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Sip & See: How to Celebrate Your Baby After They’re Born
Sip & See: How to Celebrate Your Baby After They’re Born
Photo by @stormiefraser

Sip & See: How to Celebrate Your Baby After They’re Born

This low-key party where everyone gets to meet baby has been around for decades but is getting even more popular lately.

author-Latifah Miles
By Latifah Miles and Amylia Ryan
Fact Checked by Shannon Vestal Robson
Published Jan 12, 2024|Updated On Mar 28, 2025
Published Jan 12, 2024Updated On Mar 28, 2025
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Photo by @stormiefraser

In This Article

When Do You Host a Sip and See?
What Do You Do At A Sip And See?
How Long Should a Sip and See Last?
Sip & See Theme Ideas
Baby Has Bloomed
Welcome to the World
Sip & See Our Little Bee
Sip & See Invitations
Do You Get Gifts at a Sip & See?

Similar to a baby shower meant to celebrate the arrival of a new baby, a sip and see party is a time to celebrate your newest addition. However, the party happens after the baby is born. Close friends and family come over to sip a beverage and see the new baby—think of it as a baby-welcoming party. Historically popular in the southern US, sip and see parties are becoming more popular to help accommodate conflicting schedules, travel restrictions, illness or any other thing that can get in the way of your guests showing up. Here's how to throw one, with all the details from timing to what you do at one.

When Do You Host a Sip and See?

A sip and see can happen anytime in the first few weeks or months after the birth or adoption of your baby—truly, it's whenever you feel comfortable and up to it. A few things to consider around timing a sip and see: 

  • The health of you and your baby. If your baby was delivered prematurely, you have post-birth health concerns or any other health obstacle, it's totally fine to push out your sip and see further out. 

  • Avoiding cold and flu season. For babies born during cold and flu season, primarily the winter, it may be a good idea to wait until illnesses have passed to minimize the chance of catching anything. 

What Do You Do At A Sip And See?

Sip and sees are typically a mellow affair, and you can include games if you want, but don’t feel pressured to do too much. Light refreshments, subtle background music and a few cute decorations can set the perfect vibe to introduce your baby to your loved ones.

Since your new baby will be meeting people, here’s a helpful tip—set up a hand washing station so people can clean up before holding your baby. (You can also have hand sanitizer around).

And you’ll be managing a newborn, so don’t feel obligated to pass your baby around or forgo whatever routine you’ve managed to create (specifically around naps and feeding). That’s the beauty of a sip and see; keeping it light and rolling with your baby's needs is expected.

How Long Should a Sip and See Last?

That’s up to you and your baby—it can wrap up after about an hour or go on for longer if you’re feeling up to it. If you’re going to land on the short and sweet end of the timeline, add an end time on your invitation so your friends and family are aware of the plan (and don’t arrive fashionably late).

Sip & See Theme Ideas

A lot of popular baby shower themes can easily be repurposed for a sip and see—or you can go a different direction and skip the theme, opting instead for a simpler party. Here are a few trending themes that you can easily make your own:

Baby Has Bloomed

Welcome to the World

Sip & See Our Little Bee

Sip & See Invitations

Like any other shower invite, sip and see invitations can be printed and snail-mailed or sent digitally via email. Most online card companies have a selection of invitations for post-baby showers, and the cards usually say “sip and see” specifically. If you’re steering away from a theme, you can use your baby’s sweet little face as the main design. 

Here are a few details to include on the invitation: location, registry info (yes, even after the baby’s arrival), date, start time and a specific end time. Don’t feel bad about being strict about it; otherwise, you may have some guests overstaying their welcome.

Do You Get Gifts at a Sip & See?

Since a sip and see party happens post-baby, you probably have most if not all of the baby essentials you’d have on your registry, like a car seat, stroller, carrier or wrap and a small diaper supply. But your friends and family will likely want to bring something to celebrate your new arrival, like cute clothes, books, blankets or something customized with their name on it. 

If you definitely do not want to sort through more gifts, even the cutesy kind, we suggest letting your guests know by adding a line on your invitation saying there’s no need to bring a gift. On the other hand, if you don’t mind gifts or still have items are your registry to purchase, add a link to your registry for your guests to shop.

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