material compensation for pregnancy and labour

American men are following the film star trend and giving wives extravagant gifts after they give birth, reports Tim Shipman

It has always been the way that the only reward expected by women from the trials of childbirth has been the gift of life, in the form of a new baby.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/23/wpush123.xml


Precious gift: Pierce Brosnan’s wife Keely received bracelets after the birth of their son, Paris

But American mothers are increasingly demanding more material compensation for pregnancy and labour: diamonds, other jewellery, or an expensive holiday.

Spurred by the examples of Hollywood stars such as Pierce Brosnan and Ben Affleck, and encouraged by a growing range of gifts designed especially for such occasions, the motherhood industry has given birth to the concept of "push presents" - so-called both because they are a reward for the act of giving birth, and because mothers are pushing their husbands to dig deep into their wallets.

Fathers now not only have to make it to the delivery room on time, but had better come brandishing more than a bunch of flowers.

A survey by the parenthood website BabyCenter.com found that almost four out of 10 new mothers received "push presents". An even larger number, 55 per cent, said that they expected them - so presumably some had been disappointed.


American companies are trying to ensure they don't miss out. The elite jeweller Tiffany offers celebration rings for new mothers at $2,300 (£1,150), featuring pink sapphires and diamonds for a girl and blue sapphires and diamonds for a boy.

Numerous websites have set up online gift registries. One jewellery company, Hearts on Fire, has a "motherhood" collection that allows women to send a "drop a hint" email to their husbands.

Another jeweller, Austin & Warburton, markets a parent and child range of pendants and earrings. Its president, Craig Warburton, got the idea when his wife had her first baby.

"I was in the hospital gift shop with four or five other new fathers, who were hard pressed to find anything nice. So when she recovered, my wife designed some new jewellery. I get calls from hospitals from men, who say: 'I've got to get one tonight'. I go on mercy dashes with pendants and earrings. Sales are up 30 per cent."

Trine Tsouderos, a columnist with the Chicago Tribune, is typical of the new mothers. She wrote: "After 19 hours of labour and a c-section, I produced our daughter, Celia, and out of his overnight bag, my husband produced a small blue box from Tiffany & Co. Inside was a necklace engraved with her name that I wear every day."

Some are critical of such lavish spending. Rhonda Grote, who runs ThinkThoughtful.com, which helps find appropriate gifts, said: "We coach fathers to spend less money and do something to make their wives feel better, like book them into a health spa rather than buying ugly jewellery that will be out of style in a couple of years."

How Hollywood leads the way

While push presents are just catching on among American women at large, they have long been accepted practice in Hollywood.

Pierce Brosnan, the former James Bond actor, gave his wife Keely three gold and diamond bracelets when their son Paris was born. He also gave her a two-week trip to Bora Bora in Tahiti, a post-pregnancy holiday known as a "babymoon" and likely to have cost up to £100,000.

Matthew Broderick gave Sarah Jessica Parker a gold charm bracelet. But Ben Affleck's wife Jennifer Garner told him after giving birth to return the jewellery he had bought for her because it was too expensive.

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I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

I can see a piece of jewelry to commemorate an event but the entitled attitude of the moos is just disgusting.

Hey, I just had my period this week, where's my menstruation present? It's just as gross when a new moo asks for it. I think the baby worship in our culture has gone a tad too far.

Yay!! Manufactured wants!!!
Buy it because some ad agency said "its the thing to do" and some breeder believed it and demanded it from her husband who told his friend, who did it for his wife, who told her friend who demanded it of her baby daddy....
yet breeders complain that $100,000 per year isn't enough to live on, gee I wonder why?

"It truly is the one commonality that every designation of humans you can think of has, there's at least one asshole."
--Me

i dont see a small thing like a plaque or something small, thats ok. its when it has to be diamonds, or a holiday or whatever.. thats pure greed.

*********************************************************************************************************************************
I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

So much for the attitude "A child is a gift."

nah u can take gifts back and get credit notes

*********************************************************************************************************************************
I just post the stories, for interest.. for everyone

Lord, what fools these mortals be!
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act III, Scene ii

Voltaire said: "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."

H.L.Mencken wrote:"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. Albert Einstein

Isn't the very fact that you now HAVE A CHILD as part of your family unit ENOUGH OF A REMINDER??
It's a bullshit fake thing made up by ad agencies to sell more crap to people who will then complain they don't have enough money to feed, house and clothe themselves.
There is nothing good about this.

"It truly is the one commonality that every designation of humans you can think of has, there's at least one asshole."
--Me