This past weekend we had family over for a Gender Reveal party. I got a lot of questions and curiosity about this event so I wanted to write a little something about the new phenomenon that is the grand 'gender reveal'. I also wanted to share my personal experience.
Prior to my news of expecting a new child I had not heard of a Gender Reveal Party, but yes, it is a thing! From what I can tell this practice is very new, the popularity seems to be growing now amongst young, twenty-something year old parents, I am sure this is not something anyone was doing back in the day. A lot of the guests at my party who were older or very young had no idea what they were in for but by the end everyone got it and I think they were happy to have given it a shot.
The Basic Idea
The Gender Reveal is a party, separate from the baby shower, with
the sole purpose of gathering friends and family to reveal the gender of your baby. These parties take place early in the pregnancy compared to the baby shower. Usually around 18-22 weeks. Most of the time one or both of the parents are oblivious to the baby's sex until the big moment at the party, which adds to the excitement.
This is accomplished by having the doctor/ ultrasound tech tell one parent secretly, or writing down the gender and putting this in a sealed envelope. From here you have your choice of ways to unveil. I have seen many people have a box filled with either blue or pink balloons. Some parents order cupcakes that have been filled with blue or pink filling. But don't limit yourself. Do your research or come up with a new way to make the big announcement even more fun for you and your guests.
