Congrats, you’re invited to a baby shower! Now all you have to do is check out the registry or talk to those close to the parents-to-be and see what they need or want. That’s the fun part! Next comes the card and the pressure to write something personal, sentimental, or particularly meaningful. This pressure is 100% self-inflicted, but it can still be stressful nonetheless.

Fortunately, we’re here to help! From finding the right card to writing the right things inside it, the following is a simple guide to nailing the baby shower card no matter who it’s for, or how well you know them.

Picking the Right Card

Everyone has different tastes and preferences when it comes to selecting cards off the shelves. Some of us are drawn to cards that make us laugh, while others like ones that are loaded with deep and caring words. Consider who you’re giving it to and the setting in which it will be opened and potentially read aloud. At many baby showers, the expecting parent(s) open gifts and read cards in front of the guests. In this case, you probably don’t want to write a lengthy soliloquy. But, if you’re sure they’re going to read the cards in private, then go for it (or for that funny poop card you know will crack them up).

It’s helpful to choose a card that matches an event’s level of formality. Look at the invitation for cues and take note of the venue where the shower is being hosted. If it’s at a fine-dining restaurant, you might want to pass on the potty-mouth humor. If it’s a backyard BBQ, an informal, even laugh-out-loud card is probably welcome.

Always consider your audience, which is mainly the person you’re giving it to. Don’t worry too much about what their parents or in-laws might think, but if you think it might embarrass them, it might be a good idea to give that card to them privately. The same goes for the lengthy card you don’t necessarily want them to read in front of everyone.

An alternative to writing a lot inside the card is writing a letter that they can open later. Even better, you could write them a letter a few months after the baby is born to give them encouragement and words they can hold onto. The truth about baby shower cards is—as with almost any kind of party card—they tend to get lost or thrown out. Maybe not immediately, but eventually, those beautifully crafted words you wove together will get tossed. It’s not personal, but it’s the reality of decluttering or simply getting caught up in the chaos of welcoming and raising a child.

Books are a great gift (one that can be opened again and again!) and can double as cards with notes written inside. In many cases, these messages can be directed to the child with warm wishes that they enjoy the book as much as you or your children did and signed with love.

Here are a couple of our favorite baby shower book sentiments, found on MomLovesBest:

• “I am so excited to meet you and share my favorite book with you. I hope you love it as much as I did when I was little.”
• “May your life be filled with beautiful stories.”

What to Write Inside

Once you’ve picked out an appropriate card for the occasion, you should look at the invitation to ensure you address it appropriately. Is this a joint shower that is being thrown for both parents with both names listed on the invitation? Then address it to both of them.

For formal gatherings or if you’re not particularly familiar with the expecting parents, it’s perfectly fine to match their names to how they’re written on the invitation. This might mean full names: “Dear Mr. and Mrs. ****.” For less formal showers, you can drop the formalities and write their nicknames, especially if you know them well.

If only the mother’s name is listed on the invitation, you can address the card to her alone: full name for formal, or first name/nickname only for informal. The invitation may also state the baby’s name or gender, which can help you specify gifting for a little girl or boy.

Cards don’t typically have a lot of blank space to write in, but there should be enough room to jot down something short and sweet, whether it’s heartfelt, quirky, or funny. Below are five baby shower card messages you can write to anyone, whether they’re your best friend, a family member, a neighbor, or a colleague.

1. We are so excited for the arrival of your baby. Words cannot express the joy he/she will bring to you both. Can’t wait to meet your little guy/gal and share in your happiness. Congratulations.

This one’s fairly straightforward and traditional, but it gets the job done! You can change the wording to “they” if you are unsure of the gender, or if the parents aren’t finding out until the baby comes. In this case, “We” indicates the gift is coming from you and someone else, so be sure to sign the card with the names of who else is gifting it (friends, family, coworkers, etc.) at the end. Otherwise, change “We” to “I”.

2. I am so happy for you both! You are going to be the best parents. Can’t wait to meet your beautiful baby boy/girl.

This is another type of congratulatory note that you can’t go wrong with, and it is particularly appropriate if you know the parents well. If the shower is just being thrown for the mom, you can change “parents” to “mother” and delete “both”. If the gender is unknown, you can drop the “boy/girl” at the end.

3. We are very excited for you. These will be the best years of your life—enjoy every minute. Time flies.

Words of wisdom are a nice touch to personalize baby shower messages, and these are perfect as they’re brief and to the point without being preachy. If you want to get into more details about what to expect (which new mothers don’t necessarily need or want to hear), you can write that in a separate letter, but it’s best to keep these “pointers” lighthearted and generalized. A nice idea for a longer note is something like “10 things I learned in the first year with my baby” or “10 things my baby taught me about life”.

