Mon er Shaadh | Bengali Baby Shower Ceremony | Seventh Month Bengali Baby Shower | Pregnancy Diaries

I am writing this post as I look back cherishing my seventh month baby shower! Yes, I was super excited and had planned my look months in advance. Infact, not only my look, the elaborate menu, guest list, props, baby shower favours, were all meticulously planned by yours’ truly!

In case you are willing and curious to explore more, do give this post a read…

Choosing my dream saree was Step One. Buying a Red Assam Silk with black thread work all over it was like a dream come true for me. I sourced the saree from Assam Emporium, Dakshinapan. As usual, I did not tailor my blouse and bought a black blouse with red piping from Rene (available online on Amazon). What particularly struck me was the beautifully embroidered Diya/Earthen Lamp at the back of the blouse. Those who follow me on Instagram already know that I have ditched my regular petticoats long back and have moved on to Saree Silhouettes by Tia Bhuva. I own a basic nude and black colour, and it pretty much goes well with all my sarees. Added bonus, the super soft and stretchable material felt very comfortable over my baby-bump and I could even sit cross-legged with it.

I was clueless about what jewellery would I pair this with? After a lot of deliberations, I finally went ahead with the heirloom gold jewellery that was passed on to me by my mother during my wedding (again if you have known me for long and remember, my wedding was a “no-gold affair“). If you ask me, why wear gold now? Well, over the years these pieces have not seen the light of the day and somehow they carry the blessings showered by my grand-parents (my grand father had lovingly bought them for my grand mother after they got married). Hence, as a token of respect and nostalgia, I decided to wear them. The brooch was a loving gift from a friend. Again, keeping it simple was my mantra, so I wore bare minimal pieces. The necklace, jhumko and bala that you see all belongs to my maternal grandmother. A special pair of conch-shell bangles (shankha-pola) were ordered for this occasion and I wore them as well. I completed it with red glass bangles that I had bought from my trip to Varanasi. My feet were adorned with aalta (lac), which is a custom for every Bengali married woman on such auspicious days. I too did not want to give it a miss. 

My makeup and hairdo was extremely simple. Since my doctor had strictly advised me to go very easy on makeup (specially lipstick and nail enamel) during this phase due to the presence of chemicals in it that could harm the unborn, I tried to strike a balance. The base makeup was kept simple, my eyes were accentuated with kohl and mascara. Filled in my brows, and yes, how could I miss the lipstick? I chose Mac Diva for this day. Yes, I did lock in everything with MAC Fix Plus. Also, since it was the end of March, the sweltering humid heat of Kolkata did not allow me any more makeup on my face! My hair was done into a bun with fresh flowers and I applied sindoor/vermillion on my hair parting to complete the look.

So what was special about this occasion? My near and dear ones were here to bless me! And yes, the food that I was treated to. Unlike my fifth month baby shower, I did not have to cook this time. However, since it was Mr. Pal’s Birthday on the same day, I did cook mutton for him early in the morning. Also, the “mother-to-be” is treated with payesh/kheer and I cooked my favourite Nolen Gurer Payesh with dry fruits alongside. That’s it. Everything else was taken care of by the local cooks. I just ate to my heart’s content and kept myself happy, despite the terrible humid weather!

As a token of love and gratitude for my guests, I got a small little something for everyone who came and blessed me. I chose Incense Cones by Phool and dream-catchers in the form of car-hangings with a little Ganesha motif from The Bohemian Store.

My friend from the far-away land of Pune tried making my day special by ordering a Rasmalai Cake for us. It was not the usual baby shower Blue/Pink cake with baby/diaper fondants. Instead it was very minimalistic and classy, just the way I would have loved it to be.

And before I sign out of this post, let me tell you, I am still planning my ninth month baby-shower as a small intimate occasion 🙂 I really do not know how uncomfortable I would feel by the time I am 36 weeks pregnant! However, of all the things that have really kept me happy and positive during this entire journey, celebrations is one of them.

So in case you are interested, please stay tuned to my blog for more updates. And on that note, Happy Holi.

In case you have missed out on my Fifth Month Baby Shower Post, you can read it HERE

Photo Courtesy: My Brother-in-Law, Arnab Bera