I have never thought of birth announcements as gift grabs. This is really surprising to me. OP you should change your title to "Only % of people sent gifts in response to birth announcement" because it sounds like people DID acknowledge the birth!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your husband got acknowledgments on FB- did you get any texts or calls? I wouldn't have expected a card.

I don't Facebook- but Yes, I got some calls and texts. My best friend sent flowers. That's about it long distance wise.
To all of you---thanks all for the nice congrats on here--- I'll print and post in his baby book! Haha. Here these strangers took more time to welcome you than our good friends and family! And I think you're right that no one sends cards anymore..

Not trying to sound snarky, but FB posts, calls and texts seem like proper acknowledgment from long-distance friends and relatives to me. What else could they have done that wouldn't have left you feeling slighted OP?

Yes, that sounds to me like people responded.

Congratulations OP!

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here- just to clarify- it wasn't "mass mailing" or 100 cards. It was like 40 and I said it was basically just closest circle of family and friends from xmas list. Clearly no one sends gifts from xmas card, so I don't think sending mail suggests a gift.
As stated, I don't Facebook, Twitter or Instagram-- so no one sent me notes that way.
I absolutely expected acknowledgement from a handful of those folks- like three of my bridesmaids and close friends, my husbands best friend and his brother and sister. I think that would have been thoughtful and appropriate. A text or call or nothing from more distant friends was fine. Although I send a gift for any announcement... Baby, high school graduation.. Even take housewarming gifts when friends invite us to their new home. Guess I think it's polite and I like doing it.
And it's not about getting attention- or needing something. It's just what I think would have been the right gesture I guess. I'm not losing sleep, but making observation.[/quote]
What people are saying is that a comment on your husband's social media, or a text or call to you IS acknowledgment. I think you are using the word acknowledgment to mean card or gift.[/quote]

Wouldn't you email friends and family a quick note after the birth so they would know before you'd send an announcement? Wouldn't your husband send a quick note to those really close to you that your baby was born? Seriously - you're trying to say that by the time announcement was sent your "closest" circle of family and friends truly didn't know you'd had the baby?

[quote=Anonymous]OP here- just to clarify- it wasn't "mass mailing" or 100 cards. It was like 40 and I said it was basically just closest circle of family and friends from xmas list. Clearly no one sends gifts from xmas card, so I don't think sending mail suggests a gift.
As stated, I don't Facebook, Twitter or Instagram-- so no one sent me notes that way.
I absolutely expected acknowledgement from a handful of those folks- like three of my bridesmaids and close friends, my husbands best friend and his brother and sister. I think that would have been thoughtful and appropriate. A text or call or nothing from more distant friends was fine. Although I send a gift for any announcement... Baby, high school graduation.. Even take housewarming gifts when friends invite us to their new home. Guess I think it's polite and I like doing it.
And it's not about getting attention- or needing something. It's just what I think would have been the right gesture I guess. I'm not losing sleep, but making observation.[/quote]

If you don't facebook, we assume that your husband will pass on a message on his facebook. You are the one behind the times, not us.

Anonymous wrote:I've never thought to send a card or gift from a birth announcement. If I am very close to the person then I knew about the birth long before the mailed announcement and already gave a present. I like the FB pics for everyone else.

Same here. Until this post it has never occurred to me to respond to a birth announcement. I look at it and put it on my fridge for a few months. I thought that was all that was expected of me.

Anonymous wrote:I've never thought to send a card or gift from a birth announcement. If I am very close to the person then I knew about the birth long before the mailed announcement and already gave a present. I like the FB pics for everyone else.

Exactly. If it's a close friend, then I already knew about the baby and have spoken to you or texted you. Then I get a card which I do love to see, but I do not follow up with anything.

Very few people send announcements by mail. I can only think of one we've gotten this way. If you had sent a quick email with a photo, you would have gotten some congratulations replies. Of course, it's great if you want to send them, but if you want acknowledgement, consider email/Facebook in the future.

[quote=Anonymous]OP here- just to clarify- it wasn't "mass mailing" or 100 cards. It was like 40 and I said it was basically just closest circle of family and friends from xmas list. Clearly no one sends gifts from xmas card, so I don't think sending mail suggests a gift.
As stated, I don't Facebook, Twitter or Instagram-- so no one sent me notes that way.
I absolutely expected acknowledgement from a handful of those folks- like three of my bridesmaids and close friends, my husbands best friend and his brother and sister. I think that would have been thoughtful and appropriate. A text or call or nothing from more distant friends was fine. Although I send a gift for any announcement... Baby, high school graduation.. Even take housewarming gifts when friends invite us to their new home. Guess I think it's polite and I like doing it.
And it's not about getting attention- or needing something. It's just what I think would have been the right gesture I guess. I'm not losing sleep, but making observation.[/quote]

That does seem weird. Why do you think none of them responded?

Is it possible that they reached out to your husband on Facebook and you just didn't see it?

Anonymous wrote:We're just kind of over it. "oh look dear, Jim and Susan had another baby." "Oh, really, that's nice." "Can you start the pot roast?" "Sure, no problem."

this. i think once people get beyond two, you just kind of feel like having more kids is their thing - not really that noteworthy anymore.

but still, sorry it was disappointing how people reacted. and congrats on the new one!

People did acknowledge it. Just not the way you wanted them too (with a gift).

Anonymous wrote:Nobody sends cards anymore. Don't blame them for the fact that you are a Luddite. Also, three is a lot of kids. It is no longer a matter of entering you into parenthood. At this point you are just making decisions some would call selfish.

Err, there's not NOT selfish reason for having any children. It's a 100% selfish thing no matter the number...

OP, what people are saying is that a comment on your husband's social media, or a text or call to you IS acknowledgment. You are using the word acknowledgment to mean card or gift, and that is not a given.

[quote=Anonymous]OP here- just to clarify- it wasn't "mass mailing" or 100 cards. It was like 40 and I said it was basically just closest circle of family and friends from xmas list. Clearly no one sends gifts from xmas card, so I don't think sending mail suggests a gift.
As stated, I don't Facebook, Twitter or Instagram-- so no one sent me notes that way.
I absolutely expected acknowledgement from a handful of those folks- like three of my bridesmaids and close friends, my husbands best friend and his brother and sister. I think that would have been thoughtful and appropriate. A text or call or nothing from more distant friends was fine. Although I send a gift for any announcement... Baby, high school graduation.. Even take housewarming gifts when friends invite us to their new home. Guess I think it's polite and I like doing it.
And it's not about getting attention- or needing something. It's just what I think would have been the right gesture I guess. I'm not losing sleep, but making observation.[/quote]
What people are saying is that a comment on your husband's social media, or a text or call to you IS acknowledgment. I think you are using the word acknowledgment to mean card or gift.

I've never thought to send a card or gift from a birth announcement. If I am very close to the person then I knew about the birth long before the mailed announcement and already gave a present. I like the FB pics for everyone else.

Nobody sends cards anymore. Don't blame them for the fact that you are a Luddite. Also, three is a lot of kids. It is no longer a matter of entering you into parenthood. At this point you are just making decisions some would call selfish.