For most of human history, we had no idea what gender a baby was until birth. Even with the universal use of ultrasounds beginning in the 1990s, the gender could not be determined until 18 to 20 weeks gestation. This meant most moms-to-be didn't know their babies gender until they were five months pregnant, around the time they would typically look at having a baby shower.
Now, thanks to an optional blood test known as NIPT, parents can know the gender of their child as early as 10 weeks. This led to the invention of “gender reveal parties” that can happen as early as two and a half months into pregnancy. The question then became when do you throw a gender reveal party?
Option 1: Gender Reveal before Baby Shower
You know the results, and you're excited to share! You want to have your gender reveal sooner rather than later. Just remember you don't want it too close to your baby shower, which is traditionally held in the third trimester (around 28 weeks to 34 weeks gestation).
If you know who will be hosting your baby shower, get together and consult on the best times for both parties. Try to space them out by at least a month.
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Option 2: Gender Reveal after Baby Shower
If you aren't down to have 50 pairs of “Princess” themed bibs and tutus or sports-themed onesies with moustaches on them, you may want to reverse the order of your parties. When people don't know the gender, they're constrained to giving more gender-neutral items. Often, this means you end up with more practical, useful items (think bottles and diapers) rather than more clothing than your child can wear before they outgrow them.
Once the baby shower is done, people may not see a reason to come back for another party, especially if they assume gender reveal parties require another gift.
Option 3: Joint Gender Reveal & Baby Shower
Your third option is to host your gender reveal at your baby shower. To do this, you'll again want to coordinate with the friend or family member who will be hosting, since etiquette traditionally says the parents should not host her own shower. Together, you can come up with the perfect reveal strategy, whether thats through powder cannons, cakes or confetti poppers. This joint-purpose party helps prevent the gender-themed gifts that many mothers would prefer to avoid.
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