Want a venue?

If you don’t have room at home for a raucous baby shower, why not let the professionals take the strain?

Park Hyatt: High Tea at the Park Hyatt at either The Lobby Lounge, The Lobby Lounge Terrace or Traiteur Upper Bar of Cave Privée. Decoration requirements are included – as is the cake!
From Dhs100 per head. Park Hyatt Dubai. Contact Jeanette.bulaqui@hyatt.com (04 602 1804).

Shakespeare & Co: Providing anything from afternoon tea, buffet lunch, brunch or lunches, you can book a private room, or reserve space in a Shakespeare and Co venue. Services include pink or blue decorations, flowers and the cake.
From Dhs60 per head. www.shakespeareandco.ae (04 329 1040).

Baby Bling: For mums up to the task, why not consider an in-hospital-room baby shower? Baby Bling have an events coordinator who makes arrangements with the chosen hospital to decorate your private room. Catering must be arranged separately.
Packages cost Dhs3,000 max. www.babybling.com (04 344 1115).

Sweet talk

Every baby shower needs a sweet centre-piece. We recommend the following

ChoCo’a: This family-run chocolate house, patisserie and bakery will provide you with almost any design of cake or chocolate sculpture you desire. We recommend something in their chocolate though – it’s pure Belgian heaven!
Prices vary. www.chocoa.ae (04 340 9013).

House of Cakes: Order your cake online via their website’s ‘cake gallery’, or pop into their International City bakery for personalized orders.
From Dhs3 (for individual baby cookies) to Dhs2,000+. International City. www.houseofcakesdubai.com (050 856 6312).

Park N Shop: Reasonably priced, delicious cakes made to order. Simply state your requirements four days before the party.
Dhs95-150. Al Safa Centre. No website (04 394 5671).

Dubai Diaper Cakes: Not for munching, but they look lovely, and you can choose the number and theme of little gifts attached.
Dhs250-500. www.simplesite.com/dubaidiapercakes.

Alternative wish lists

If you don’t want your friends spending all their dosh, how about having a ‘second-wave’ wish-list? This is where your friends who have had babies can pass on all their favourite items for a second round of baby-use. The bonus of doing it this way means you can usually get your hands on big expensive stuff, such as cots, buggies, car seats, changing tables, bedding and the like. And from those friends who aren’t in the baby zone, you can still get lovely new things too: bargainous and eco-friendly too!

Conventional wish-lists

Babyshop, locations across Dubai. www.babyshopstores.com (04 339 8878).
Mamas & Papas, MOE/Dubai Mall, www.mamasandpapas.com (04 339 9481).
JustKidding Al Safa/Gold & Diamond Park, www.justkidding-me.com (04 341 3922).
Pottery Barn Kids Dubai Mall/Mirdif City Centre www.potterybarn.me (04 325 3706)
Mothercare Dubai Mall store only, www.mothercare.com/UAE (04 339 9812).
Baby Bling The Village Mall, www.babybling.com (04 344 1115).