Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Would you have expected presents for your unborn baby?

84 replies

JinglePrunes · 03/12/2006 23:43

Or is my 7-month-pg SIL just being a bit...grasping??
Was told today that of course they were expecting the foetus would get christmas presents.
I would like to blame hormones (and first-time-mother-syndrome ).

Oh and of course I won't be buying something for a person not yet born to open on Christmas Day.

OP posts:
munz · 04/12/2006 10:44

I never had any last year! lol. in fact DH and mine were really scaled back as we had J on the way and the GP's each brought us somehting big for his birth.

hulababy · 04/12/2006 10:47

LOL, never heard of buying or receiving Christmas presents for an unborn child, especially when thre is another couple of months tog o.

ProfYaffle · 04/12/2006 10:50

I'm due beginning of March and wouldn't dream of asking anyone for prezzies for dd2tb. My mother is showering the foetus with gifts already but then she is loopy.

TheChristmasArmadillo · 04/12/2006 10:53

what a strange request

Dottydotthehalls · 04/12/2006 10:54

Definitely not!!! I was 6 months pregnant at Christmas 3 years ago and didn't expect (or receive) anything - and quite right!!!

Socci · 04/12/2006 10:58

Message withdrawn

PinkTinsel · 04/12/2006 10:59

i got dd a teddy bear for xmas a month before she was born and my adorable little cousin gother a teddy too as we were always close and he was excited about the baby. but i'd never have expected (or asked ) andyone to get anything.

although the cards with 'to X,Y and bump' melted my heart

DumbledoresGirl · 04/12/2006 10:59

No of course not! Ds2 was born 4 days before Christmas and I did not expect anything for him either although he did get some presents (but you would get those anyway for a new baby....)

beckybrastraps · 04/12/2006 11:04

Ridiculous.

And in fact, I wouldn't have wanted anything. I was very, very nervous about tempting fate.

And I actually LOATHE the 'bump' thing. Sorry.

WhenSantaWentQuietlyMad · 04/12/2006 11:05

Although, yes I think this does sound strange, I am trying to look at it charitably.

It could be that she is just so excited about the arrival that she is going a bit stir crazy and this just reflects the pent up longing for her own little baby. Also, if she has been buying presents for years for other children of family members, she might not of it as cheeky.

She might be really worried about the cost of the new baby, and keen to get help to buy essentials.

I must admit to being a bit superstitious myself, and if it bothered me I would probably say something along the lines of "I feel too strange buying for the baby, but if it is okay with you, I will save it till the baby is born".

Different people have different views I guess. I was given a present by SIL "for when the baby is born" when I was 6 months pg. I was horrified, and the present sat in the cupboard like a portent of doom. I then was amused when dd2 was born to find boys clothes in the parcel???.

Blackduck · 04/12/2006 11:10

Good god NO.....this is just insane (just to wind cod up....)

Jimjams2 · 04/12/2006 11:12

WTF????

LorinaLovesSprouts · 04/12/2006 11:14

I have bought a christmas present for a bump I know. The mum of the bump would never have asked me though ,it is a suprise

Stockingsofdinosaurs · 04/12/2006 11:15

Yup, Firstbabyitis, or whatever the pg version of bridezilla is. I'm sure you've already got plenty of handmedown stuff earmarked for her so just let her know that and check she's not too worried about affording everything she needs. Make sure she's hooked up to a birthclub parenting website (not MN, you don't want to stalk each other) so she can find out what other mums-to-be think on the subject!

ComeOyefaithfulVeneer · 04/12/2006 11:15

NO, NO, NO how utterly ridiculous. DS was 6 days old at christmas and I specifically told everyone not to buy christmas presents as he was totally unaware and didn't need anything as he wasn't our first. Smacks of pure greed imo.

kittyschristmascrackers · 04/12/2006 11:28

God no, how silly.

PortAndLemonaid · 04/12/2006 11:47

No -- we got a couple of things from my parents and my MIL, but weren't expecting anything (and I think partly they were covering their bases in case he'd arrived early).

Was she really serious?

DeckthehallsLaDiDaDi · 04/12/2006 12:38

How ridiculous to expect presents for a foetus!

A small surprise gift might have been a nice idea but you certainly wouldn't expect/ask for one! Even then many people don't like having things for the baby before it has actually arrived.

Tell her that if you buy for the unborn baby then she'll have to forfeit her present .

octobermum · 04/12/2006 12:42

My DD was due at the end of jan and although my sister and mum bought things for the "bump", but also some bits for me none of which was expected.

On the other hand my MIL,BIL, and SIL all bought for the "bump" and nothing for me, which although i didn't show it i was very upset, not because i expected any pressents, but it was like i didn't matter, on the otherhand DH had lots of things bought for him.

God that sound i like i'm complaining about the lack of gifts, i'm not i was bought up not to expect gifts. It was just a shock.

belgo · 04/12/2006 12:42

I never expected presents for my unborn baby, but my brother asked me what he could get for me for Christmas when I was seven months pregnant three years ago. I told him not to get anything for me, because he'd buy a present for the baby instead, meaning after the baby was born. He misunderstood and gave my unborn baby a present, her first Christmas present and she wasn't even born! My brother is lovely!

fortyplus · 04/12/2006 12:47

Your sil is mad! Do the baby a favour, though - buy her some scratch mitts - they're the most useful newborn present & evertyone forgets to buy them for themselves.

hana · 04/12/2006 12:49

dd2 was due on Christmas Day and I had to scamble round and get a few things for a christmas stocking so dd1 wouldn't think it strange that santa didn't leave any presnets for her.
she was late so it didn't matter
I had to open about 12 nappies that I had wrapped individually to bulk out her stocking!

think your sil is bonkers to expect something
if baby was due around christmas maybe..

corrina28 · 04/12/2006 12:50

i received a couple of small gifts both time i was pregnant at christmas, and these were from friends rather then family. No i didnt ask for then or expect them but at the same time it was nice to know that the foetus got a gift,. I think i have given present for foetus' for xmas as well, but only to a very good friend

hotmulledwinemama · 04/12/2006 12:54

Absolutely insane! She will get stacks when the lo is born.

The only excuse is that your SIL is about to become a first time mum - when it is commonly known that you become a bit mad! Otherwise she is greedy and grasping!

Bozza · 04/12/2006 12:55

octobermum - you are quite right to feel put out about that. I would have been extremely miffed.

I never expected anything for my unborn children and was actually a bit perturbed when my PILs bought some bootees and also MIL had knitted a blanket. Although I am not sure why she didn't wait until nearer the time to give it us.

Actually MIL knitted a blanket for my sister's then unborn baby (very generous of her) and wrapped it up and got me to pass it on to her. But my sister left it wrapped until the baby was born!

Swipe left for the next trending thread