Knowing whether you’re having a boy or a girl can help you bond with your baby, it also makes choosing a name easier (because you only have to choose one!) and it means you can gender the nursery theme if you want.
Finding out the sex of your baby is a magical moment that makes pregnancy feel all the more real.
Nowadays, many parents-to-be choose to share their gender reveal moment with their friends and family.
Rather than finding out in an ultrasound clinic, many couples choose to throw a party and find out the gender of their baby surrounded by their loved ones. Gender reveal parties have gained popularity in recent years, with many couples coming up with original and inventive ways to share the news of their baby’s gender.
However, these celebrations are still a relatively new phenomenon, so it's possible many of your guests probably won’t have attended one before!
What is the point of a gender reveal party?
You might think the point of a gender reveal party is just to reveal the sex of the baby, but it’s about much more than that.
A gender reveal party is an excuse to gather all of your loved ones in one place to celebrate your pregnancy.
Unlike a baby shower which has traditionally been a female-only event, everyone can attend and enjoy gender reveal party.
A close friend of the mama-to-be traditionally plans a baby shower, but you can plan your gender reveal party as a couple.
First... you'll need to schedule an ultrasound
The first thing you need to do is schedule an ultrasound to determine the sex of your baby.
You'll need to ask the sonographer to keep the baby’s sex a secret during the scan and have them write the sex down on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope before handing it to you.
A sonographer should be able to determine the baby’s sex from around 18-20 weeks gestation (this is also around about the time you might start feeling discomfort at night, and when a Sleepybelly pregnancy pillow can help!).
However, it’s not always possible to determine the baby’s sex at the first scan. Sometimes the baby can lie in a position that hides their genitals.
For this reason, you should leave time between the first scan and the gender reveal party in case a follow-up scan is needed.
Start planning the details
A gender reveal party doesn’t need to be an expensive, large or stressful event (not should it be).
It can be a select gathering of loved ones in your backyard; that sounds perfect.
All you need to do is choose a date and time and let your friends and family know.
Some parents-to-be decide to have a theme for the celebration. Of course, pink/blue is the most popular theme, but you can choose any theme you like!
Dress your guess!
Ask the guests to dress their guess by choosing either pink or blue to wear. This dress code will look eye-catching on the photos and add a bit of competition to the day. You and your partner can get involved, too!
You can make things interesting...
Ask people to write their name on a piece of paper before posting it into what they think is the correct ballot box - have one for boy and one for girl.
After the reveal, choose a winning name out of the box. The prize can be anything from a box of chocolates to a bottle of champagne!
What food and drinks to serve at a gender reveal party
Gender reveal parties aren’t long formal events; instead, they are shorter drop-in celebrations with an informal feel.
You don’t need to serve a sit-down meal or have too much in the way of food. You should have a snack food buffet so guests can help themselves, but you don’t need to spend a fortune here.
Have plenty of snacks to hand for children because hungry children make for terrible party guests!
Colour-coded or baby-themed cupcakes are a popular gender reveal party food.
You could choose to serve two signature mocktails in blue and pink for drinks. Of course, you may want to have alcoholic beverages to hand, too, for the non-pregnant people.
Fruit juice, carbonated waters, and sodas are popular drinks options.
Capture the big reveal!
Before the event, decide who you’re going to ask to capture the moment of the reveal! Some couples choose to hire a professional, but others ask a camera-savvy friend.
Think about where the reveal is going to happen. What is the lighting like? What will be in the background of the shot?
If you consider these questions in advance, you’ll be able to get the best photos and videos possible of the reveal.
Ask your guests to share their photos of the event with you. Thanks to smartphones, everyone is a budding photographer these days, so you should get lots of great pictures of the event!
After the event, you can compile the pictures into an album to remind yourself of all the beautiful people who supported you on your journey to becoming a parent.
Party favours as a thank you
As a way of thanking people for attending your gender reveal, you can hand out party favours as they leave.
The party favour doesn’t have to be anything expensive; it’s just a token of your appreciation. For example, you could do something simple like cookies or cupcakes in pink or blue.
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