Charity donations rather than gifts for newborn

[Squelchsquerch]

Second baby due in a couple of months. With our first baby we received a ridiculous amount of gifts (80+) which I found pretty overwhelming. We do not need or want to receive gifts this time but would really really love if people gave what they were planning to spend to a charity, preferably anonymously.
So....
a) how to get the word out to people politely in advance of the birth? I have no problem telling my own friends who would definitely understand but the vast majority of these gifts came from well meaning friends of our parents.
b) any ideas of charities to suggest that focus on underprivileged babies and children?

I'm aware that this could be considered to be a first world problem but perhaps it's due to my hormones, I'm getting all anxious about it.

Thanks for any suggestions

Friends of your parents are unlikely to give you gifts for a second baby.

Why don't you just pass the gifts on to a women's shelter, hospital children's ward, children's home etc?

Ask them to donate it to the make a wish foundation for sick/ terminally ill children.
They ask then what they would like to-do most in life and then if it's possible they fund it. E.g. trip to disneyland/swim with dolphins

You'll get less for the 2nd kid anyway..

I’m not sure you can say to people in anticipation they’ll get gifts but I like the idea of passing it on as Tino suggested.

I think you might be being a bit optimistic about how many people will actually get you anything this time around. Ime people usually get loads for first and next-to-nothing for any subsequent births.

Good advice but I'm not convinced parents friends won't buy for second. My mum and MIL always buy for all of their friends grandchildren and so people tend to reciprocate. Last time ended up receiving lots of impersonal, gender stereotypical tat that we had to send thank you cards for (time consuming and expensive when there were 80to send) and some of these people have never even met our kid. Plus sending all this stuff to charity shop is also time consuming and inconvenient as we don't have a car. I just can't stand pointless consumerism and have been trying in vain to live a more simple life in an uncluttered house.

Does anyone else feel this way or am I just an ungrateful cow?

You may well not get as much for a second baby - but the stuff you do get will be even less necessary because you’ll have the older one’s hand me downs. All you can do is put the word out to your friends and to your mum to get her to pass the word on when her friends ask her about the newborn and for your address. To your parents’ friends I’d suggest they use an approach which is very individual to your circumstances so it doesn’t come across as criticising their usual behaviour.

“One of Squelch’s university friends has been volunteering in the Syrian refugees camps recently and the tales they told her have made her feel so upset for those poor little frozen mites and so thankful that her own babies have everything they could possibly need. That’s why I know she’d really be so grateful for an Oxfam/UNICEF charity gift in the baby’s name - they’d really appreciate it.”

market.unicef.org.uk/inspired-gifts/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=cold_email&utm_campaign=inspired_gifts&tracked_linkID=14TR03882
This is a useful link.

The Oxfam one is this but their “new baby” gift is 17 quid which might be outside some people’s budget.

Oops
Oxfam

It's rude to ask for specific gifts. People will give you whatever they want to give you and can afford. I'd tell your parents that if anyone asks you'd prefer a charity donation, but if someone decides to give you a different gift just accept it gracefully.

Agree with Bellemuerte - it’s rude to ask or suggest. If you don’t want the gifts give them to a shelter.

I think it’s a little rude (even if not intended) to ask or expect them to give anything specific or anything at all, second + children never get the same amount as first, it’s usually just when it’s your first child that people will do that

If you don’t want gifts then just say that. I don’t like people dictating how and when I donate to charity.