4. Soak in this special time as you prepare to finally meet your little one. The amount of love and pure joy you will feel is unimaginable. I am so happy for you.

It’s nice to remind expecting parents to enjoy the time they have left before the baby arrives without going into too much detail about how much sleep they’re going to lose. This heartfelt sentiment helps them both get excited about what’s to come while still enjoying the present moment.

5. Sending the warmest wishes to you and the wonderful adventures of parenthood. Soak up all the love, snuggles, and milestones.

These baby shower wishes are universal and especially great for someone you might not know intimately (a coworker, boss, friend-of-a-friend, etc.).

Other Ideas

All it takes to personalize a baby shower card is a handwritten sentence or two. Those sentences can be anything from traditional congratulations to encouragement for labor, delivery, or the newborn stages, to a personal (heartfelt or funny) note for a close friend or family member.

Here are some other clutch card messages and baby shower quotes (inspired by Happiest Baby, MomLovesBest, Twigs, and Shutterfly):

Congratulations

• Congratulations on the miracle you’re carrying. We can’t wait to meet your new treasure.
• Congratulations and best wishes to your growing family! Thank you for including us in your journey.
• A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bank balance smaller, home happier, clothes dirty, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for. Congratulations.

Well Wishes / Encouragement

• Every day is a new adventure. Enjoy the ride.
• To me, you’re a superhero. To your arriving bundle, you will be their entire world—sending you tons of love, kisses, and many best wishes for the upcoming months of your pregnancy.

Words of Wisdom

• Parenthood is a wild ride full of love, laughter, questions, learning, excitement, craziness, hugs, kisses and so much more. Congrats on your tiny little teacher.
• From the moment your baby arrives, you’ll feel strength like never before.
• The days are long, but the years are short. I hope you enjoy these special days!

Poetic

• Here’s to smiles, laughter, patience, and joy. We hope you get a healthy baby girl or boy.
• Double the giggles, double the grins, double the love when you have twins!

Funny

• Enjoy the shower today—it might be the last one you get for a while.
• Sleep now or forever hold your peace.
• A word to the wise: The sleep gets better…the diapers get worse. Congratulations and best of luck!
• Congratulations on your new job as a parent. The salary sucks, but the bonuses are well worth it.
• Oh, shoot! You’ve reproduced…Good luck with that.

Quotes

• “Sometimes the littlest things take up the most room in your heart.” – Winnie the Pooh
• “It is the smile of a baby that makes life worth living.” – Debasish Mridha
• “People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one.” – Leo Burke
• “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock
• “When someone else’s happiness is your happiness, that is love.” – Lana Del Rey
• “Parenthood is a lot easier to get into than out of.” – Bruce Lansky

Twins

• Sometimes miracles come in pairs!
• Here comes double trouble! Congrats on your twins!
• If there’s anything more special than a new baby on the way, it’s two babies on the way!
• Twins mean more work and less sleep, but they also mean extra hugs, kisses, and love!
• “One will laugh, the other will cry. One will be wet, the other will be dry. While one will yell, the other will sleep. But these memories will be your most precious to keep…Twins!” – Unknown.

Signing Off

When signing a baby shower card, feel free to deviate from “From” or “Love” and find the words that better fit your relationship with the person (or people) being celebrated. If you’re religious, you can use a sign-off like “Blessings,” or “God bless.” You can’t go wrong with “Best wishes,” and for those that you share a close bond with, “Hugs and Kisses,” “Lovingly,” “Love Always,” and “Lots of Love” are nice closing sentiments. “Tickled pink” is cute for a baby girl, while “Happy Snuggling” and “Peace, Love, and Happiness” are other fitting baby shower sign-offs.

Make It Your Own

If you’re determined to write the perfect card message, give yourself some time to think before you put the pen to paper. Words from the heart can be hard to find spontaneously, and you’ll likely need to get into a certain headspace before you can sort out what you’d like to communicate.

Even the best writers experience writer’s block, but don’t let that get you down. If it helps, use some of the above ideas as a starting point. You can use them in their entirety or change them as you see fit.

Above all else, remember that the person/people you’re celebrating probably won’t hold onto this card for long, so don’t lose sleep over it. A short and sincere note is all it takes, and then you can move on to celebrating their milestone and actively supporting them as new parents.

Now that you’ve got the card under control, it’s time to find the perfect baby shower gift. Curated Baby & Toddler Experts are here to help, with expert recommendations from real people who know what products work for parents and their little ones. And if you want to bounce your card ideas off us, we’re here for that too!