your pregnancy really isn't important or special, because you already have a kid. Now get back to your desk and finish your work while the rest of us ooh and ahh over Sally and her adorable baby bump — you did bring her a gift, right?"
Ok, ok — so maybe this woman doesn't necessarily need a huge shower thrown for her complete with gifts, etc. But the least her co-workers could do is to add her name to the existing invite, and maybe get a second cake for everyone to share as a way of showing that she and her baby matter just as much as the first time mom and her baby-to-be do. A little acknowledgement goes a long way — especially for a pregnant gal.
What are your views on throwing additional baby showers?
Image via tinaxguzden/Flickr
