Celebrate the birth of your new baby with a full month celebration, thrown for both mummy and baby.
Throwing a full month party for your new baby is a celebration for the new mother too!
In Asia, families usually celebrate the baby’s full month or full moon (满月) when the baby is about to, or, is turning one month old. It is loosely referred to as the ‘baby shower’, but it is different from that of our Western counterpart’s party, which is an event thrown during the third trimester before the baby is born, to celebrate the mother’s soon-to-be new life.
New parents are excited to share the birth of their child, but how can they pull off a baby full month party without going into a frenzy while struggling with a new baby?
If you’re planning to organise a full month party, then rest easy — we’ve done the legwork to make things easier for clueless parents.
Here are 7 steps to guide you through you baby full month party planning just like a pro:
#1: Set a date and time for the full month party
Most families usually pick a weekend to accommodate schedules. The ideal date would be on the actual day—or before—as traditional Asian families don’t believe in celebrating after the actual date.
When to start: 2 to 3 weeks before the date of party, pin down dates you’d like to hold the event. That would help you let your guests to block their calendar too.
#2: Decide on who to invite to the full month party
Take time to plan your guest list. Consider how big or small a baby full month celebration you are hoping to have and will be able to manage. Don’t forget, planning for a party requires logistical arrangements and coordination with various people involved. The larger the scale, the more complex things become.
Tip: Get your husband to list down the people he’d like to invite, you do the same too, then combine the lists. If the group gets too large to handle, consider scaling down. Remember, the more guests you have, the bigger the venue will need to be and that might affect your budget if you are cost-conscious.
When to start: 2 to 3 weeks before the date of party; done concurrently when deciding the date and time.
Baby full month party is a time when your family will come together to celebrate the new arrival.
#3: Look for an accessible venue and plan your budget
Once you have an estimated number of guests, start looking at venue options.
Will it be a simple baby full month celebration at your own home or at your in-law’s condominium function room? Or will you be going all out to throw a classy party at the hotel—fit for your little princess?
Shortlist a few locations, so you have options in case the top choice is taken or way out of budget. Some favourite party places require a minimum number of guests in order to book the venue and may include various packages, so you might need to check and confirm with your guests on their availability prior to booking.
Indoor venues are usually favoured due to the unexpected weather conditions. Plus, you wouldn’t want to deal with a sticky, cranky, little baby on this special day.
At the same time, start costing out how much you will need to set aside. Don’t forget the nitty gritty details such as party decor, party favours, and cakes too!
Here are some party venues which offer Full Month/Full Moon party packages for your newborn’s first party: Polliwogs (prices start from $688), Giggles (prices start from $688), Singapore Polytechnic Graduates’ Guild (prices start from $48/pax)
When to start: 2 to 3 weeks before the date of party, especially for popular locations such as a cafe. They are booked on a first-come-first-served basis, so ideally, site reservations should be done early too.
#4: Send out invites to guests
There are several ways to send out invitations these days: through text messages, Facebook event invites, email invitations, etc. Find a method which works best for you and your guests. Remember to leave your contact numbers so that guests can call if they have any questions and to RSVP to confirm their attendance for your baby’s full month celebration.
Traditional full month food to prepare: Red eggs, ang ku kueh, and glutinous rice.
Some traditional families send red eggs (you can DIY them easily!) and cakes personally to the seniors in the family out of respect. These folks may or may not be invited or might not be attending the actual full month celebration, but this gesture is passed down from generations to announce the birth of a new family member.
When to start: After the date, time, and venue have been set, send out the invites to your guests to tell them about the party!
#5: Decide on a theme and plan the menu
How you wish to beautify the space will depend on your concept. Decor can be entirely minimal with just standard balloons. Or you may go all out and splurge on a printed backdrop, with a customised dessert table and made-to-order themed birthday cake, coupled with activities and games!
Some venues such a cafe, restaurant, or hotel function room, come catered with food options, which makes things easier for the busy new parents when it comes to deciding the food.
