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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not get my baby anything for Christmas this year

155 replies

Mommmytobe19 · 15/06/2019 08:34

So I’m due December 1st and I’m debating whether or not to get my new born baby some
Presents for Christmas this year. The youngest he or she would possibly be is 2 weeks old roughly. I’m telling myself that I should save the money and baby will have all of its new things and gifts from the baby shower but one half of me is saying buy it a personalised dressing gown or my first Christmas gifts! It is my babies first Christmas and I’ll obviously never be able to buy anything with ‘first Christmas’ on again and I don’t want to miss out on the magic (albeit baby won’t know what’s going on) and I don’t want my little one to miss out.

I was thinking of getting the following:
Personalised dressing gown
My first Christmas Eve box (soft toy, pjs)

And that’s where I’ve got to.

What do you guys think?

OP posts:
lazyarse123 · 15/06/2019 09:57

My dd was 6months at christmas I just bought a couple of cheap things to open but dh bought her a scalextric "so they could play together" to be fair though when we went on to have two boys it was added to and went on for years. Yes gender stereotypes I know but it was 30 years ago. You are so right to be organised.

Blgb · 15/06/2019 09:57

My DS will be 8 month at Xmas and I don't intend to buy anything for him. He will get plenty of stuff from family and friends and not remember it anyway! Going to get a memory for me instead

Lweji · 15/06/2019 09:59

I vote for tree decoration.

Ribeebie · 15/06/2019 10:00

It's hard isn't it because it's your first Xmas with them but it does seem a waste. My little one was born November last year. I got him a wooden advent calendar train that I can reuse for him every advent (obviously hasn't used it yet) and a book. Our family had all been so generous when he was born and at Xmas that he really didn't need anything. That coupled with maternity leave pay - save your money and just get a token gift, ideally something you can keep for him/her to use every Xmas - Santa plate, advent Calendar, snow globe etc.

nancy75 · 15/06/2019 10:02

I got Dd a Harrods teddy, they do a different one every xmas & they have the year embroidered on the foot.
It’s still on dds bed 13 years later & it’s a nice thing for her to have from her first xmas

IlluminatiConfirmed · 15/06/2019 10:04

I would buy a Christmas tree bauble, so that it can stay with your family as a special memory of the baby's first Christmas. It doesn't have to be expensive or personalised - you're buying it for you not for the shops marketing teams to succeed ;)

crustycrab · 15/06/2019 10:05

Babies don't wear dressing gowns.

Why bother personalising something? Just get a my first Xmas 2019 bauble and bib from Asda. They're a couple of quid and you can keep them for free/memory box

LaMarschallin · 15/06/2019 10:08

Do not lose yourself in the competitive 'pile sharing' photos either

Good grief! Is that a thing?
I don't do much social media (WhatsApp and the odd message board are fine by me; no, I'm not 150) so am not au fait with a lot of the trends.
But that sounds like one of the most vulgar (and potentially hurtful and/or anxiety-causing) things I've ever heard of. I used to play down how much my children got (we/they were very fortunate) so as not to boast or make others feel they hadn't got enough.
Tacky in the extreme.

jennymanara · 15/06/2019 10:11

And if you do feel pressure from others, give the baby things you would have been buying anyway.

sittingonacornflake · 15/06/2019 10:13

Going against the majority ......

I would get some bits but I wouldn't spend a fortune.

A second hand my first Christmas sleepsuit for the photos will be adorable. Take the photos quickly before baby is sick all down it. I also like the my first Christmas bauble that you can get out every year. eBay do reasonably priced personalised baubles.

Last Christmas my baby was 10 months so I did get toys and stuff but I also got a personalised stocking and Christmas sack and wooden advent calendar, purely because I wanted to be able to say he's had these items ever since his first Christmas. I find things like that special though. The only thing I didn't get which I wish I had now was a special Christmas book that we can enjoy together over the years. But I'll do that this year.

Cuppa12345 · 15/06/2019 10:14

My baby was 6 months at Christmas. I didn't get her anything. I just wrapped up some toys that got given to her when she was newborn and saved them. She got loads of stuff. 4 first Christmas baubles! It's her 1st birthday next week and getting worried about the house filling up with plastic tat.

happymummy12345 · 15/06/2019 10:17

Of course you should buy your baby Christmas presents. Even if my baby was born on Christmas Eve I'd still hope dh could get something.
YABU for the baby shower comment as well (grabby much).

