Functional Birthday Present

I think it was thoughtful - something she wanted with the extra thought in getting cups and everything to go with it etc.

I guess she's probably just exhausted from being heavily pregnant.

Yes it's a house present. I wouldn't be happy with a kettle for a birthday present however fancy. As it is something you will both use and use for the baby.
Some perfume she would like, a voucher for the spa or some jewellery would be better.

I don't think it can be called a 'house purchase' given that OP didn't want/need it, and a bedroom kettle is hardly a standard house item.

Also, YOU are ‘quite against flowers’, but is she?

Clearly she much prefers personal gifts. If you didn’t know that before you do now!

I too would regard that as a ‘house purchase’ & appreciate it, but not as my birthday present. I prefer personal gifts (low cost) but have occasionally asked for specific, practical ones for my birthday.

I get that you will be benefiting from it as well but for my partners 50th I paid for a hotel in a European city he wanted to go to. I went as well so that gift was for me too (although he wanted it and it isn't somewhere I would have chosen to go to.)
So I think it's a good present but everyone is different and she doesn't.
Maybe you could say I thought this would be thoughtful but since it's not what you would have chosen for a present here is a voucher to get yourself some bits once the baby is born.

Btw I'd always rather the kettle than diamonds

I think it’s a nice gift, you put a lot of thought into it, it wasn’t “just” a kettle. I would much rather my DH get me thoughtful gifts than just throw money at expensive things that he’s not thought about.

Yeah I think it if was 39 weeks pregnant and my DH was sending me flights for a trip to Thailand I would be rolling my eyes/inwardly panicking!

The baby is a present for the house though too as they’ll both be benefiting. No need for OP to go overboard.

@RandomUser456878 a couple of thoughts.

If you're likely to be doing a lot of driving trips, have you thought about a lie flat car seat? It would be much more comfortable for the baby even if you are stopping regularly.

The Polaroid camera is a nice idea but it is still technically baby centred. I definitely think you should get it though, or an instax printer where you can print photos from your phones.

I think that it was a really thoughtful gift, but maybe you could have bought her a little something ‘just for her’ and a bit romantic too.

Regarding the travel - your posts are making me smile. You’ve got such a shock in store!

I’m sure you’ll rise to it.

It's her last birthday before she becomes someone's mum, but her present is in preparation of being someone's mum....

I think she probably just wanted to be treated as her, not your baby's mother.

It's better than buying her nipple cream, nursing top and post pregnancy vitamins which i got from mil when I was 8 months pregnant on my birthday

It sounds like a thoughtful gift and if it was something she said she wanted, but hadn't bought it for herself then I can understand why you bought it. It's my birthday soon and my dh keeps asking what I want and I can't think of anything, so I know it ls often hard to buy other people. Perhaps given the timing of the baby she would liked something more personal like pamper bits/ new pj's etc.

I would suggest that you may want to test the waters first.

While you think that it is only a change in scenery and the only challenge is the travel, the realities of babies and travelling are really different and difficult, specially if you are in an unfamiliar place with a different language and are trying to find the basics such as formula, or if the baby feels unwell.

I wish you luck 🍀

A toilet????

I'm sorry, I can't stop laughing!!!

OP I think your present is thoughtful, and I'd have loved it, but in late pregnancy I struggled to appreciate anything.

I see her point. Birthday gifts in my opinion are for the sole use of the person whose birthday it is- jewellery, etc.

If your baby is due soon he or she would be about 9 months old in November? My DS is 10 months. 9 months old is difficult. He is mobile which makes taking him anywhere more stressful, as rooms have to be babyproofed. We’re weaning so always have to take suitable food and milk with us.

He naps regularly and if he doesn’t have his naps, he’s extremely grumpy and sleeps badly at night. He’s also becoming much more self aware and opinionated! He is lovely but this age is still challenging, in different ways to the newborn stage. In a lot of ways he’s less portable as he’s older. We have been on holiday with him but I wouldn’t say it was relaxing. Nice to spend time together as a family, but worlds apart from our usual trips. And this was only short haul!

Another point is a lot of babies and young children don't fit travelling. Screaming hours and hours because of parents aren't able to settle at home.

And I would really look into vaccinations. Most infants and babies aren't covered to travel the world.