Drive-by baby showers are becoming the new norm because of social distancing

A sign of the times.

Baby showers have become huge over the last ten years or so. While baby showers were once considered just a North American trend, they've taken off across the world, with 40,000 taking place in Ireland alone last year. Unfortunately, due to the spread of coronavirus and social distancing rules, many expectant mums have seen their baby showers called off. Some switched to video call versions so they could still connect with family and friends but another baby shower trend is emerging and it could become the new normal for the next while. [caption id="attachment_342072" align="aligncenter" width="5760"] In person baby showers can no longer take place due to social distancing.[/caption] Drive-by baby showers are taking social media by storm, with more and more mums having the unconventional celebration. Guests that were originally supposed to attend an in person baby shower with the mum-to-be have instead taking to creating a procession with balloons, banners and gifts past the expectant mum's home. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-V1Y9xJ9r4/ In the last while, especially around Mother's Day, I saw a lot of people to similar social distancing celebrations but I really do love that drive-by baby showers have taken off. Right now we're all feeling a little stressed, none more so than expectant mums who often have to frequent hospitals which are high risk areas and who at the moment are unsure if they will be able to have their birth partners with them. These kinds of celebrations are a great way to take the focus away from COVID-19 for a moment and instead focus on love and togetherness. https://www.instagram.com/p/B-nVRDmnUsi/ I haven't seen any drive-by baby showers in Ireland yet but I've no doubt that they will make their way over here just like the original trend for baby showers will. Of course we should be all mindful of the 2km travel limit for non-essential trips and try to stay inside as much as possible.