Janine Gard: Gender reveal ideas for your baby

Birth and parenting educator Janine Gard.

COMMENT
Following on from last week's topic, I thought you might be interested in a few ideas for revealing your baby's gender. This has become a popular way to let friends and family know what you are having and they are fun. They have been around for a number of years now and seem to have originated in the US.

Many people see a gender reveal party as a great excuse to get family and friends together to celebrate their pregnancy, with some couples having them instead of a baby shower. You can set these up yourself or have a trusted friend or family member to help. When you have the anatomy scan around 18 weeks, you can ask to be told the gender of your baby or they will be happy to write it down which you can give to your trusted person.

There are things to consider before you have a party such as, there is a slight chance the sonographer could get your baby's sex wrong…eeek! I've heard of dads rushing out to buy something blue — only they had pink! Not everyone may be happy with the announcement, if they are expecting something else, maybe have someone delegated ahead of time to deal with them so you can enjoy the moment.

There are many different options, take some time and discuss what you would like to do, the possibilities are almost endless, but budget and time may have an impact, here is a great list of ideas to help start you thinking:

A gender reveal cake: This is a very popular option for parties, you could try your hand at making your own or have one made for you. Some couples choose to ice the cake in neutral colours and others choose half-pink, half-blue. The middle can be either a coloured centre or may include sweets in your baby's gender.

A box of balloons: A great simple option, all you will need is a large box, big enough to accommodate several helium filled balloons. Usually companies that have whiteware or similar are happy to give the boxes away. You could decorate outside the box with question marks, splashes of pink and blues, booties, photos of you when you were a baby… the ideas are almost endless. Please dispose carefully, or use biodegradable balloons.

Who doesn't love a good pinata? Hang up a pinata in your backyard filled with pink or blue lollies as well as others — streamers, confetti, bows, dummies (pacifiers), toys… or a combination of all of these would be fun. You are only limited by your imagination here. Get your thinking caps on.

Pink or blue powder filled baseballs might be your thing. These are available online and a great way to make an announcement. You could hang the ball in a tree and let the kids loose or I'm sure you will have many people putting their hand up to swing the bat. Make sure you have a photographer ready, these can make great photos. Smoke bombs and canons are also available.

Feeling arty? Paint splashes might be your thing. Non-toxic paint can be a fun way to reveal the gender of your baby. You can use this idea in many ways such as paint filled water balloons to throw at each other, a tree, white canvas or a white sheet hung outside. Paint could be filled in squirty bottles, just remember to cover the outside to hide the paint colour. Wear white t-shirts to enhance the colours and make those photos pop.

Taking a vote might be more your style, this can be a fun game for everyone – young and old to participate. Your imagination can really run wild here. Posters with your pregnancy symptoms, ultrasound photos, belly shots at different weeks and maybe the Chinese gender prediction calendar we talked about last week. Leave a selection of writing tools or pink and blue cardboard cut out booties that guests can pop next to their name. At the end of your party you can do the reveal and see how many guests got it right.

Get your pets involved: this is for all the pet lovers out there. This reveal can also be done a number of ways, your pet could wear something around their neck to announce the gender, this might be a bow or ribbon? You could have a photo shoot done earlier with yourselves and your pet dressed up in the colour of your baby's gender and have it printed on a canvas. Keep it hidden or covered up so you can do a big reveal when you're ready to announce. The best bit about this one is you will have something to keep as a memory.

Have fun, keep it simple and enjoy the day!

■ For information about antenatal classes near you, check out From Bellies to Babies www.hbantenatal-classes.co.nz or phone 022 637 0624. I'd love you to join me, sign up today!

Medical disclaimer: This page is for educational and informational purposes only and may not be construed as medical advice. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by physicians.