If you're around 20 - 24 weeks pregnant, chances are that your doctor has asked you the exciting question 'would you like to know the gender?'
If you and your partner have chosen to reveal the wonderful news to your loved ones, due to the current situation throwing a gender reveal party seems like an impossible task. But, don’t let lockdown get in the way of your big reveal, Mama! Here, we share our top tips on how to throw a successful virtual gender-reveal party. All it takes is a little planning, a laptop and a good internet connection...
1. Set the date
The first step in planning any gender-reveal party, virtual or non-virtual is scheduling a date and time that is suitable for everyone. This can be can be tricky, especially if you have loved ones that have very busy lives or live in different time-zones. To make it less stressful, we recommend speaking with all of your guests prior to setting a date and arrange a time that works well for all of you.
2. Decide how you’ll be hosting it
Congrats Mama, the date is set! Now, the next step is to think about which site you will be using to stream your virtual reveal. Thankfully, living in a modern and tech-savvy world means that you have plenty of options to choose from. We suggest using the one that you’re most familiar with and that your guests will be most confident using. Be it Zoom, Skype or Google Hangouts – the choice is yours!
If you aren’t very tech savvy (it’s ok, not all Mamas are), set aside some time beforehand to test your chosen site to avoid any technical issues. You don’t want your little one’s soon-to-be Grandparents missing out on the big reveal!
3. The guest list
Before you get on with planning the fun stuff, you’ll need to decide who you want to share this very exciting news with. The good news, mama? The great thing about hosting a virtual gender-reveal party is that you don’t need to worry about travel issues and you can invite as many people as you want. Whether it's your uncle, auntie or best-friend living abroad – the choice is endless.
If you’re sending out invitations by post, make sure that you do this at least a month in advance so there’s plenty of time for everyone to receive their invites. Alternatively, you could set up a Facebook or WhatsApp group with your guests so that everyone is up to date with the party planning!
4. Think about how you will reveal the news
Although hosting a virtual gender-reveal may limit some of your possibilities, there are still so many ways that you can allow your friends and family to be a part of the excitement!
A gender-reveal cake
If you already know the sex of your baby, a popular option for revealing the gender is a gender reveal cake. Although your guests won’t be able to enjoy the cake with you (more for you, mama) they can still enjoy watching in anticipation as you cut the cake! If all of your guests live in the same country, you also could send them sweet treats that are colour coordinated with the gender of your baby for them to celebrate with.
Balloons
Another popular choice and something that you can easily do virtually with your loved ones. Simply fill a dark balloon with pink or blue confetti, pop the balloon while video chatting with your friends and family and watch their faces light up with joy.
Nominate someone to reveal the gender
Some mamas choose to find out the gender of their little one before revealing to friends and family. However, if you have a lot of patience choosing a close friend or family member to be a ‘secret keeper’ can make things even more fun and exciting. All you need to do is ask your doctor to pop the gender of your little one into an envelope and post it to your chosen person. Then, on the day ask them to reveal the gender and get ready to be surprised!
5. Decorate
Just because your original gender-reveal didn’t go to plan that doesn’t mean you can’t decorate your home, mama! Stock up on gender-reveal party supplies such as fairy lights, balloons and flowers to make your home feel festive, look beautiful and photo ready. Your guests will be so impressed.
6. Gifts
To make up for your absence, congratulate the new mama-to-be with one of our fabulous gifts designed to soothe and protect her growing bump so she can have some well-deserved ‘me time’ and pamper herself from head-to-toe.
For tips on how to create a calming and soothing nursery for your little one, read our article for some nursery ideas designed to create a calming nursery for a peaceful baby here.
