Pregnancy Paparazzi:What's up with ultrasound parties?

We’ve had baby showers since before anyone can remember anything else that was done to celebrate an upcoming birth. Next, we ramped it up with Daddy Diaper parties and then it was gender reveal parties. Now the latest…? Live sonogram parties! OVERSHARE!

This has been called, “The latest rage for self-important pregnant women”. It’s no longer good enough to have cake with pink or blue filling or an ultrasound picture to show around to family and friends (if not posted to FaceBook). Now we need a live audience in the room for the actual sonogram? Do we really need to get this intimately involved with the mom-to-be’s pregnancy?

What’s next? The conception achieved reveal where friends gather for the actual pregnancy test so they can get the news the minute the strip turns blue? I completely understand the excitement that surrounds pregnancy and the ultrasound is an intimate milestone of that but why do some people seem to need others to validate their most precious moments?

This also begs another question: what if there’s a problem? This happens more than people realize and today ultrasounds are used to diagnose many disorders and malformations. What do you do/say if it becomes apparent that the fetus has not developed properly or, God forbid, there’s no heartbeat? The difficulty of getting that message would be magnified tremendously by an entire roomful of party goers.

While it’s generally contended that an ultrasound is safe for a baby, medical experts caution against having these parties. The American College of Radiology and the Food and Drug Administration discourage having ultrasounds purely for entertainment and not for medical reasons.

If you’re still not detracted from having one of these “baby bump” parties, it’ll set you back about $200-600 depending on who you get to come to your private home. That would buy an awful lot of diapers! These services are popping up all over the U.S. Many sonographers have package deals where they bring and set-up the examination table, imaging equipment and screens for viewing at the party.

Is this the time for a party atmosphere? “Need another drink?”, “Try the canapés” and “Oh, How did you like my uterus?” Is nothing private anymore? Some things should still be intimate so thanks, but no thanks, I’d rather not be invited to your sonogram!

(BTW: the sonogram pic above is Beyonce's, just shared with HBO recently. Didn't you recognize Blue Ivy?)

{If you find yourself invited to a bump party or a traditional baby shower, might I suggest a http://www.WickedCoolBaby.com gift set or garment as a gift? Our designs are funny, cool and perfect for giving something adorable to the Mom-to-be!}