Celebrating Your 30th Birthday While Pregnant - Visit an art exhibit. — Visit an art exhibit.

Your 30th birthday is truly a milestone event unlike any other, especially if you celebrate it while pregnant. When you enter into your 30’s era, your life tends to shift and your priorities change. You begin to settle down and focus on big picture life changes. This is all particularly true when you’re about to become a parent to a new baby.

If you happen to be celebrating your 30th birthday while pregnant, you may be wondering how you can still commemorate this special occasion. This particular birthday is known as the “Dirty Thirty” which can imply partying with alcohol and shenanigans. Well obviously the pregnant birthday girl will be responsible and not partake in any unruly or unhealthy exploits. But don’t worry, you can still live it up and have plenty of fun.

This guide is filled with pregnancy-friendly party and activity suggestions. All of them are great choices for any point in your pregnancy, no matter what trimester you’re in during your birthday. I myself have done all of these things during my own pregnancies so I speak from experience. Trust me when I say that you can enjoy plenty of get togethers with friends and family to make your birthday memorable without compromising your baby's health.

Take a Babymoon Vacation

There's nothing like a relaxing vacation, especially if you spend it with your family, friends or significant other. A babymoon vacation is meant to a calming escape to enjoy a change of scenery. And frankly, it's your last hurrah to travel before you will have to take on the daily responsibilities of taking care of a baby.

The key to a tranquil babymoon is book a beautiful hotel in a great location, where the prime scenery is close by and you don't have to venture far. Make sure your schedule isn't overbooked and there's plenty of time for naps and resting your body. Just imagine yourself wearing a swimsuit while splashing on the beach or the pool and releasing all the stress and anxiety that comes with pregnancy.

With my first baby I took a babymoon to Palm Springs which is a really fun and colorful place to vacation. I went in the month of March which is before the weather starts to get hot.

Pro Tip: When booking your babymoon, avoid traveling during peak heat times. Our bodies are less tolerant of heat during pregnancy, which can lead to nausea and dehydration.

See my guide to Top 10 Epic 30th Birthday Travel Destinations!

Enjoy a Day of Shopping

If you're anything like me, day of shopping is a very fun way to spend my birthday. When you’re pregnant, you have a lot of options as far as what to buy. Depending on what trimester you’re in, you can go shopping for new maternity clothes, postpartum clothes, or shop for the new baby. You can also splurge on clean and natural skin and beauty products. It really just depends on your mood!

As an experienced mama myself, I can share with you some suggestions on shopping ideas that will really come in handy later on:

Shop for the essentials you’ll need in your labor and delivery hospital bag, including postpartum underwear and what you’ll wear after giving birth in the hospital.
An adorable baby outfit for newborn photos.
If your baby is born in the last few months of the year, you can shop baby’s first Christmas outfits and toys.
Stock up on baby essentials like diapers, wipes, creams and lotions, etc.
Shop for non-maternity clothes that work both during and after pregnancy. This definitely includes baby bump friendly long and flowy boho style dresses.
Shop for a stunning dress for a maternity photoshoot.

Plan a Birthday Party Hybrid with Your Baby Shower

If you really do want that blowout party experience for your 30th birthday, why not combine both the birthday and the baby shower into one big soirée. Adding a baby shower can turn your party into a more significant event, which gives you all the more reason to go as big as you want. Plus, this move will save you money by combining two events and give more reason for your guests to attend the celebration.

Be generous with your guest list because inviting more people will always make it merrier. Consider whether you want to celebrate it in your home or book a private room at a local restaurant. Create a birthday party checklist to ensure you won't forget anything during this occasion.

When it comes to gifts, be transparent about your expectations and state it clearly on the invitation. Do you want gifts for both yourself and the baby? Do you only want your guests to shop from the baby registry? Do you also have a birthday gift registry? Whatever it is, don’t leave your guests guessing on how to approach the presents.

Pro Tip: Since alcohol is not recommended for pregnant women, why not turn it into a tea party? Prepare tea or mocktails so you can drink your fill without worrying about your or your baby's health.

Plan a Gender Reveal Party

Throwing a gender reveal party with your birthday celebration adds a fun twist, especially if many of your friends and relatives are still in the dark about your baby's gender. If you already have a name for your baby, you can also chose to share the name with your loved ones at the party.

Traditionally parents had to wait until the 20 week anatomy scan ultrasound to find out the baby’s gender. But nowadays you can find out the baby’s gender much earlier with blood tests. This gives you more party date options and can make timing it with your birthday easier.

At some gender reveal parties, even the parents don’t know the gender of the baby until the big reveal. It would be an incredible 30th birthday gift to find out if you’re a boy or a girl! In order to pull this off, you can have a trusted family member speak privately with your doctor about the baby’s gender. Then that person can secretly plan the big reveal surprise for the party. FYI - The official name of this person is “Keeper of the Gender.”

Fun ways to reveal the baby’s gender at a party include:

A gender reveal piñata which has blue or pink confetti inside.
A giant gender reveal balloon box.
Confetti cannons with pink or blue confetti.
Pop a giant gender reveal balloon filled with colored confetti.

Celebrating Your 30th Birthday While Pregnant - Combine a gender reveal party with your 30th birthday party. — Combine a gender reveal party with your 30th birthday party.

