A mother has sparked debate after asking her friends to help her deep clean her home instead of having a baby shower.
Baby showers can be a sweet way to celebrate the impending arrival of someone's little bundle of joy, but baby-themed games and gifting endless tiny sleepsuits aren't to everyone's liking.
A mom-to-be called Nia took to TikTok to share videos from her "nesting party" which she'd chosen to have instead of a traditional baby shower.
She'd corralled her closest friends to help her clean and stock her freezer in lieu of the traditional party - and while it's a novel idea, viewers in her comments were left divided.
Nia revealed in the video: "So I had my nesting party last night instead of a baby shower and it was amazing.
"My friend Bree organized it. I sent her a list of things that I wanted to get done before the baby came and she made little cards for each person to take on a section of the house."
She then filmed her friends tackling different parts of her home, from decluttering and rearranging her pantry, to washing a rug, and sorting the baby's room and belongings.
Nia added: "I kind of took a more supervisor role, kind of telling people where I wanted things and then we took a dinner break. We ate some soup, some sourdough bread, some treats, and chatted about this baby and how it's gonna be.
"Then we got straight back into work and everything was so clean and organized and I feel so much more ready for this baby."
While traditional baby showers would see the guests bringing gifts for the new arrival, the cleaning squad was instead told to bring freezer meals so that Nia and her family wouldn't have to worry about cooking while looking after a newborn in the early days after the birth.
She concluded the video by telling her followers: "It was so much fun. I highly recommend a nesting party if you’re getting ready for a baby."
Some viewers were all for the idea, commenting: "I refuse to go to baby showers but I would show up early for a nesting party."
Others added: "Honestly I’d prefer doing this to sitting for three hours watching someone open presents," and: "I’m sorry but how has this not been a thing FOREVER?! I would absolutely go help alllll my pregnant friends. And wish I could have had one."
Another commented: "I would SO rather do this than play games with strangers I don’t know," while someone else joked: "can I have this instead of a birthday party???"
Others weren't as keen on the idea, writing: "Nah my husband can clean the house and cook. Me and my girls will be eating fabulous food, drinking champagne and celebrating me," and: "I'd be so uncomfortable the whole time, but I'm glad it works for others."
Another suggested: "You could instead hire a cleaner or put that as a registry item. I could never watch my friends clean and organize my house."
Would you have a nesting party over a baby shower? Let us know in the comments below.
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