Baby Shower Ideas Everyone Can Enjoy

You’re having a baby! You and your community are ready to celebrate the upcoming arrival. What do you do? Baby showers and gender reveal parties are a common part of American birth culture -- yet they are wrought with gendered stereotypes that many trans people don’t want to participate in. But there are still many ways you can honor your physical journey through fertility and your child’s arrival. We’ll help you plan a party that is inclusive for your guests and offers you the gender euphoria you deserve.

Gender Reveal Parties

Gender reveal parties are a relatively new phenomenon where the main focus of the event is the “reveal” of an item that is either pink or blue, signifying what genitals are on the ultrasound for your baby. There have been increasingly elaborate gimmicks and devices for reveals that range from the simple (such as a balloon released from a box) to the extreme (a forest-fire-causing explosives show that results in millions of dollars in damages).

Depending on where you live and what your social circle looks like, you might feel social pressure to have a gender reveal party, or to reveal your child’s anatomy during a baby shower or other gathering. It is okay for them to want to know (and for you to want to share) what information you have about your baby before they are born. Every piece of information about a pregnancy and soon-to-be-born baby can feel important! 

But many transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people people can feel unsafe when asked to discuss these rituals; they may seem harmless but many believe that they perpetuate dangerous ideas that body and biology correlate directly to gender. Even cisgender parents may feel it’s inappropriate to begin assigning gender and gendered stereotypes to unborn children. So if you choose not to have a “gender reveal party,” that’s understandable as well. 

If that’s you, try thinking of new ways to satisfy the urge to feel closer and more informed about your soon-to-be-born baby. There are other statistics (body length or size of head) about them you could learn divulge. Each week brings a myriad of changes in fetal development. Why not share with your community the details of how their brain is developing or play a game with guests where they guess the sizes and stats about your child before you make the announcements? How about a trivia game where your friends and family share their knowledge about what week of fetal development correlates with the creation of fingerprints, the connection of auditory information to the brain, and other cool things that happen during the nine months of development? 

You may also choose to do a reveal of a different sort! Name-reveals can have as much, if not more, wow-factor and can give you the opportunity to really introduce your unborn child to their community using the name you have chosen for them. Again, turning the guessing into a game can help family and friends have fun, in addition to creating a feeling of inclusion with them. 

Shower Themes

If you’ve stumbled onto Pinterest baby shower board, you’ve likely been inundated with pictures of garden parties decorated with pastels. If that doesn’t feel like something you’d enjoy, the good news is that there are lots of ways to have a baby shower! A shower can truly reflect who you are as a person, and how you plan to be as a parent. Don’t be afraid to let your party theme be guided by your interests and imagination.

If you are a creative person, such as an artist or a musician, your craft can become the theme for your baby shower. You can have guests create a group piece of art: a handprint collage, hand-tie quilt, or craft table where guests can decorate onesies for the child to wear are examples. If you are comfortable being the center of attention, consider a belly cast or belly paint project as a way to engage your community in the event. 

Don’t be afraid to center decor or games around a fandom or hobby,. Even if you aren’t into any particular media any longer, you can look back to when you were young and use your old favorite characters. Pinterest is full of amazing decorating ideas that include references to beloved books, shows, and movies. Know that these ideas are often under search criteria for weddings, but can be great inspiration for a baby shower. 

You can also lean into iconic or humorous masculine and “Dad” things for your shower inspiration. This could include themes such as sports, fishing, or camping. You can play games that center around harmless stereotypes, like having guests pick their best “ugly dad outfit” from a bit of provided thrift finds or have guests take a crack at writing their own “dad jokes.” Feel free to find reasons to laugh on your special day.

Lastly, don’t forget seahorses! One of the most popular symbols for birthing fathers and non-mothers is this ocean creature where the males gestate babies to maturity. Many transgender parents find this theme to be a fun and affirming way to share that pregnant fathers can be found in nature. Feel free to draw from this for themes, decoration, or even a new shirt for the dad-to-be. 

No matter how you choose to celebrate, know that the Trans Fertility Co. community is excited for your family’s changes and we will be there as a resource to help you along all the coming steps of your parenting experience. If you have any questions or concerns for our team you can reach us at adennis@collaborate.consulting.