Host a Backyard BBQ with Family and Friends

Who doesn't love a laidback backyard BBQ? It's one of the most American ways to celebrate a special occasion. Hosting a backyard BBQ is also a great way to gather everyone that matters to you, from friends, neighbors and relatives. Take this time to connect with everyone, because trust me when I tell you that it becomes much harder to socialize when you have a baby. Sharing food, stories, and laughter is priceless and will undoubtedly be a good memory for everyone.

If you’re on a budget but you still want to host an event, make it a potluck style gathering and have everyone bring a prepared dish to share. My favorite BBQ side dish to bring to a potluck is my Creamy Chicken and Bacon Bowtie Pasta Salad.

Another great idea for a barbecue is a build-your-own-burger bar. This way all of your guests can customize their own burgers with all kinds of cheeses, sauces and toppings.

Celebrating Your 30th Birthday While Pregnant - Book a maternity photoshoot. — Book a maternity photoshoot.

Plan a Maternity Photoshoot

As evidenced by this blog, I love taking photos to preserve memories from special times in my life. My maternity photos will always hold a special place in my heart, and I definitely recommend them for any mother-to-be.

Planning maternity photos with a professional photographer doesn’t come cheap. I would expect the minimum amount of money you’ll spend on a photo session would be $100, and possibly much more than that.

A great birthday gift from your significant other or family members would be the gift of photography package (plus the cost of printed photos!). These special types of portraits are an investment that you can pass down through generations.

You may be wondering when is the ideal time to take these maternity photos. You’ll want to have a visible baby bump, but you don’t want to wait until the end when you’re really big and everything starts swelling. You also don’t want to assume your baby will be born at 40 weeks because sometimes they arrive early and you may miss your opportunity for maternity photos. I would say that the ideal time to schedule your maternity photos is around 7 months pregnant.

If you’re into photography, then you might like perfecting your pictures in post-production. Here are some of the best portrait retouching software that you can use. With a handy tool at hand, you can easily remove skin imperfections, experiment with filters, crop your images, get rid of unwanted objects from your photos, and even change the picture background.

Announce Your Pregnancy with a Big Reveal

If your birthday falls between the early stages of your pregnancy, you can surprise your family and friends with the news of your pregnancy. It may technically be your birthday, but you can still give the gift of this wonderful news to everyone!

I have a dedicated blog post filled with photography ideas for your pregnancy announcement, which you can choose to share on social media. Follow up privately by inviting family and friends to the gender reveal or birthday shower in the next few weeks or months.

You can also opt to reveal your pregnancy in person at a party or dinner with family and friends.

How to announce pregnancy to family at dinner:

Enjoy a Spa Day with Prenatal Massage and other Chemical-Free Spa Treatments

Being pregnant does not exclude you from visiting a spa. In fact the right spa services can help reduce pregnancy-related aches, pains and fatigue. You just have to do a little bit of research beforehand on what types services are available for pregnant women at your local spa.

Many spas provide exceptional services for pregnant ladies, such as relaxing prenatal massages. Most masseuses will not book a prenatal massage on a pregnant woman who is still in her first trimester (under 12 weeks pregnant). You usually have to wait until your second or third trimester. The reason for this is because you’re still at a higher risk for a miscarriage in your first trimester.

I’ve also gotten facials while pregnant. You do have to make sure that the esthetician is using all natural products that are suitable for delicate skin. Your body is much more sensitive when pregnant, and you can have an unexpected reaction to abrasive and harsh chemicals. Also, avoid more invasive skin procedures like peels and laser skin resurfacing while pregnant.

Lastly, to prevent the dangers of overheating, fainting, and dehydration, do not schedule treatments that include jacuzzis, saunas, or hot tubs. All of these need to wait until you’re done with pregnancy.

Enjoy a Foodie Tour in Your Local City

When I was pregnant I often had a ravenous appetite, and I craved all kinds of foods. Hence, enjoying a foodie tour was undoubtedly an excellent idea.

While there are foods and drinks that pregnant women are advised not to eat (sushi, alcohol, etc), there’s still plenty of delicious cuisines that pregnant women can totally enjoy.

Viator is my go-to place to find local foodie tours both in my hometown and while traveling. All you have to do is type in your city and then click Food and Drink on the left side bar to find local foodie tours. Easy peasy!

Take an Art or Crafting Class with Friends

If you envision yourself enjoying a low key birthday with some close friends, then maybe consider signing up for an art or crafting class. Many studios offer private events such as pottery painting, canvas art tutorials, candle making, flower arrangements, DIY terrariums and many more. You don't have to be an exceptional artist to take these classes since even beginners are welcome. I personally love to make crafting projects and I’ll use any excuse to be creative!

If you aren’t able to find any craft classes in your local city, then you can order art and crafting kits for adults from Etsy. You can use these kits to host a creative art night gathering at your house. Play some music, put out a spread of snacks on a charcuterie board and get those creative vibes going!

Spend an Afternoon at an Art Gallery

For those ladies who enjoy and appreciate art, but are less inclines to make crafts, I suggest visiting a local art gallery or museum with friends. Maybe you’ll find inspiration for your nursery decor!

When I was nearly 9 months pregnant I went to an exhibit for local Sacramento artist Andy Cunningham. I love his use of vibrant colors, his work always seems so cheerful to me.

In Conclusion…

Celebrating your 30th birthday during your pregnancy should inspire you and make you realize how wonderful life is during this time. Not only will you give life in the coming months, but you are living life to the fullest. If you have the time and energy to go big for your 30th birthday, go for it! Live life and be joyful always.