The origins of the "push present"?

[TC1987]

Okay, I am finally going to ask the question: What is the origin of the "push present?" I had never heard of it until I came to Pricescope. As far as I know, no woman in my family ever got any jewelry or even a gift for having a baby. But we're all WASP Methodists, Presbyterians, Seventh Day Adventists, and German/Scotch-Irish. The baby gets gifts. But, the mamma got... zilch, except a new baby. (Not that I've heard any of them complain about the baby, mind you.)

So. I am really curious. Who started the tradition? For whom is it typical? Or a custom? (I hope I'm not being too nosy. If I am, just don't answer! )

 

[Dee*Jay]

The first time I ever heard of it was back in 2003 or 2004, before I discovered PS. A colleague of mine's wife was having a baby and he asked me to go shopping with him for a gift. I thought it was a lovely idea then, but I didn't realize it was a *thing*. Or maybe it's just become more of a *thing* since then, but now a lot of people I know get push presents.

ETA: I don't think he referred to it as a "push present" though; that term seems more recent to me.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

It is hardly a new idea, although it may have been more restricted in the past and certainly not called a push present (I hate that term, personally). For example, Queen Elizabeth received the Flower Basket Brooch as a gift for the birth of Prince Charles. But that is nothing compared to some other birth gifts in history - I will have to look these in up in books but I remember a particularly fine necklace. Queen Caroline of Naples got a seat on the King's Council, which is by far the best "push present" in history!

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I think JFK also gave Jackie some jewelry to celebrate the birth of the children. I also hate the term push present, and particularly that you are owed a jewelry present as if that is a payment due.

I think it would be nice to shower a gift upon the new mother, but I think it could be anything.


Annette

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I don't know about the tradition, but it does seem to have a hint of marketing to it! Not that I would turn down something sparkily after having given birth to my children, but you know, the thought never crossed my mind. It was a couple years AFTER my kids were born and me being exhausted that I thought, huh, it would be nice to have a treat for all the hard work of raising a new born and a toddler all day long by myself w/out any help! But, then the cost of diapers and baby clothes came to be the primary focus!

 

[Circe]

As I understand it, the concept of giving a gift - jewelry, flowers, whatever - has been a casually kept tradition for hundreds, if not thousands of years, across cultures. But somewhere in the 90s/early 00s, in England there was a trend of women scheduling c-sections, who earned the description "too posh to push." I believe that's the time/place the term "push present" came from, though I'm stumped as to precise original usage. But I agree that marketers saw an opportunity and jumped on it with both feet.

 

[Dancing Fire]

yep, it started here...

 

[distracts]

I was under the impression that it came from England as well, though I thought this due to front-cover tabloid speculation on Kate's push present right after the William & Kate wedding.

 

[sapphirering]

I 100% loathe the term push present, as well. I'm no hired help. But I do like the idea of buying jewelry to commemorate the birth of my children.

 

[JewelFreak]

I LOATHE the term too. There must be a less graphic way of putting it.

It's been done in Europe for a long time. Friends of ours in Germany -- the husband gave the wife an eternity ring after the birth of each child, different stones every time. Those babies now have half-grown kids of their own.

 

[JuneRose]

No one in my family has been given jewellery to commemorate a new baby but my father gave my mother a beautiful mirror when she had me and then a marble chest of drawers when she had my little sister -far more her style than jewellery! The term "push present" gives me the creeps but I have definitely already chosen what I want when I have kids even though we are a few years away from that

 

[AmeliaG]

Before push presents there were Mother's Day presents and Mom got an extra special Mother's Day present the year a new child was born.

 

[Circe]

Re: The origins of the "push present"?

What fascinates me is watching the start of a new tradition (and at a time when there's a lot of pushback against the old ones, like e-rings, too). Right now, they're starting to be typical, but they're non-standardized - from Rachel Zoe's ten-carat boulder to the IDJ bands we love on this board to the slightly sanctimonious, "the baby is your present!"

Which, don't get me started. A healthy pregnancy is THE most important thing, but pregnancy is hard, and it's actually kinda nice for the non-gestating partner to acknowledge that somehow. I can't help but feel there's a significant intersection between all this criticism of mother's gifts/push presents/what-have-you and the expectation that mothers be totally selfless, to the point of martyrdom (no wine during pregnancy: good ... But the idea that ever-after, women must return to hand-washing organic nappies and pureeing each carrot individually is pure regressionist nonsense).

At any rate. E-rings settled down to 3 months salary, and we all somehow know that round-number anniversaries generally call for more attention than the in-betweeners: I'm just curious to see where this one settles, after another ten years of stars normalizing it, just like they did diamonds back in the 30s and 40s. Wonder which clever marketer will manage to turn it to their advantage ....

 

[AprilBaby]

Except for here I have never met anyone who got a push present, I thought that's what Mother's Day was for.

 

[Sparklelu]

it wasnt called a push present but my mom got a Mikimoto pearl circle pin from my dad when i was born in 1956 and others for my siblings. I got a claddah ring for my first DS in 1980, cause I was now Irish? and for DD I chose a Fur coat ( NYC winters are brutal) and noww that i think of it... when DS #2 showed up I never got anything, probably becuase I was Dx with breast cancer when he was 6 months old and we were preoccupied !!! Gonna call Dh on that one!!!

 

[Sakuracherry]

I had never heard of the term before I discovered PS. My mother recieved a diamond pendant from my father when I was born though.