Do you have to bring a gift to a gender reveal party?

Baby showers. The birth of a baby. A briss. A baptism. Occasions to buy gifts for new babies abound, not even counting the little trinkets you might purchase here and there for a new mom to say, for instance, “Congratulations on your pregnancy!” or “Here, suck on these anti-nausea lollipops so you don’t want to puke every second!” or, “Saw these adorable little booties, and just couldn’t pass them up!”

So what do you do, when the invitation to the gender reveal party arrives in your inbox? Sure, you’re tinkled pink (or blue) to have been asked to attend an event, during which a cake will be cut into, or a box of balloons will be released, or perhaps fireworks shot into the sky, to divulge the secret everyone’s been dying to know: Is it a boy, or a girl?

But, do you have to buy a gift?

On the one hand, you’ve already shopped for countless gifts for the baby sprinkles, and the christenings, and the first birthdays, and you’re a little, well, spent. And you kinda don’t appreciate being mined for more baby stuff, on yet another celebration.

On the other hand, this is a party, and when you’re invited to one, be it birthday, retirement, housewarming, or what have you, typically a gift is appreciated, if not required. So it seems you must, you simply have to hit your local baby superstore and buy the perfect baby gift.

But wait. Hold on! How can you buy a gift for a gender reveal party when you don’t know what the mom is having? Now you are saddled with the added burden of identifying the ideal, gender neutral baby toy, outfit, nursery decor or the like. Ugh.

Okay, okay. So skip the gift! Come on. The parents-to-be don’t expect you to bring a present; they just want you there for the joyous affair.

No. They probably don’t. You are probably obligated to get something.