Gift for a gender reveal party

peachy13

It's happening... all my friends are having babies! It's awesome and I'm so excited for them. Many of them are having gender reveal parties and I wanted to see if anyone has any good ideas for presents. I plan to bring the moms-to-be some baked goods and sparkling cider but I would also love to bring a present for the baby too. One good idea I had was to get a "baby's first Christmas" ornament which is unisex, but some of the babies won't be born until next year and I'm not even sure they have 2016 ornaments out. Maybe a unisex baby book or keepsake?

Thanks!

thisismynickname2

peachy13 said:

It's happening... all my friends are having babies! It's awesome and I'm so excited for them. Many of them are having gender reveal parties and I wanted to see if anyone has any good ideas for presents. I plan to bring the moms-to-be some baked goods and sparkling cider but I would also love to bring a present for the baby too. One good idea I had was to get a "baby's first Christmas" ornament which is unisex, but some of the babies won't be born until next year and I'm not even sure they have 2016 ornaments out. Maybe a unisex baby book or keepsake?

Thanks!

Are you also attending showers....? My personal opinion is no gift needed for gender reveal if there's also a shower, because that's just... greedy. A person is having a baby. That's one event. One gift. Ugh. 

But I understand the desire not to show up empty handed and baked goods and cider sound great. 

labro

Honestly, save your gifts for the shower or after the baby is born. I don't really think gifts at a "gender" reveal party are necessary or even needed. My sister and her H hosted one for immediate family and none of us brought anything. It was just a party with good food and drink and celebrating the future little one. There will be PLENTY of gift giving opportunities later. I promise!

STARMOON44

No gifts! Stop the madness!

AddieCake

I didn't know you were supposed to bring gifts to gender reveal parties. 

Maggie0829

I absolutely detest gender reveals.  I don't get them.  It is either going to be a boy or a girl.  Now if I went to one and it was revealed that the couple was having a unicorn, then I may change my tune. But seriously, why is this even a thing?

So IMO no gift is needed and I would just go and enjoy a slice of either blue or pink cake.

[Deleted User]

As PPs have said, I think drinks/food are the best thing to bring, because otherwise you're going to start gifting for EVERYTHING: "gender" reveal party, shower, potentially after the baby is born...etc. 

But, if you really want to bring something for the baby, I suggest something useful like: diapers, burp clothes, swaddlers, etc.

MobKaz

I will echo the sentiments of everyone else.  I have yet to see anyone bring gifts to such a party.

Of the few I have attended or known about, they were typically held early enough that often no baby registry had even been created yet.  Some parents/family are also reluctant to begin collecting things for the baby at this still early stage in the pregnancy.

I like your idea of baked goods. If you are extremely close to the couple in both relationship and proximity, you could gift them a "coupon" good for ........dog sitting, snow shoveling, or other assistance while mom and dad are at the hospital, or for a meal or babysitting once they are home and have adjusted. 

My daughter attended a gender reveal for a very close friend.  She purchased two gender specific photo frames.  After the reveal, she presented the couple with the appropriate frame and simply returned the other.

Kahlyla

Ditto. I would only bring a hostess gift for a genital reveal party... if I attended.

redheadbride15

I've never even heard of a gender reveal party... But I guess I don't come from a baby party-throwing group of family and friends. I've been to exactly one baby shower in my life - that's all. And I know dozens of people who've had babies!

paperpusher

Maybe I'm behind the times but I thought a gender reveal was also the shower too?

labro

@paperpusher I've never heard of a gender reveal also being a shower???? My belief was these newer 'gender' reveal parties were something held pretty early on to only announce the sex of the baby and showers were still held traditionally later in the pregnancy.

ohmrs2014

paperpusher said:

Maybe I'm behind the times but I thought a gender reveal was also the shower too?

This is what we are doing.  It will be a traditional baby shower, slightly co-ed of course.  But no one knows what we are having so we are going to reveal it at the baby shower.

