Pregnancy is such a unique part of a couple’s life, and learning the gender of the baby is a particularly special moment. Hosting a safe gender reveal is the perfect way to include your family and friends in this redefining family moment.
COVID-19 seems to be disrupting many of our life moments with isolation, quarantine, social distancing, and masks. It’s important to follow local government guidelines when it comes to our health and the health of those around us, so we want to offer a creative solution to help you continue having an almost normal life. Virtual gender reveals are the perfect solution.
Virtual gender reveals allow for couples to have their special moment while including other family members and friends in the reveal – all without worrying about grandma’s health, wearing a mask, or stressing about local social-gathering restrictions.
Your baby’s gender reveal should be a worry-free occasion for all those involved! Luckily, we’ve created a step-by-step guide on how to host a safe and colorful virtual gender reveal:
Step 1: Pick the perfect gender reveal ideas for you and your family.
There are so many possible ideas when it comes to gender reveals! Countless blogs have been written, Pinterest boards created, and viral social media videos shared. Given recent events, we want to stress the importance of hosting safe virtual gender reveals. Follow these bullet points to see how your gender reveal can be fire-safe:
- Do not mix the product with any explosive materials like tannerite, black powder, or gasoline.
- Do not use the product next to an open flame.
- Do not use with hot electrical items like hair dryers, toasters, stage lights, or space heaters.
- Do not have any exposed wires nearby.
While picking the best gender reveal for your family, make sure to keep in mind how the reveal will appear from a screen. Vibrant colors will appear more vivid on a screen, allowing those who participate virtually to feel as though they’re really there!
Step 2: Have your gender reveal ultrasound.
At around 16 to 22 weeks, you will be able to schedule with your doctor an ultrasound that shows your baby’s sex. Keep these five tips in mind when having your gender reveal ultrasound:
- Pick a date and time for your appointment during a time your baby is most active.
- Consider eating or drinking something with sugar right before to encourage more baby movement.
- Use the bathroom before your appointment. The ultrasound technician occasionally has to push around in order to find the best position; that can be extremely uncomfortable for expecting mothers who have a full bladder.
- Drink extra water the week prior to your appointment.
- Since the ultrasound will be on your stomach, it is recommended that you don’t wear a dress for the appointment. If you do, perhaps consider bringing a blanket to cover everything that is exposed below your stomach.
If you want to be surprised at your gender reveal, along with your guests, ask the gender reveal technician to place your baby’s gender in a sealed envelope. This way you can give the envelope to a trusted friend, who can then order the gender reveal supplies.
Step 3: Pick a time and date for your gender reveal party.
While picking a date for your virtual gender reveal, there are several things to keep in mind. First, consider how long it might take for your gender reveal products to arrive. If you’re ordering products from Chameleon Colors, expedited shipping is available on most products for your safe gender reveal.
Also, keep in mind the days and times that will be best for your own family and friends. If you want your grandparents to be included in your virtual reveal, but they go to sleep at 8 p.m., it might not be wise to do your virtual gender reveal announcement at night! While it may not matter for many gender reveal parties, you may want to consider the weather forecast since some reveals may not perform as well with inclement weather.
Step 4: Select a platform to use.
One benefit of this COVID-19 era is that countless virtual meeting sites have popped up. This is, by no way, an extensive list; nor is it in any particular order. We have, however, compiled a list of popular platform options for your virtual gender reveal. Be sure to pick one that you feel best suits the needs of your family and friends. Hint: Some platforms have limitations on the number of people who can join a meeting and a limit on the length of the video chat. Make sure to look into this before you send invitations and links out to your family and friends.
- FaceTime
- Zoom
- Skype
- Google Hangouts
- Google Meet
- Microsoft Teams
- Facebook Messenger
- Google Duo
- Marco Polo
Step 5: Send out your invitations.
When it comes to the invitations, there are countless directions you can go; themed, pink and blue, holiday-oriented, and teal and purple are all options. Don’t forget to include the link on the invitation, as well as the platform your virtual gender reveal will be through.
Regardless of which design you pick, if you’re mailing them out, remember to account for the time it’ll take to get there. If you’re worried about timing, you can always send them via social media or email.
Pro-tip: Send out detailed instructions about how to log onto the host platform for those who struggle with the technology on!
Step 6: Test out the link and software.
We highly recommend testing the link prior to your gender reveal; the day before should allow you to work through any glitches that might pop up. When you’re testing out the software and link, be sure to enlist the help of a friend so you can test both experiences of hosting and joining the party.
Consider also staging where and how your gender reveal will happen. This way, you can make sure everyone on the screen can see and hear you before the big reveal.
Step 7: Have the perfect gender reveal.
After following all these steps, you’re ready for the big reveal! Virtual gender reveals allow all your friends and family to be part of the special moment, regardless of their distance, health, or age.
Step 8: Submit your gender reveal to our monthly competition!
Did you know Chameleon Colors hosts a monthly gender reveal competition? Each month, a winner is selected to win an Amazon gift card. The winning gender reveal will also be featured on our @chameleoncolorsinc social media pages to inspire other expecting parents and families. So be sure to hit that record button before starting your virtual gender reveal and be sure to tag us in your social media post so we can share your reveal with our community.