Nesting parties are the latest new trend, and rightfully so. These are a modern take with TikTok roots building on an old tradition, where moms-to-be receive practical help getting the home in order before the little one arrives.
Trends can get a bad rep, but we’re in full support of this one. Whether the mom-to-be wants a nesting party instead of a baby shower, or sees it as an addition to her shower, this is another great way to support her, by all possible means.
If you haven’t heard of this kind of party – don’t worry – we’ll walk through some common hesitations, provide ideas to overcome them, and explain how to throw a fabulous nesting party!
What is a Nesting Party?
A nesting party is a modern and practical alternative to a traditional baby shower that’s recently gained a lot of traction on platforms like TikTok. Simply put, these are gatherings where loved ones help the mom-to-be prepare their home for the baby’s arrival. As Nia Liu shared in her viral TikTok video, she opted for a nesting party instead of a baby shower and, albeit lovingly, put her friends to work.
After making a list of all the things she wanted done before baby arrived, her best friend designated tasks for each person to take on within a section of her home. Nia complemented the list by advising her friends on the details of the tasks, like filling up the pantry closet, wiping down kitchen appliances, and organizing baby’s new clothes. As a soon to be mother of three, Nia shared how peaceful she felt by the end of the nesting party (*swoon*).
The Appeal of Nesting Parties
Traditional baby showers are wonderful. That said, they aren’t always what an expecting mom needs.
At baby showers, it’s common to ask for registry gifts and open them all during the shower. After a few gifts, the radical cuteness can slowly wear off, leaving the whole affair a bit duitful. Not only that, parents are left with many items to sort, organize, and find a proper place for, which can be taxing for a mom in her third trimester. Or sometimes showers are just not the right fit for families with second and third kids. Parents have almost everything they need, and having a sprinkle baby shower would make more sense in this case.
The benefits of nesting parties are many, such as shared accomplishment and sweet camaraderie. Moms leave these occasions having completed a list of tasks that would have likely been done solo, with a lot less laughter and light.
It allows moms more bonding time with loved ones than at a traditional shower. Also, as shared in Nia’s video, there’s a related trend of guests bringing freezer meals to these parties, leaving mom-to-be well-prepped for those first few weeks after birth. The strongest appeal for nesting parties (which we love) is overall reduced stress for the mom-to-be!
TikTok Reactions and Variations and Alternatives
While many see the appeal in a nesting party, others aren’t so sure. On TikTok, we saw how excited certain moms were to know of this alternative to as traditional shower. The thought of getting support with house tasks and avoiding baby shower games sounds dreamy for some moms.
Whereas for others, they felt hesitant to ask their friends to clean their home and fold their yet-to-arrive baby’s clothes. Also, some loved ones might need some time to understand this viral concept, because to be fair, it does take a lot of trust and security in your friendships to ask for a nesting party. It’s not for everyone.
If you like the concept, but want to tweak it, we love these suggestions that TikTok users had.
- Hire a cleaner and ask for support to cover that expense on your registry
- Combine a nesting party with a more traditional celebration
- Avoid cleaning help all together and ask for support to set up or paint the nursery
- Have your partner and their friends clean and cook, while you and your friends celebrate!
With so many things to think about before baby comes, a nesting party is something to consider to gather round in support of the expecting mom and help celebrate this wonderful time in their lives.
How to Organize a Nesting Party
Nia Liu’s nest party helped her go from feeling stressed to feeling at peace in her home. Below, we share a nesting party checklist of the core components of a successful nesting party.
First, declare an organizer. Nia enlisted her best friend to support her in her wish for a nesting party (over a baby shower).
As shared in her video, Nia went room-to-room with her best friend and created a list of things she wanted to get done around the house. Since every family’s needs are different, we suggest expecting parents create a list specific to their own room/home needs. Some specific to-do items in Nia’s video included: setting up the baby station, hanging up nursery decor, and cleaning the rocking chair.
Decide on a date and send nesting party invitations to key friends. Niu kept it small but the size can depend on the size of the mom’s home and amount of tasks they want to get done.
Next, prioritize and delegate. Everyone who committed to be there is ready to work and support the expecting mom. To keep it simple, the organizer can split the list of tasks by room and have each friend take a section to work on. The expecting mom can simply be there, advising friends on where she’d like things to go, or answering any questions that come up.
Lastly, make time for a short break, so everyone gets to gather over food, replenish, and talk about the baby! When it comes to food – try taking the responsibility off the expecting mom and order ahead, or see if one of the guests would like to prepare something to share.
What to Bring to a Nesting Party?
For those invited to a nesting party, they might be wondering what to bring or if they should bring anything, since there may not be a registry and the gathering is not a traditional baby shower.
Items such as diapers, wipes, house cleaning essentials, baby clothes hangers, and freezer meals are all great examples of the type of gifts to bring to a nesting party. In comparison to more traditional baby shower gifts, this is a wonderful occasion to focus on items that are practical and useful for the family.
Why should you throw a Nesting Party?
For moms who do not want a traditional shower, or just love the idea of a nesting party, this rising trend is a great alternative route to supporting the mom-to-be. A nesting party is an intimate gathering where friends support the expecting mom with tasks around the home in preparation for the new baby. Not only does the mom receive practical help and communal support, there’s much less work involved in organizing a nesting party.
Experiences like Nia’s help us understand this meaningful modern take on an old tradition. We love seeing more expecting moms being gifted with nesting parties and seeing more friends attending them.
If you or the expecting mom in your life decides to host one – we encourage you to share it on platforms like TikTok to inspire other moms-to-be to get all the support they need.