We were going to have a separate gender reveal, but decided against it.

peachy13

Guys, jeez. Mom taught me to never show up to a party empty handed. Not to mention, these mom-to-be are my best friends. I know gifts aren't required or expected... just like an engagement party. These girls (who are also my bridesmaids) came to my engagement party with gifts that I didn't expect them to bring and it made me feel excited and loved. I just want to return the favor to them at this really exciting time in their life.

I think gender reveal parties are cute. We're talking immediate families and close friends who are over-the-moon excited for a couple they love to become first time parents. And there's cake. 

Maggie0829

labro said:

@paperpusher I've never heard of a gender reveal also being a shower???? My belief was these newer 'gender' reveal parties were something held pretty early on to only announce the sex of the baby and showers were still held traditionally later in the pregnancy.

Yup.

Parties for everything!  This Saturday I am going to have a 'color reveal for my freshly painted hallway' party.

AddieCake

I love gender reveals. I don't know why; something about them is just cute to me. 

sparklepants41

Maggie0829 said:

labro said:

@paperpusher I've never heard of a gender reveal also being a shower???? My belief was these newer 'gender' reveal parties were something held pretty early on to only announce the sex of the baby and showers were still held traditionally later in the pregnancy.

Yup.

Parties for everything!  This Saturday I am going to have a 'color reveal for my freshly painted hallway' party.

Today I'm having a "I successfully un-jammed the printer after I jammed it" party. There will be a BYOB Cash Bar, and everyone should bring me money.

labro

sparklepants41 said:

Maggie0829 said:

labro said:

@paperpusher I've never heard of a gender reveal also being a shower???? My belief was these newer 'gender' reveal parties were something held pretty early on to only announce the sex of the baby and showers were still held traditionally later in the pregnancy.

Yup.

Parties for everything!  This Saturday I am going to have a 'color reveal for my freshly painted hallway' party.

Today I'm having a "I successfully un-jammed the printer after I jammed it" party. There will be a BYOB Cash Bar, and everyone should bring me money.

I should just start charging at the door every time someone new visits my house then. We've done so fucking much inside and outside. 

peachy13 said:

Guys, jeez. Mom taught me to never show up to a party empty handed. Not to mention, these mom-to-be are my best friends. I know gifts aren't required or expected... just like an engagement party. These girls (who are also my bridesmaids) came to my engagement party with gifts that I didn't expect them to bring and it made me feel excited and loved. I just want to return the favor to them at this really exciting time in their life.

I think gender reveal parties are cute. We're talking immediate families and close friends who are over-the-moon excited for a couple they love to become first time parents. And there's cake. 

And re:gifts OP. I LOVE giving gifts. Like, I have been OVER THE MOON excited ever since my sister and her H told us they were expecting a baby. However, I still didn't give them a gift at their gender reveal. I held on to my money and gave them a very very nice gift at their shower instead (and hosted a separate couples shower for all of their friends to attend too).  Today, I left a stack of baby clothes I found on ThredUp for my sister. Seriously, there are going to be 50 bajillion gift giving opportunities between pretty much right now and forever. Bring a hostess gift if you're so caught up on arriving empty handed, but seriously, your friends are going to be BEYOND overwhelmed with so much extraneous stuff that they really don't need a ton right now.

lyndausvi

My SIL had a gender/sex reveal party a few weeks ago.   Being OOT we did not physically attend. They facetimed us when it was revealed.    Best reveal party I've "attended".  It lasted a whole 3 minutes.

Ugh, even diapers are sex specific these days.   I think I would just bring a pack of white onesies.  I do not know a single baby who didn't live in onesies early in their life and white it gender neutral.  Or any other gender neutral color.    Pack of bibs?   Toy?   Anything gender neutral.

banana468

A bottle of Tito's Vodka.

  You'll need it to get through the gender reveal party. 

loveislouder

I don't fully understand gender reveal parties. They sound cute, but how do you base full parties on cutting a cake?

My girlfriend is pregnant and wants a gender reveal, but instead of having a full party, she's going to invite her parents and inlaws over for dinner, and for dessert have a gender reveal cake and shes going to be like "so... who wants to know what we're having?" And then cut the cake. Isn't that esssentially all it is?

