What did you get as a maternity leaving present from work?

[LKM]

I'm interested to know what others got as leaving presents from work. Were they completely impractical? When I was told that a collection had been done and what did I want? I made the mistake of letting a colleague who was also a mother select some items for me as I thought it would be awful of me to just ask for the money! The sad thing is the gifts I received must have added up to a reasonably tidy sum but I have hardly used any of them - box full of lotions and potions from Mothercare (I have used nappy cream on dd exactly twice), babygrow which only had poppers halfway down the front so was a nightmare to get dd in and out of, and a large grey hippo soft toy which she might like when she's older! The only useful thing was a special request from me - a changing mat!

I got a variety of clothes, bibs, towels etc, and a colleague's Mum knitted me SEVEN little white cardis of differing sizes and styles! Although I wouldn't have chosen anything I was given myself, they all got used, and were outgrown very quickly. I found it went down well to return to work with a photo of dd wearing one particular horrible outfit, which then got put in the jumble sale pile!!

I got a baby gym - fantastic present which I don't know how I would have managed without (ds was one of those babies who rarely slept during the day and needed LOTS of entertainment), a squeaky duck, and a pull-the-string cot-side musical bear which both ds and later dd adored (dh and I weren't quite so keen after the nth repetition of the Teddy Bear's Picnic...). These presents were chosen by the unmarried and childless 17yo receptionist, and I have to say she got it spot-on.

I work with all men and the best they could manage was Mothercare vouchers which they sent after DS was born. But I did appreciate them and used them to buy DS's door bouncer, arm bands and a pair of shorts.

Actually although I am not a fan of vouchers usually, in this instance I think it was a good idea.

Mothercare vouchers, I wish!

I got a very beautifully made lilac 'handbag' decorated with cotton buds. Mmm. My own fault, I suppose, for working for an arts organisation (we had a craft exhibition called 'baby love' on at the time...). I'm hoping dd might enjoy it in dressing up box in years to come. I was rather looking forward to the vouchers for a aromatherapist that a previous colleague had got, too...

Since the prsentation (I really didn't know what to say) several people have come up to me and publically disassociated themselves with it!

My teamleader had given me a very bad time while pregnant and made no effort other than a bunch of flowers that she left in full view all afternoon of my last day. She didnt even send the card or collection around the office and half of my collegues didnt even know I was leaving that day and would have loved to haved signed the card and put in abit of money. A girl who left a couple of weeks after me (she had a nice team leader) had some lovely gifts. I suppose I shouldnt have expected anything else from her and to be honest I was just really glad to start maternity leave and get away from her, that was a nice pressie.

I got a teddy bear money box stuffed with money. I had sort of made hints about what I needed and what CDs I would like for myself etc (I was leaving at the same time). I think I had about £70 altogether which was a large sum as collections usually totalled around £30. I bought myself the M People CD that was out in 96 (something Fruits) and bought a carrycot to fit my Silver Cross pushchair. When I had DS1 I think I got baby clothes.

I also got Mothercare vouchers, which were fantastic, as up until then I hadn't actually bought that much. So they got frittered away on all sorts of bits & pieces - changing mat, babygros etc etc

I got a Moses Basket, which I suprised myself by using regularly, but the best bit was a voucher for a facial at our local beauty parlour, which really lifted my spirits in those Baby Blues Days.

I asked for a cheque and then bought ds's cot mattress and cot blanket etc with it. The blanket is reasonable quality and looks like it will last well into ds's adulthood and serve as a keepsake for me!

For DS I got a Baby Bjorn which I had asked + a few bibs and bobs but for DD (I already loads) so
I got Mothercare vouchers too and as I really dislike most of the stuff from Mothercare I still have some !!!

I got Boots vouchers - a lot more useful than Mothercare vouchers IMO.

When I went on maternity leave I got a lovely good luck card and a hooded towel for the baby. The day he was born I got a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my immediate team and then an overwhelming (emotionally) large amount in John Lewis vouchers from the extended community which we used to buy various things including a breast pump (which I didn't admit to in the thank you card!) and his cot mbobile, which at 22 months, he still loves. I felt hugely lucky and touched esp since I'd had such a lot of time off work being ill with the pregnancy.

Pupuce - I sometimes get fed up with Mothercare too but often it seems there isn't a decent alternative. When DS was born also got M&S vouchers from dh's boss. Bought him a summer coat and an Annabel Karmel book.

I got a card and that was all! One of the people I work with was obviously a bit embarassed about it and did say that they hadn't got around to having a collection when I left (2 weeks before EDD, and exactly when I'd told them months before that I'd planned to finish) but that they'd do something when the baby was born. Never happened though. Have to say that it does make me a bit mad when my male colleagues have all been (and still are) given presents when their wives have babies but I got nothing. Seems a bit "off" to refuse to contribute though. And the company chooses to give them a couple of weeks paid paternity leave too, whereas mums only get the statutory amount, which they can claim back from the government anyway, so they're actually giving the dads some free time off but not the mums. Grrrrr!

Mothercare vouchers. Very practical. My sister used to teach ESOL, when she got pregnant, the wwomen in her class deferred to the men and let them buy her the present. The got her a plastic filofax (so useful for the new mum), some teatowells and a long life lightbulb.

I've remembered now, I got a sling and a baby monitor from my own department and baby clothes from other friends when I went on maternity leave for DS1.

I got a large dahlia from my team before I left - which I never got around to planting outside, so it died!

They did send flowers after ds arrived, and there was apparently a card and a collection that did the rounds, but when my boss came over to the house to see ds, he was very embarrassed and told me that the card and collection had gone astray - but they had done one, honest! He did bring a personal present over as well.

We're in the process of doing a collection for one of my colleagues, whose wife has just had a wee girl. We've been asked for suggestions as to what to get - my one was a baby Gym, if they don't already have one - but I think I'd add the wee pull down musical teddy bear, as our ds loves his. He knows that's the signal for "night night!"

A haunch of venison for the freezer, from my business partner who shot it himself.

Body Shop gift vouchers for a massage, make up session and products. Fantastic!

I got garden furniture, which was a fantastic present. I left work, and didn't return, and still when we're out in the garden lounging around, or doing clay modelling on the garden table, I think of them slaving away in their hot little office!

I got a lovely silver photo frame when I went on maternity leave, then a babygro/bib for dd and some smellies for me when she was born. Nice to have something for me (even if it was that rather strange Green Tea which just smells like old teabags to me...)

Baby car seat and car "accessories" (mirror/toys etc). Was v. useful and 4 yrs on still using mirror!