The Push/Pregnancy Present:
A Little Something to Ease Her Pain
by Harlan Cohen

A “Push Present” is a gift given to your partner following the birth. The idea of buying a new mom a special gift once she pushes the baby out isn’t just made up by her. It has roots. In Europe, it’s customary for women to get a gift following the birth of a child. In England, men are expected to adorn women with a beautiful ring. In India, mothers get gold and jewels for the birth. In the United States, jewelers and women who want jewelry are turning this into a new gift-giving tradition. Some guys aren’t into the idea of a push present. It’s not that these guys are cheap (although some might be). They say there is no greater gift than the gift of having a healthy new child, and a material thing like jewelry almost minimizes the magnitude of the event. The baby is the ultimate “push present.”

So, if you share this sentiment, there’s nothing wrong with calling the gift something else. How about just calling it her first Mother’s Day present and picking it out after the baby is born? Call it a gift from the baby and make the baby pay you back when she’s old enough to work. Whatever you subscribe to, I have a hard time finding anything wrong with getting someone you love a gift that’s associated with such a special event. That said, if you have a philosophical issue with the push present, explain this to your partner -- just in case all her friends give her gifts, there won’t be room for any misinterpretation.

If you’re buying something expensive but are not quite sure if she’ll love it, wait until she sees it, and then engrave it. When you give it to her, tell her you wanted to wait for the birth so you could engrave the date. Once you engrave it there is typically no returning it.