Susan Morrison: Baby showers '“ another US import for show offs

Baby showers. You might not know what that is, so I'll explain. It's another American thing. Everybody goes to visit the mum-to-be, and everybody coos a lot.

Baby showers are becoming as popular as proms

There’s usually white wine. Not for the expectant mother, obviously, even though that might be how she got to be guest of honour at a baby shower in the first place.

Everyone brings a present for the baby and everyone watches what everyone has brought.

It can all get as tense as a spaghetti Western stand-off as women weigh up the value of gifts. Whatever happened to knitting a wee matinee jacket?

Just stop it. For one thing, mum might feel like death warmed up and just want to go for a nap.

And secondly, call me superstitious, but buying gifts before baby gets here safely always makes me nervy.