Mom's Extravagant 3-day Baby Shower Branded 'Breathtakingly Self Absorbed'

A friend is raging that a mom-to-be is throwing an extravagant three-day baby shower, which all the guests are supposed to pay for.

The invitee vented their frustration to Mumsnet, under username TheyCallMeJune, where they fumed that the lavish party included two nights in a "pricey hotel."

They wrote: "Travelling to another city; meal on day/night one, 'activities' on day two followed by another meal at another restaurant. Brunch on the third morning. Two nights in pricey hotel. Plus expensive gift list. Plus themes to have to dress for such as 'pink night'."

To make matters worse, TheyCallMeJune fumed they weren't even close enough to the mom-to-be to get invited to their wedding ceremony.

"I won't be attending. The 'Mama' as she calls herself on the invites didn't even invite me to her daytime wedding, just the evening do, so I'm clearly not that good a friend!" they added.

The post, shared on Monday, has racked up more than 170 replies, and can be read here, as they shared more details in the comments, revealing this pregnancy was the woman's third child.

They continued: "I'm not annoyed at such, just think it's breathtakingly self absorbed.

"I am about the same 'level' of friendship with her that I have been before, and after her wedding. Part of a group of friends that see each other regularly. Most were invited to the day reception for her wedding."

And adding insult to injury, they also confirmed the guests would be expected to foot the bill for the trip.

They continued: "Yep, we would be expected to cover the costs of 'Mama', including a pregnancy massage for her at a very expensive place on the activities day."

Numerous reacted in horror at the event, as MsFrog wrote: "Absolutely ridiculous. I thought hen dos were bad but this takes the biscuit!"

Swayingpalmtrees commented: "Wow, a new layer of hell the baby showers that have gone the same way as hen parties."

Organictangerine thought: "Omg how over the top! And I love a good baby shower! Don't do it, how ridiculous!"

Lem0nDrizzle reckoned: "That is absolutely bat s*** crazy. Would be a no from me."

Amijustparanoidorjuststoned said: "Oh my God OP my jaw hit the floor!!!!! What on earth is she thinking. If this is the direction of travel we are heading in now, stop the world, I want to get off."

RampantIvy said: "Never come across a pregzilla before. I suspect there won't be many attendees."

While ComDummings added: "That would be an instant decline."

Baby showers have soared in popularity lately, with website Web Baby Shower estimating the events can cost anywhere between $100 and $1,000, depending on how many guests there are.

The average budget is $400, with most of the cash being spent on venue, invitations, games and prizes, décor, catering and thank-you notes, it said.

Traditionally, showers were only held for the first baby, but website Babycentre.co.uk noted a growing trend to host parties for subsequent children.

It said: "Showers for a second or subsequent baby are becoming more common. There's always reason to celebrate a new baby, whether it's a large or small affair.

"If there's a wide age gap between the children, parents may be appreciative of receiving items that they have already given away or thrown out from overuse.

"Sometimes parties for second or subsequent babies are called "baby sprinkles". Think of it as a scaled-down version of a full shower. So, for example, instead of a party with games and activities, think about throwing an afternoon picnic in the park or preparing a delicious brunch for close family and friends."