Gender reveal parties have been all the rage the past decade or so, but have you ever taken a moment to think about who invented them? Turns out mom Jenna Karvunidis is credited with being the first mom to throw a gender reveal party, and she recently took to Facebook to share her thoughts about the trend.
Ten years ago, Jenna was pregnant with her first child and wanted to do something special after learning her baby-to-be’s biological sex. So, the High Gloss and Sauce blogger decided to throw a party to celebrate the gender reveal. After the event, she was interviewed by different mommy blogs, including The Bump.
Though she doesn’t think of herself as the first person to host a gender reveal party, many people credit her with kicking off the trend. She shared with Buzzfeed News that she gave the doctor the envelope containing the news and revealed the gender with the icing on her cake.
Since her party, there have been many ways people have celebrated learning the gender of their baby: balloons, confetti, Game of Thrones dragon eggs, and more.
Since that time, though, society has also moved beyond the stereotypical “blue is for boys and pink is for girls” gender mentality. Jenna took to Facebook to share her conflicting thoughts on the gender reveal trend as a result of these cultural shifts, saying, “Who cares what gender your baby is? I did at the time because we didn’t live in 2019 and didn’t know what we know now – that assigning focus on gender at birth leaves out so much of their potential and talents and that have nothing to do with what’s between their legs,” she said in the post.
Jenna’s daughter, the one who she celebrated in that first gender reveal party, now identifies as non-binary. She wears suits and sometimes rocks a cropped hairstyle. “Plot twist,” wrote Jenna. “The world’s first gender-reveal party baby is a girl who wears suits!”
“I just feel like there are a thousand details more important about a person than their gender,” Jenna told Buzzfeed.” “It’s a bad detail to hang on for a baby, and just because it’s the first thing we know about kids, it’s not the most important by far.”
Jenna’s post has received many supportive comments, with fans sharing their own experiences with gender non-conformity. Many thanked Jenna for having the courage to speak out and share her story.
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.