Certainly not all people do this. But OP, why not, if it makes your wife happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the whole "the baby is the present" mentality. People celebrate other major milestones with gifts- graduating college or grad school or getting a new job, among other events. One could rightfully argue the degree/future earning potential is the present, no?

+1 I don’t understand why this is one milestone that it’s “tacky” to acknowledge with a gift. It’s in a way a first Mother’s Day present.

Exactly. Some people celebrate anniversaries or birthdays with presents (cue all the people who will say they don't exchange gifts). Isn't the marriage itself the present? Isn't the fact that you stayed alive for another year the present?

Anonymous wrote:I don't get the whole "the baby is the present" mentality. People celebrate other major milestones with gifts- graduating college or grad school or getting a new job, among other events. One could rightfully argue the degree/future earning potential is the present, no?

+1 I don’t understand why this is one milestone that it’s “tacky” to acknowledge with a gift. It’s in a way a first Mother’s Day present.

I don't get the whole "the baby is the present" mentality. People celebrate other major milestones with gifts- graduating college or grad school or getting a new job, among other events. One could rightfully argue the degree/future earning potential is the present, no?

My husband surprised me with a nice purse after our first baby. I was touched. It was really wonderful to feel appreciated and I carry it still. OP - it never hurts to give a gift. If you are open to the idea of a push preset, many moms love the Tiffany initial necklaces (small disk with initial of baby). Congratulations and good luck!

Anonymous wrote:I thought the baby was the present?

I think if he would carry the baby everywhere he went for the next nine months, that would be the present .

I thought the baby was the present?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People with money but no breeding or values may do this ...

but I do not believe that people with old money do this.

Unless you want to equate it to not having your head chopped off because you delivered a male heir to the king.

Hopefully, we have evolved beyond that, no?

Actually baby gifts have always been common in the upper classes, predating the founding of America and stretching forward to today.

Baby gifts not push presents, and in Europe they don't do showers but give gifts after the baby is born!

Renaissance Europeans pretty much invented the push present. Look up "disco da parto" - an elaborate painted tray given by the husband to his wife during her lying in period postpartum. People would come to visit her with gifts to celebrate the baby, and the family would serve delicacies on the push present tray which they would later hang up on the wall.