In the last few years we’ve gotten good at game nights, happy hours, and even memorial services streamed to nearly anywhere in the world. It’s almost normal and when there’s a PTA meeting in person rather than on zoom I’m both happy for the chance to interact with other parents in person and a little annoyed that I have to put on pants and leave my house.

Now that we have all these resources and it is so normal to attend events virtually, it is easier to include those family and friends that live too far to make the trip for every special event. With my youngest 2 children, we’ve been able to have special parties/meet-n-greets/gatherings that include family and friends spread out not only across time zones in the USA but around the world.

Throwing an online event is a bit of an art but worth the effort and a virtual baby shower is one viable option to make sure we’re every baby is wrapped in love and celebrated just as they deserve.

When I was expecting my first baby I lived over a thousand miles from my parents and most of my friends and knew very few people where I lived. With a difficult pregnancy, I felt very isolated and alone during my pregnancy and in many ways cut off from those I knew and loved with the exception of my husband. Near the end of my pregnancy but early enough I could still travel, I was able to go to my parents for a baby shower but due to work schedules and financial constraints I had to go alone. I wanted desperately to share and celebrate our new baby with friends and family but obstacle after obstacle made that difficult to do all together. After I gave birth, my mother came and visited but there was never an opportunity for even some of the people in our lives to be together with us to enjoy our sweet girl.

Years later when I was expecting again, we were even farther from many of our friends and family. We had moved, many of them had moved, and there was a global crisis with the coronavirus pandemic that made traveling a dangerous option. The distance that separated us all was magnified by the pandemic. Thankfully, technology has created other ways to connect. Zoom, Facebook meet, and other platforms were used daily for school, work, and yes, even baby showers.

See our virtual baby shower planning guide here and get our free downloadable checklist to help you out!

Having a baby during a global crisis like a pandemic can be stressful, isolating, and an overwhelming experience. I struggled to hold onto my joy about my coming baby and grieved the loss of many aspects of having a new baby even as I was grateful I wasn’t grieving the loss of loved ones to COVID-19. Holding that tension of gratitude during what should be a happy time overshadowed by stress and uncertainty was difficult. My best friend who had been at my previous 3 births couldn’t make it here for this one, our family couldn’t travel, there would be no gathering and cake to introduce her to everyone, and no late pregnancy day out with friends. 

But we could FaceTime, Zoom call, and Facebook meet. 

For many, in person get togethers are more challenging, pandemic or not. We move more often for education and work, our schedules are more busy, we have more community online than ever, and too often we are socially distanced from those we would share and celebrate major life events with. Including announcing, introducing, and celebrating our new family members.

From a virtual pregnancy announcement to a virtual baby shower, connecting with our people across time zones and distance isn’t only possible, it can be ideal. Whether you’re sharing with just a few close family members or a large circle of online friends there are so many possibilities. Your big kids can be virtually present for a prenatal appointment to hear the heartbeat or see belly mapping, your parents may join via FaceTime for an ultrasound, your best friend could help you craft your baby registry over Zoom, and your sister-in-law could throw you a baby shower… all from the other side of town or the other side of the world.

You can even invite people to your birth (up to you!) thanks to online streaming options- we did!

Nothing replaces that in-person connection but there is a close second when that isn’t possible. For those special events and every day moments, we really can be just a zoom call away.