It’s only been within the last decade or so that gender reveal parties became a certified “thing” in our culture, and plenty of couples still choose to forgo the celebration. After all, it can be a lot to ask of your friends that they attend a baby shower, a gender reveal party, and a sit-and-see after the baby is born. While we believe in finding new and inventive ways to gather friends and family (no matter how flimsy the excuse), it can be expensive to plan all of these parties…not to mention burdening your friends with buying you new gifts every time they turn around!

Fortunately, there is no mandate for bringing a gift to a gender reveal party. You’re simply there to share in the excitement as the expectant couple finds out – in dramatic fashion – whether they are having a boy or a girl. As long as you bring yourself, you’ve more than lived up to the demands of the invitation.

On the other hand, if you’re anything like us, you may feel awkward showing up to eat free food and cake without bringing at least a little token of your appreciation. Or you may have obligations that will not allow you to attend the baby shower, in which case you can use this as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. So while there’s no expectation that you should bring a gift, here are some excellent ideas should you choose to do so!

Personalized Baby Beanie

Did you know that newborn babies lose body heat at a rate four times higher than adults? This can pose a serious health threat to the baby, which is why all pediatricians recommend making sure the baby is warm at all times. This means keeping the head and feet covered when cold temperatures are an issue (though not when down for a nap, when facial/head coverings can cause breathing obstructions). Give the parents-to-be a head start on this issue by getting them a personalized baby beanie! Keep in mind that, at the time of the gender reveal party, the couple is unlikely to have settled on a name. You can still personalize this hat with the family’s last name!

Gift Cards

We normally avoid recommending gift cards here on the blog, and it should be obvious why. For one thing, what could be considered less “personalized” than a card that essentially says, “Here, go buy whatever you want.” It shows a lack of thought in the buying process, and while gift cards can be useful and appreciated, they certainly won’t be remembered. Plus, who needs a blog to remind you about gift cards? They are, at the end of the day, the last refuge for the buyer who can’t think of a good present. In this case, however, we’re going to make an exception. Expecting parents are often strapped for cash, and that problem will only grow when the baby arrives. For them, a gift card can be more than a simple stand-in gift; it can be a lifesaver. If you can tailor the gift card to the couple’s interests, all the better, but if you can’t, a plain Amazon or Visa gift card will do nicely.

Diapers

Most people, when they bring a gift to the party, want to bring something that no one else has thought of. That’s human and natural – that desire to stand out. And the truth is that if you bring a box of diapers to a gender reveal party (or a baby shower, for that matter), you’re probably going to be one of several who had the same idea. In this case, that’s not a bad thing. Newborns can go through more than 2,000 diapers in their first year of life! And if you’ve looked at the prices of disposable diapers lately, you can calculate just how much that’s going to cost the already-burdened parents. Anything you can do to lessen that burden will be a check in the win column. Don’t hesitate to buy all of the Pampers you can afford.

Baby Coming Soon Wood Sign

Professionally cut with laser precision, this “Baby Coming Soon” Wooden Sign is an adorable decoration for the nursery-in-waiting. Fully customizable, this sign gives the expecting parents something concrete to hang on the wall while they wait for the stork to make his delivery at the appointed time and date. Even after the baby arrives, this keepsake decoration will be treasured by both the parents and the baby (once he or she is old enough to appreciate such niceties, of course). The sign comes in several sizes and colors, so you can choose just about every aspect of the purchase, making this a truly unique gift idea for a gender reveal party.

Instant Pot

As any parent will tell you, raising a newborn baby is exhausting with a capital E. Not only are you sleep deprived, a new mom’s hormones are likely to be all over the place for the first few months as she reestablishes her equilibrium. In this state, she will probably not want to spend a lot of time making dinner for herself and her spouse. And with the man likely feeling similar sleep deprivation while having to keep up with his regular work hours, he’s going to choose take-out every single time. Unfortunately, that can be prohibitively expensive (and not all that healthy). The solution? The Instant Pot, which can allow anyone to make a nutritious meal in a matter of minutes. This device is all the rage these days and makes for an outstanding gender reveal party gift.

Personalized Baby Blanket

Remember how we mentioned earlier the importance of keeping a newborn baby warm? Well, we’re going to hit that theme once again with our final gift idea – this personalized baby blanket! Available in several colors and fonts, this fully customizable blanket is sure to be a hit with the expecting parents. You can go with neutral colors to avoid clashing with the baby’s gender, or you can mix and match pink and blue threading to pick the best of both worlds. However you choose to customize the blanket, you’ll have a winning gift for the big day.