Every baby shower has to have plenty of food available, and it has to have punch. Baby shower punch is a tradition that every baby shower guest will be expecting, so don't disappoint them. The punch will likely be the centerpiece of your food table, and it has to look and taste great.

In most cases, the color theme of the baby shower will be a pastel. It may be pink or blue to reflect the gender of the baby, or it may be a soft green, yellow or purple to reflect a gender neutral shower or to represent the tastes of the expectant mother. If you aren't sure if she'd like a specific color, don't be afraid to ask. It may make the baby shower even more special to see her favorite color reflected in the decor and in the punch.

Make sure that your food table has plenty of room for a large punch bowl. Also invest in attractive paper or plastic cups that match the color theme of the shower. There should be room to keep a stack of cups and the punch bowl and enough room to maneuver both of them when it's time for a refill.

Find out the taste and color preferences of the mother-to-be. These preferences should help when it's time to select the exact flavor of the baby shower punch. The expectant mother may also have a flavor or two that she wants to eliminate from the available choices. There may also be a food allergy or two that you need to be aware of. Make a list of anything the expectant mother tells you about her taste preferences.

Once you know what flavors the guest of honor likes or doesn't like, think about how many people will likely be present at the baby shower. Some of the people who RSVP with a positive response won't show up when it's time for the shower. Other people will bring a friend, a spouse or a child with them. These factors may have an effect on the amount of punch that you want to make. Also keep in mind that pregnant women are notoriously thirsty, and the expectant mother may go back for many refills. Plan to make enough punch so that you can be reasonably certain not to come up short of punch in the middle of the shower. As the host, you don't want to tell guests that there is nothing more to drink for them.

Make sure that you have a bowl large enough for the amount of punch that you want to make. A large serving bowl with a matching ladle is the preferred method of presenting baby shower punch. You may need to shop for a serving set that will be attractive and large enough for the job.

Serving bowls and ladles come in a number of different materials and price points. The most expensive are those made from etched crystal or silver. These are extremely attractive on a baby shower table, but they can be prohibitively expensive for many people. A less-expensive alternative is to use a glass bowl or one made from stainless steel. Both are functional and have their own subtle charm.

For a baby shower punch that is easy to make, inexpensive and tasty, shop for just two ingredients. Sherbet ice cream and ginger ale together make the perfect punch for a baby shower. Sherbet comes in so many different flavors that there is a lot of versatility available with just those two ingredients. It also stays cold during the duration of the shower all by itself. If the mother-to-be wants low-calorie items, you can use diet ginger ale in the punch.

Once you have your desired variety of ginger ale and your chosen sherbet flavor, take them home. Keep the sherbet frozen and keep the ginger ale in the refrigerator. Wait until the day of the baby shower to make the punch. On the day of the baby shower, take both ingredients out of the refrigerator and freezer about 15 minutes before the baby shower begins.

Add one half-gallon container of sherbet for every 2-liter bottle of ginger ale. Depending on the size of your punch bowl, you may be able to fit 1.5 to two containers of each into the bowl. Be sure to keep the ratio of each ingredient even. If you add two half-gallon containers of sherbet, add two bottles of ginger ale.

If you aren't sure of the amount of punch you will need, keep an extra container of sherbet in the freezer and an extra bottle of ginger ale in the refrigerator. If the punch runs low, you can quickly add more to the punch bowl. The sherbet will melt slowly into the punch, keeping it cold. It can be served when the sherbet is semi-solid or when it has completely melted. The taste and texture are great in both cases.