J.K.
NO, the expecting mom does not throw her own shower. How tacky.
Why is the baby shower in honor of her husband? He isn't having a baby, what on earth would he register for? The baby isn't born yet, so it isn't for the baby either. The baby shower is for the mom, and things for her or the baby are appropriate. The guests understand this. This does sound like she just wants gifts.
I always understood that a baby shower was a small party that friends threw for a pregnant friend, not a major gift grab that involved a registry at all. If they are in financial difficulty however, I overlook that point and don't mind a registry.
She needs to understand that people are doing her a favor by buying her gifts; they are not OBLIGATED to do so.
And yes it's rude to not open gifts at the baby shower. That's the kind of party, an adult party, where you open gifts and thank people in public. Good lord, how many people is she inviting? You might want to mention to her that this is not a wedding and she should not expect a wedding-sized gift haul. I think weddings and, sometimes, children's birthday parties are the only gift-giving occasions where you don't open the gifts publicly. She does need to corral a friend to write down who gave what and then also write thank-you notes. Normally if you thank a person in public you don't need to write a note but in this case she does. Yeesh, she needs to calm down and get over herself a bit. Again, I make a bit of an exception for people who are in serious financial difficulty, as help can make a huge difference, but then she needs to understand how grateful she needs to be and not take their assistance for granted.