If the full month party is going to be held at a condominium function room, someone’s house, or at the common pavilion at your estate, be sure to cater enough food for all your guests.
When to start: 1 to 2 weeks before the party, as some guests might not respond promptly to the RSVP deadline. Some caterers or F&B places allow an estimated heads-up on the expected guests but will need the final figure a week before. Be sure to get your numbers right, because if the guests don’t turn up, you will most likely be charged for that agreed number any way.
For party decor, you may hunt for them as soon as you have decided on the party theme. Online purchases may take several days to reach, and you may wish to factor waiting time for any unexpected delays. Getting the party frills from retail stores is more straightforward, unless, of course, you prefer to shop around, and that would take some time too.
Enjoy the sweet moments of your baby’s full month party with the lovely company of families and friends that matter to you.
#6: Plan the full month party agenda
Now, the fun is getting started!
New parents may be too caught up with their newborn and might prefer an easier full month party with just food, catching up with guests, cake-cutting, and, perhaps, a goodie bag for the kids.
A simple 4-hr party agenda can look like this:
12pm: Guests arrive; lunch and mingle
2.30pm: Cake-cutting and photo taking
3-4pm: More mingling and party ends; goodie bags for kids to take home
Some excited mums and dads may actually go all out with the full works: with clowns, storytellers, magicians, or a bouncy castle for their kiddie guests.
Others may tone down by preparing a simple activity booklet to keep kids entertained while the adults mingle and coo over the star of the party.
When to start: If external vendors will be engaged, it might be good to book them at least 2 weeks prior. Regardless of the complexity of agenda, it’s good to start preparing early especially if you foresee plenty of DIY needed – well, that is if you actually have time for that!
#7: Have fun and enjoy this special day!
All the planning is half the glory of an awesome event.
But take heart if some things don’t turn out the way you had planned. The purpose of a full month party is to celebrate the birth of your child and share the joy of becoming new parents.
This date most likely marks the end of your confinement too, so rejoice and bid farewell to those Sesame Oil Meat and Pork Trotters in Vinegar!
Now that the preparation work is over and your family is all ready to enjoy the party, have you forgotten about your newborn?
She may not know that she is the star of the party, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t have a good time too!
Preparing your newborn for his full month party
Your little bundle of joy is much too young to know that he’s the star of the party, but that doesn’t mean your baby should not have a good time too. Afterall, snapshots of that day will be lingering on the internet, your computer, and printed ones in albums!
Go about the day like any other day. Your newborn will most likely still be in a sleepy state at this point and spend his special day, well, dozing. But that’s perfectly normal.
In the busyness of entertaining guests, remember to check on him every other moment. Just in case he might be cold, hot, hungry, or needing a cuddle. If the husband or yourself will be caught up chatting away with friends, remember to designate a trusted person who is able to prepare baby’s milk and feed promptly.
Most importantly, ensure your little one is taken care of during the event. This might be one of the first few times that your new baby is seeing so many new faces, with excited uncles and aunties pawing over him or wanting to steal a cuddle. Should your baby start showing signs of distress or is overstimulated, WebMD recommends some ways to calm your little one.
Host etiquette during the full month party
Now that your baby’s full month party is happening, have you thought about how you and your partner will be hosting your guests on that day?
- Don’t arrive later than your guests (or at least try not to!)
- Ensure there’s enough food to go round – better to be over-prepared than under!
- Don’t stay glued to your mobile, and other digital devices
- If the party is at home, ensure the bathroom is well-stocked with necessities such as toilet paper and hand soap
- Be gracious and remain calm if spills happen – accidents are, well, accidents!
- Remember to mingle and chat with each guest – they’ve taken time off to celebrate your newborn, it’s rude to have them feel like they have been invited to be seat fillers
- If your partner has invited his/her own group of friends, do thank them for their presence of sharing your joy even if you’ve not met them before.
Don’t forget to thank all your guests at the end of the party. Afterall, they have made special arrangements and effort to share your joy, so don’t forget your P’s and Q’s too!
Are you planning for your baby’s full month party? Share with us how you intend to celebrate!