Gender neutral Baby Shower?

Rosalyn19

     So I have to ask , is anyone out there not finding out the sex and having/had a baby shower?  What did people get you, what did you tell them?

    I have been getting a lot of heat from friends and family about this. Their #1 argument is how will people know what to get you then?

    Umm isnt that what a registry is for and you need more than just clothes! I have noticed that there is not quite the selection of gender neutral items like there was even just a few years ago and I really don't want to find out the sex so people can just buy me clothes and nothing else. HELP

Mimaloo

Just go as neutral as you can on your registry - neutral stuff is definitely out there - and ignore everyone else. 

SingleMom31

We registered for all gender neutral stuff since we were planning on having more than one, even though we knew we were having a girl. I actually kind of side eye registries where people register for everything in either pink or blue since you know that they'll be "needing" new stuff if #2 is the opposite sex. As for what we got at our shower, car seat (black to match car interiors), pack n play (grey pattern), high chair (tan pattern), rock n play (bunny), bath tub (whale/blue), changing table pad and cover (sage green), consumables like bath wash and the like, diapers, recieving blankets (ok, those were pink, but could have been green)... I can only think of one person that got us clothes.

dufferoo

People have been having showers a lot longer than they have been having anatomy scans.

VOR

jociejones said:

People have been having showers a lot longer than they have been having anatomy scans.

100% this.  Remind them of this.  I can't believe you're getting so much grief over this issue.  Other than wanting to subscribe to societies definition of boy vs girl colors, knowing the sex of the baby is 100% immaterial to any gift they give you. 

 

VOR

Bliss+Berry said:

Your last sentence was honestly a little bratty.  It's your job to provide for your baby and to be grateful for any gifts you receive, even if it's "only clothes."  

In this situation, I don't think she comes across as bratty at all.  She's being pressured to do something she doesn't want to do - all so that her guests can buy her pink or blue stuff.  I find her friends and family bratty, to be honest. 

ebp913

It's not even an issue at all.  With my first, we got all the gear we needed in neutral colors and got clothes after the baby was born.  Clothes are SUCH a tiny part of all the stuff.  

If people are pressuring you, you can tell them that they can find out the sex of their kid when they have it.  People can be very rude about team green but stay strong and do what YOU want to do.  

wittyschaffy

We registered for gender neutral clothes and baby gear.  People will survive.  What do they think people did pre-80s when ultrasound became a regular thing??  

Rosalyn19

   Sorry If my original post wasn't very clear..
 I know that there are a lot of neutral options when it comes to the larger items. I was just getting really frustrated with my family over the whole situation and was looking for things to tell them. 

   I have no problem with getting clothes for the LO who doesn't love them they are soo cute!!! But that shouldn't be the reason to find out the sex to make it easier for guests to pick out gifts, spec. blue pink outfits.. that is my fam #1 argument and its really frustrating. 

Im just glad to hear that others that even know what they are having are still getting neutral items as well.  

Rosalyn19

Bliss+Berry
I really don't care if they get me anything at all that's not the issue, Im just really frustrated that everyone keeps telling me that I need to so that people can buy me gifts... I feel that its ridiculous and I was just looking for other opinions and to see what other people have done. Everyone I know has found out and I know that leaving it as a "surprise" is becoming less popular so I think thats why my fam is having sucha  hard time understanding.

dobbyisfree

Im with you on this. DH and his parents went to a consignment sale last weekend while I was at work and DH wouldnt let his dad get a pink stroller/car seat combo. His dad immediately started giving him a hard time about how we should just find out. (Im glad I was at work I would have throat punched him). First of all, though my inlaws are watching my baby when we work, im buying the stuff they need for their house so its not like its going to cost them more because they cant buy a used pink stroller. Secondly arghhh who cares???? Honestly if we had a pink stroller its not like anything is going to happen to a boy if he uses it. Im sure none of his other 3 year old buddies would bully him due to the color of his stroller...

ccam

We were team green and a few people gave us grief as well, but there is no way that would have swayed us into finding out!  Even if we did know, our registry still would have been pretty neutral just in case there are future children - so our big stuff is brown, gray, tan, aqua, there are lots of neutral baby things.  I also didn't have any clothes on our registry besides some white onesies - and people still managed to find me some neutral stuff.  What if you stick a few neutral baby clothes on your registry so that they have an idea and refer them to your registry?  Maybe if they see that it doesn't have to be yellow ducks or green frogs, it will help.  Put some aqua, orange, black & white, tan, etc. on there.

Rosalyn19

Thank you all I feel more confident that it is possible to have a neutral themed party w/o limiting anyone's options.. whether my fam believes me or not.... maybe once they see the registry it will click but i am not going to stress about it anymore.. Thank You

stellasmommy412

We were team green and my best friend threw my shower. We did a yellow, green, and gray color scheme and all the stuff in my registry was yellow or green or gray. It's definitely doable. For baby specific decor, like stuff that only comes in pink or blue, just get a little of both.

Shortstack06

So I am due 1/1/15 (sorry to impose on 12/14 birth month) but this is an issue that hasn't made the boards there yet.  I can find out in 10 days what we are having and I am torn if I want to or not.  My husband doesn't want to, but my family is really pressuring me to.  I did start a registry really early and did a lot of gender neutral items for the big items(a rock & play I did a tan puppy one).  I asked a friend who did not find out and is due tomorrow, she said she received a lot of clothes with ducks and bunnies but also gift cards so she can get gender specific clothes later on.  She did get all of the other items on her registry because people were more inclined to buy those items than gender specific clothes.

526SadieSadie

Mimaloo said:

Just go as neutral as you can on your registry - neutral stuff is definitely out there - and ignore everyone else. 

Absolutely.  Especially if you're planning on having more kids, you'll be so happy you chose neutral stuff if you have a girl and a boy (or vice-versa).

Finding out the sex of your baby simply because other people want to buy pink or blue isn't enough of a reason to change your plans if you and SO are set on being surprised.

Rosalyn19

   Thank you all for your input. We have decided to stay team green. we are still getting pushback from family but it is not as bad.
    I was able to register for a lot of neutral items and was really happy with what I was able to find. After I actually went out and was shopping for baby things I realized how many options you still have.. smaller items there was less of a selection but people always seem to find the cutest things anyway that are not on registries. I'm not worried anymore.

   Im glad we stuck with our decision.

Shortstack06

@Bliss+Berry thanks, for some reason I was in D14 and this feed popped up, I will pay closer attention to the board next time.

cozybluebear

My shower was gender neutral and it was definitely the way to go. We got a lot of items we needed opposed to piles of clothes. We received almost everything on our registry.

MaybeKatie10

I have been to sex specific showers where most of gifts were pink and purple clothing in sizes NB and 0-3mos. Way too much in one size and two colors. One girl's shower i went to, she had over 35 outfits in size 6months on down, primarily pink and purple. It can be too much.  

Oh, who cares? It looks like my daughter will be dressed primarily in pink until her first birthday. Do you think she gives a crap? No. Parents needs to quit sweating the small stuff.