Push present

A push present (also known as a "push gift" or "baby bauble") is a present a new father gives a new mother when she gives birth to their child. In practice the present may be given before or after the birth, or even in the delivery room. The giving of push presents has supposedly grown in the United States in recent years.

History

The tradition of gift-giving to commemorate a birth has long roots in England and India. The term "push present" first appeared in a publication in 1992. In 2005, the Southeast-United States jewelry chain Mayors marketed diamond earrings with the line "She delivered your first born, now give her twins." Fortunoff, a jewelry and gift chain store, established a push present registry in 2007. Some say the idea was originally formulated by Joel Wood and Brian Williams also known as the "Pioneers of the Push Present". These two young chaps wanted to do something more for their female counterparts in the wonderful moments following birth. Each of these men showered their wives with diamonds and jewelry as a way of showing their support for the previous nine months of carrying their child. The word quickly spread an the Push Present was thus established as an American tradition.

There is, however, no conclusive evidence that the present was invented by the jewelry industry to sell more goods, and until recently it was passed on largely by word of mouth or peer pressure among both mothers and fathers. According to Linda Murray, the executive editor of BabyCenter.com, "It’s more and more an expectation of moms these days that they deserve something for bearing the burden for nine months, getting sick, ruining their body. The guilt really gets piled on." Other sources trace the development of the present to the increased assertiveness of women, allowing them to ask for a present more directly, or the increased involvement of the men in pregnancy, making them more informed of the pain and difficulties of pregnancy and labor.

Frequency

A 2007 survey of over 30,000 respondents by BabyCenter.com found that 38% of new mothers received a push present, and 55% of pregnant mothers wanted one, though fewer thought it was actually expected. About 40% of both groups said the baby itself was already a present and did not wish an additional reward.

The trend has generated a backlash, as some couples dislike the implicit materialism of push presents, and would prefer increased help in chores or baby care, or save the money for the child's education.

According to etiquette expert Pamela Holland, there are no set guidelines for push presents. "The standard is that there is no standard," she said. "It does make sense to have etiquette around wedding or baby shower gifts because you're inviting other people into it. But this is far too intimate to have a rule." In general it is the woman who lets her man know about push presents, not the other way around, although there can be peer pressure from friends to buy one on either the man or the woman.