A baby party to reveal the gender of your child - when and how to organize one?
Getting to know the gender of your baby is one of the greatest milestones of pregnancy. Therefore, it is no wonder that the custom of celebrating this milestone with a party - which originated in the USA - has been gaining popularity in Estonia as well. Read more about how the Fetal Ultrasound Center can help you with this.
A gender announcement party (gender reveal party) is a relatively new tradition. It got started at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, when ultrasound scans became increasingly accurate and prenatal chromosomal tests also began to spread, leaving no doubt about the gender of the baby.
Sometimes, the gender announcement party is organised by the future parents themselves, and sometimes their friends and relatives do it to honour the parents. However, it is common for future parents to find out the gender of the child during the party – this way, they are also guaranteed an exciting and memorable event and sublime emotions.
What is the difference between a baby shower and a gender announcement party?
A gender announcement party is intended as a complement to the baby shower, or baby shower, which also originated in the USA. Sometimes they are held together, but in most cases, they are still two separate events.
A baby shower is usually arranged when a woman is already seven or eight months into her pregnancy. This party is mainly focused on the gifts that the future mother might soon need – diapers, baby clothes, etc., which the future mother has given to the guests as a list, for example. In most cases, this party is organised by the girlfriends of the future mother, and it is a women-only party.
Gender reveal, or a gender announcement party, on the other hand, is for everyone – both women and men are welcome to attend the party. While the focus of the prenatal baby shower is on supporting and preparing the mother for childbirth and coping with the baby, the focus of this party is on the gender of the upcoming party, which will then be announced in a fun and entertaining form.
Whether the parents organize the party, themselves or friends and relatives has relatively little importance. However, it is customary for future parents to find out the gender of the child at the party and not beforehand. Because of that, a trusted friend is usually selected, to whom a gynaecologist or midwife tells the gender in secret, and who then makes the necessary preparations for its entertaining reveal.
Usually, a gender announcement party is organised during the second trimester. By that time, the risk of miscarriage and the malaise associated with the onset of pregnancy are already over, but the ailments of the last trimester have not yet started and the mother herself can enjoy the party to its fullest.
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When can you know the gender of the baby?
There are generally two ways to find out the gender of a baby – ultrasound examination or prenatal chromosomal tests. The earliest way to know the gender is the Panorama-test, which can be performed already during the ninth week of the pregnancy. In order to do this, a blood test is taken from the mother, from which the extracellular DNA of the fetus is extracted. By analysing it, both the risk of possible chromosomal diseases and the gender of the fetus are identified with 99.9% accuracy. The results will arrive in two weeks.
As a rule, the test results are sent to the parent by encrypted e-mail, but if you want to, you can mention your wish to our midwife during the blood test so that the gender of the fetus would not be indicated in the test results. In this case, we will send the baby's gender in a special sealed envelope to your home address.
Another way to find out the gender of the baby opens at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy, at the 12th-13th week of pregnancy when the pregnant woman is subjected to the first major screening examination called the OSCAR test. It should be taken into account that during this test, finding out the gender depends a lot on how cooperative the baby is. However, at the Fetal Ultrasound Center, we are able to accurately determine the gender with this test in 90% of cases.
The third option to find out the gender of the baby is possible at the beginning of the second trimester of pregnancy, during an ultrasound scan at the 15th-16th week of pregnancy. In this stage of pregnancy, we are able to accurately determine gender in 98% of cases, but unlike the prenatal chromosome test, there is still a small chance of error.
The fourth option is possible at the fifth month of pregnancy when the next ultrasound examination takes place at week 20-21 – fetal anatomical scan. This is one of the most important studies during pregnancy because by this time the fetus has developed all organs and begins a period of growth and maturation. In 99.5% of cases, the gender of the baby can also be confidently visualized in this study. And next, it depends on the wishes of the parents – whether the doctor says it out loud during the examination or writes it on the greeting card and hands it over in a sealed envelope.
To make sure that the results are certain, we recommend choosing a chromosomal test at the beginning of the pregnancy, during the 9th week, or waiting for an ultrasound scan that is performed during the fifth month of pregnancy to find out the gender. It is also important that in case you want to be surprised by the gender reveal of the child as future parents, please let the gynaecologist or midwife at the Fetal Ultrasound Centre know well in advance. This way we can share information exactly according to your wishes.
Fun Ways for Announcing the Gender
The highlight of the party is usually designed to be nifty so that everyone could quickly get to know the child's gender. There are countless possibilities for this, but the most common solutions that are freely available and usable in Estonia are as follows.
Custom-made cake – usually a cake with a baby-themed design that gives away the gender of a child with its pink or blue-coloured filling as you cut the cake. The cake offers the future parents a fun and festive moment when the two of them cut it open together and taste it in all its deliciousness! It is worth asking from some finer bakeries that prepare the custom-made cakes and to be sure to prefer natural food colourings for health reasons. A great and environmentally friendly option, because the cake is eaten, and you do not have to bother about the leftover debris.
Surprise box – An object which characterizes the gender of the soon-to-be-born child, is hidden in a nice gift box with neutral fashion. For example, this could be a blue bow tie or a little pink dress, baby shoes with a blue or pink tie, a suitable coloured toy, a cuddly blanket or a pacifier chain. An affordable, stylish and environmentally friendly solution!
Confetti cannons – usually a tube with a reversible trigger that fires out a large number of tiny sequins with great momentum. According to the colour of the pinkish or blue confetti that is scattered, everyone will find out the gender of the soon-to-be-born baby. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, does not emit odours and is not flammable, however, cleaning must be taken into account afterwards.
Balloons – either one giant balloon or several smaller balloons that are burst at the most exciting moment of the party and so everyone learns the gender of the soon-to-be-born baby. Another option is to purchase a large balloon set in a box, which will be opened at the most exciting moment of the party and the balloons - either pink or blue - will float out of it.
A smoke bomb or a smoke candle – a pyrotechnic device sold in fireworks shops and intended for outdoor use only. A smoke candle with thick smoke, commonly known as a smoke bomb, is usually lit by removing the so-called splint on top of the candle. There are smoke candles that shoot from both the hand and the ground, the smoke effect usually lasts from one minute to one and a half.
Hundreds of other ideas for revealing the baby's gender can also be found on the internet, from ready-made products to a self-made baby puzzle, treasure hunt or baby bingo. Pregnancy is a happy time, so why not use some of these ideas and party a little – so that we can turn anxiety into anticipation!