Giving gifts to new mothers is an ancient tradition, with evidence dating back thousands of years. In modern times, it has been rebranded as a “push gift” and is often given by the father to commemorate the struggles of labor and birth. While some criticize the trend as being driven by greed, others see it as a charming way to thank women for their hard work. Gifts can range from jewelry to practical items like coupons for household chores.
A push gift is a gift given to a new mother shortly after giving birth. Many people are unaware that giving gifts to new mothers is actually an ancient tradition, although the slang term “pushing the gift” is relatively new. These gifts are meant to commemorate the struggles of labor and birth and celebrate the birthday of the new family member. They are usually given by the father.
Archaeological evidence suggests that men have been giving gifts to newly given mothers for thousands of years. Certainly such gifts were common in the Middle Ages, when mothers were given lying gifts to commemorate birth. These gifts often took the form of jewelry, a tradition that has been preserved to this day. In addition to jewelry, some mothers received land and other useful gifts as a gift, especially when giving birth to an heir to the surname. Many of these historical lies in the gifts were quite practical; they ensured that women had wealth of their own to support themselves if anything happened to their spouses, as property in many cultures went directly to the eldest son, bypassing the wife altogether.
In Europe, the tradition of giving gifts to new mothers has continued to the present day, but the popularity of such gifts has experienced a brief decline in American culture, except among very traditional families. In the 1990s, the laid-back gift was retooled and transformed into the push gift, sometimes called a “bathing bag,” although the jewelry industry tends to favor the more polite “birth gift.”
The present push has been the subject of controversy in some quarters. Many critics have noted that such gifts tend to be given mainly among wealthy families, and some people have suggested that there is an element of greed in the drive present. In 2007, numerous publications published scathing articles on the present push, criticizing women who “educated” their husbands and suggesting that the birth of a healthy child should be present enough.
There is a certain charm to this ancient tradition that has been overlooked by critics. The idea of thanking a woman for carrying and delivering a child isn’t all that outrageous, as it is, after all, a lot of work. Many women treasure their birth gifts as heirlooms, and it’s not uncommon to see them passed down from generation to generation. Even a birth present doesn’t have to be a jewel; fathers with less disposable income can give gifts such as coupons for washing dishes, changing diapers, or babysitting for a girls’ night out.
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