Originally published on The Huffington Post

Gender reveal parties are one of the hottest trends among today’s expectant parents. They’ve been going on for at least eight years, but in case you aren’t familiar, gender reveal parties are meant to be exactly what they imply: getting a group of friends and/or family together with the expectant parents for a party, and “revealing” the baby’s gender at one time so that everyone present can celebrate the biological sex of the upcoming birth. The “reveal” portion of the party can be done in a variety of ways, most of which can be unearthed by investing some time into a Google or Pinterest search.

Generally, the whole process begins with the expectant couple going for an ultrasound to determine the baby’s biological sex. Some parents want to know at this point, others don’t. If they want to be surprised along with the party guests, the ultrasound tech writes the baby’s sex on a piece of paper and seals it in an envelope. From there, the message is sent to the appropriate professional who will use it to create a bundle of pink or blue balloons to be released out of a huge cardboard box on the front lawn. Or, the knowledge may be sent to a baker who will use it to create a pink or blue cake hidden beneath piped white frosting. Or, it may be given to a sales associate in a clothing store to box up a gender specific baby outfit, wrap it, and have the couple open it at the party while their guests look on. There are as many variations and ideas of how to do the gender reveal portion as there are stars in the sky. Continue reading →