By Robin Donovan

Food Drink Life

Baby showers usually mean pastel-colored cupcakes, onesie towers and the occasional round of baby-name bingo. But a new trend in the expectant parent world is shifting the focus from celebration to preparation. Nesting parties bring friends and family together, supporting parents-to-be as they brace for the sleepless whirlwind of life with a newborn.

Nesting parties blend the celebratory atmosphere of traditional showers with practical help – meal prep, organizing baby supplies and setting up the home for postpartum life. Instead of piling up presents, friends and family roll up their sleeves to stock freezers, assemble changing tables and tackle the little details to help ease the chaos of the fourth trimester.

“My mom suggested that I invite one or two friends over to help me after my husband and I moved when I was 34 weeks pregnant,” says Allegra Gast, RDN, IBCLC, whose reel about her self-devised nesting party went viral on Instagram. “I thought about what I wanted, what I needed help with and how I wanted to host the party,” she told The Everymom.

Just check the comments section of Gast’s Instagram reel and other social media posts on nesting parties and you’ll see that the idea struck a chord and sparked broader conversations about the unmet needs of postpartum parents. Expectant parents are ecstatic at the idea of a celebration that will also help them ready themselves for this major life change.

What’s behind the trend?

According to a 2025 Pinterest trend report, millennial and Gen Z parents are driving the trend, and the numbers tell the story. Searches on the platform for “nesting party” jumped 205% between September 2022 and August 2024. “Nesting party ideas” searches rose 150% over the same period.

The concept is gaining traction as more parents open up about the realities of postpartum life. Discussions about the “fourth trimester” – a term coined by Harvey Karp, a pediatrician and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, to describe the physically and emotionally intense first three months after birth – are growing louder, especially on social media.

“Modern moms and dads face an imbalance as they juggle parenting, careers and life, and defining a support system early is critical,” says Renee Patrone Rhinehart, founder of Party Host Helpers, in an interview with The Bump. “Now more than ever, mothers need to be celebrated and nurtured.”

By asking what the parents-to-be need, nesting parties offer a chance to create a network of support that lasts long after the party ends. Not only do expectant parents get to celebrate this momentous life event, but they also come away knowing that systems are in place, there’s food in the freezer, diapers are stocked and bassinets are ready to cradle their new little bundle of joy.

What happens at a nesting party?

At its core, a nesting party is part celebration, part work party. Guests arrive ready to pitch in to complete whatever tasks need doing.

This often means prepping meals to stock the freezer – everything from easy-to-heat noodle soups, lasagna or quiche to ready-to-blend smoothie packs. These freezer meals are invaluable for new parents, eliminating the stress of preparing food during those early weeks of round-the-clock feedings.

Other tasks might include organizing baby supplies, assembling changing tables and labeling cabinets to make essentials easy to find. Guests often bring practical gifts, like diapers and wipes, instead of yet another pair of adorable shoes the baby won’t be walking in for at least a year or books they won’t be able to read for even longer.

Some hosts set up stations – one for meal prep, another for assembling baby furniture, for instance – so guests can contribute based on their strengths. There’s also room for connection and emotional support, whether sharing parenting advice, writing encouraging notes or making explicit offers of future help, like babysitting or running errands.

Nesting parties shouldn’t be all work and no play. Celebration is also an important aspect of the event. “This is a really special and cherished time,” says Rhinehart, “and while your friends are coming to help and support you, they should enjoy the party as well.”

A cultural reset

Nesting parties align with a broader movement favoring practical, meaningful gifts for new parents. Online communities like Buy Nothing groups and platforms such as Meal Train are fueling the shift, helping families crowdsource essential items, meals, childcare, housework and more. By addressing the specific challenges of new-parent life, nesting parties provide a kind of help that no registry item can match.

The trend reflects a more realistic conversation about the demands of parenthood. “People are recognizing that new-parent life isn’t just cute outfits and baby photos,” says Heidi Bruaw, a mother of three and creator of the blog Real Life of Lulu. “It’s hard. And showing up for someone means rolling up your sleeves.”

The gatherings also help normalize asking for help. For generations, new parents have been expected to manage postpartum recovery on their own, often to their detriment. Nesting parties offer an antidote to that isolation.

“Millennial and Gen Z parents are more aware of mental health’s importance, especially during pregnancy and after childbirth,” Suzanne Mungalez, PsyD, PMH-C, a licensed perinatal psychologist, told Parent’s Today. “This shift is a reaction to the boomer generation, who often suffered silently or denied the challenges of new parenthood.”

Younger parents, Mungalez says, are “more vocal about the realities of new parenthood and the need for community support.” Nesting parties provide a cultural reset, normalizing support rather than glorifying self-sufficiency.

A small effort with a big impact

Ultimately, the beauty of a nesting party is its simplicity. Stocking a freezer, folding tiny socks or offering words of encouragement can ease the overwhelm of postpartum life.

“It’s one less thing to worry about,” says Jessica Haggard, creator of the lifestyle blog Easy Homemade Life. “Knowing your friends helped fill your freezer or organize your home reminds you that you’re not alone.”

And while nesting parties might be missing the fanciful diaper bouquets or silly games of traditional showers, they deliver something far more meaningful. They give expectant parents a sense of readiness and a community of support they can rely on – not to mention a freezer full of homemade enchiladas.

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Robin Donovan is the author of more than 40 cookbooks and the founder and creator of All Ways Delicious, a food site loaded with easy recipes for the best dishes from around the world. Her writing and recipes have been featured in major media outlets including Huffington Post, MSN, Associated Press, Cooking Light, PopSugar, Chicago Sun-Times, Fitness, Parade, Mercury News and many others.