Being pregnant in 2018 comes with a lot of fanfare at least, thats how it seems on social media.

First, theres the pregnancy announcement . Then there are the weekly progress photos , tracking the growth of the bump and comparing the unborn baby to increasingly large pieces of produce . In this Pinterest-loving world, baby showers seem to be more elaborate than ever, and some grandparents-to-be are even having their own showers . It feels like a requirement to take epic, stylized maternity photos . And of course, theres the so-called gender reveal.

If youve ever browsed YouTube, Facebook or Instagram, youve inevitably come across photos or videos of expectant parents gender reveals. Generally, these occasions are full-on parties centered around a special moment when the parents cut into a cake , pop balloons filled with confetti, hit a powder-filled baseball or even set off fireworks to find out if they are having a boy or a girl.