Drive-By Baby Showers Are Trending Now That We Have to Be Socially Distant

The coronavirus outbreak has affected pretty much every single person in the world in one way or another. Whether you’re a senior missing out on your graduation day or parents forced to homeschool their kids with no formal training, this pandemic is putting a halt to normalcy.

It’s also getting in the way of a lot of milestones. For example, pregnant women have been forced to cancel their baby showers since large gatherings have been deemed a health risk—and it’s not like they can postpone them very long if their due date is fast approaching.

However, when there’s a will there’s a way. Even if traditional showers aren’t able to happen, there might be some way to still celebrate with friends and family—and no, we’re not talking about having a Zoom call with your guests. We mean celebrating in person, yes even in light of a pandemic.

It’s called a “drive-by” shower, and they’re all the rage right now amid the outbreak. The idea is simple: Guests who would’ve come to your originally planned shower drive by your home, drop off a gift, offer their well wishes (from a distance) and keep on going.

The person being celebrated may choose to give out some kind of favor, like that you’d find at your standard shower, and maybe even some pandemic-friendly treats—you know, individually-wrapped cookies or mini bottles of champagne that are still sealed—as a way to say thank you for coming.

During the drive-by shower, the mom-to-be might even choose to open gifts in front of their friends and family who make the drive. Of course, just make sure to have plenty of Lysol around to sanitize the gifts, and wear gloves when you open them. You can really make the day all your own.

Sure, it’s not a traditional shower by any means, but it can still make all the difference for someone who feels as if they’re missing out on milestones because of the virus (especially someone with a lot of pregnancy hormone who may be overly emotional!). Just ask some of the people who have already had drive-by baby showers and had nothing but good things to say about them.

“It was an overwhelming feeling of love and support, and knowing everybody was here for us no matter what,” said Stacey Wolf of Woodbine, Maryland, who had a surprise socially-distant baby shower for her baby due in May.

“I was just so, so surprised; I was crying the whole time,” said Amy Litz of Santa Cruz, California, who is also expecting a baby in May. “I had been looking forward to our baby shower for quite some time and the fact that it got canceled and you know, just shows what great friends and family we have in our lives and I’m just so blessed.”

What a great way to celebrate pregnant women, who might also be having a tough time thinking about the coronavirus pandemic affects their birth plans.

What do you think of the idea of a drive-by shower during this pandemic? Have you attended one yet?