Maggie0829

loveislouder said:

I don't fully understand gender reveal parties. They sound cute, but how do you base full parties on cutting a cake?

My girlfriend is pregnant and wants a gender reveal, but instead of having a full party, she's going to invite her parents and inlaws over for dinner, and for dessert have a gender reveal cake and shes going to be like "so... who wants to know what we're having?" And then cut the cake. Isn't that esssentially all it is?

Yes.  Yes it is.  Which is why I don't get them.  How can you draw out a party over several hours for a 2 second reveal?  It is like how long into the party do you finally cut the cake or open the box of balloons or spray the silly string?  Do you do it at the beginning and then woo party afterwards?  Do you do it some what in the middle?  Or do you make people wait 2 or 3 hours and then do the reveal?

banana468

loveislouder said:

I don't fully understand gender reveal parties. They sound cute, but how do you base full parties on cutting a cake?

My girlfriend is pregnant and wants a gender reveal, but instead of having a full party, she's going to invite her parents and inlaws over for dinner, and for dessert have a gender reveal cake and shes going to be like "so... who wants to know what we're having?" And then cut the cake. Isn't that esssentially all it is?

I've never been to one but essentially that's what it is.   There's either a cake with colored frosting or just the 'pull the sex out of the envelope' deal.

I just don't get the hoopla and need to make them yet another event.   I've seen couples share the sex at the end of the shower with balloons or just verbally but I'm not a huge fan.

labro

@loveislouder Pretty much. We all bit in to cupcakes at my sister's party and everyone was like "Yay, it's a girl" and then we all moved on. My sister also told us the name they had picked out for the baby. A party is still a party, it didn't just end, but basically yeah, cutting/biting in to the cake was the big moment.

[Deleted User]

"The baby will have a penis!  However, the gender has yet to be revealed."

AddieCake

loveislouder said:

I don't fully understand gender reveal parties. They sound cute, but how do you base full parties on cutting a cake?

You clearly don't understand the importance of cake. 

loveislouder

banana468 said:

loveislouder said:

I don't fully understand gender reveal parties. They sound cute, but how do you base full parties on cutting a cake?

My girlfriend is pregnant and wants a gender reveal, but instead of having a full party, she's going to invite her parents and inlaws over for dinner, and for dessert have a gender reveal cake and shes going to be like "so... who wants to know what we're having?" And then cut the cake. Isn't that esssentially all it is?

I've never been to one but essentially that's what it is.   There's either a cake with colored frosting or just the 'pull the sex out of the envelope' deal.

I just don't get the hoopla and need to make them yet another event.   I've seen couples share the sex at the end of the shower with balloons or just verbally but I'm not a huge fan.

AddieCake said:

loveislouder said:

I don't fully understand gender reveal parties. They sound cute, but how do you base full parties on cutting a cake?

You clearly don't understand the importance of cake. 

I never go to parties without cake  (Just kidding. But parties are always better with cake so if we ever do this there will be no envelope things, just cake. 

lyndausvi

SIL had poppers.    On the count of 3 they all pulled their popper and paper string popped out.  It was hard to see so then the camera went down to the ground so we could see the sex.

Again, I was happy to "attend" via a short facetime.   Atlhough I like cookouts.

paperpusher

Must be I'm a hick because I don't understand why the two aren't rolled into one. All of the gender reveals I've attended have also been the shower.

lyndausvi

paperpusher said:

Must be I'm a hick because I don't understand why the two aren't rolled into one. All of the gender reveals I've attended have also been the shower.

but how are you going to give a gender specific gift if you don't know the sex yet?  Geez. 

Seriously, that is what it's come to.   

loveislouder

paperpusher said:

Must be I'm a hick because I don't understand why the two aren't rolled into one. All of the gender reveals I've attended have also been the shower.

In my circle the shower comes just after the baby is born so everyone can meet the little one and also because one of my girlfriends had a stillborn baby after the shower and it was super hard.