StCharlotte · 15/06/2019 10:20

December 1963...

Dad: What are getting the [12 week old fifth] baby?
Mum: Nothing. She's a baby. She won't know.
Dad: But but but it's her first Christmas!
Mum: Oh go and get her a teddy or something.

June 2019...

This still has pride of place on my bedroom chair. Just saying. Smile

To not get my baby anything for Christmas this year
To not get my baby anything for Christmas this year
StCharlotte · 15/06/2019 10:23

Actually I'm not sure they're the same bear Confused

Pinkmouse6 · 15/06/2019 10:24

My baby was two months old last Christmas. I bought him a wooden activity frame, personalised first Christmas bear, some new pjs, Christmas socks, slippers, personalised bauble, a few crochet rattles, Sophie Giraffe and a few wooden toys. Probably spent £150ish. He didn’t really appreciate the toys for a month or so but now still uses them all and loves them.

katewhinesalot · 15/06/2019 10:27

Just a cheap personalised bauble or something to keep. Don't spend money that could be used for better things. It's just a token.

Newmumma83 · 15/06/2019 10:27

I have a stunning peter rabbit dressing gown aged 3 months ...worn once for about 30 seconds before screaming took over😂😂

Big congratulations though!! , defno get something it’s part of your memories too!!

Baby’s first Christmas bauble that babies first picture can go in? X x

morecoffeealways · 15/06/2019 10:27

Little my first Christmas snow globe or Christmas bauble? That way u can get it out every Christmas and it's a nice keepsake that won't get stuffed to the back of a cupboard - it'll come out at least once a year!

NewAccount270219 · 15/06/2019 10:27

Mine was six months at Christmas last year and we designated a few things we would have bought anyway (eg second hand jumperoo) as presents. I did also buy a couple of Christmas onesies - I feel like the only time it is really acceptable to buy novelty clothes is for someone who will need new clothes by January whatever you do!

jennymanara · 15/06/2019 10:31

Some of the baby dressing gowns do look gorgeous.
If like me you do get pleasure from buying cute things for a new baby, then buy something cute but practical.
If you don't, just buy what you actually need.

fassbender · 15/06/2019 10:34

My sister got us a lovely wooden tree ornament for our little boy who was born mid December. It says '(name's) first Christmas '. He is 12 this year and it is so special to get out every year. I think it cost about a fiver Smile

Dec2019mumtobe · 15/06/2019 10:38

I'm due mid December, could even come on Christmas Day or after, if I'm overdue!

I was thinking about this the other day. If baby is already here, I might wrap up one or two things I'm buying anyway as it'll be my first baby (so we have no toys, clothes etc to hand down).

Baby won't have a clue but I'll be doing it for me haha. I imagine my DMIL and DM will probably want to get baby a Christmas pressie too.

Dec2019mumtobe · 15/06/2019 10:40

Oh yeah and yesterday, I bought some Christmas newborn PJs from the Mothercare website. It was £5 reduced from £16 for two pairs 😂 so I'll probably wrap those up tbh (IF baby is here)

sewinginscotland · 15/06/2019 10:41

I didn't get my DS a Christmas present for his first Christmas - he was 11 weeks old. My mum gave us a 'my first Christmas' bauble, we got a 'my first Christmas' vest plus granny, grandad and auntie bought him Christmas presents (although nothing too extravagant - I thought they'd go mad).

I did buy a novelty elf outfit to make Christmas cards with, which he ended up wearing on Christmas day.

If you do want to wrap something, maybe just wrap something you'd buy anyway that you can't use in the first few weeks? I'm sure you're getting some toys or a playmat or something. Otherwise, I was looking on the Next website - they do personalised 'born in 2019' sleepsuits which look really cute! Another keepsake is a handprint bauble - their hands/feet are so tiny when they're born! I got a plates/coasters/prints done at 8 weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks, 24 weeks and now 8 months and regret not getting more (and sooner).

Heymummee · 15/06/2019 10:42

My baby was born in December 2017 and was only 2 weeks old on Christmas Day, we didn’t buy him anything. They don’t understand what it is and it’s a waste of money. If you feel really bad about it why don’t you buy them a nice little decoration for the tree, something you can add to the tree every year and as they get older you can tell them the story of buying it when they were just a tiny little baby. Both my children have a bauble each and the older son loves adding it to the tree every year and comments on how old it is now Smile