Technically, I didn’t push out my daughter. She was cut out of me during an emergency c-section. It was traumatic and scary, but successful. Within an hour after surgery, she was in my arms- this squirmy pink little thing. She was three weeks early, but still absolutely perfect. The day we came home from the hospital, my husband ran out to pick up some necessities and when he returned he surprised me with a beautiful charm to add to the charm bracelet I had already started. My Push Present, he explained. I loved it then, I love it now, regardless of what judgments come my way.
Push presents, for those who may be confused, are gifts given to a woman after the birth of her child, by her partner. I am sure you can come to the conclusion on your own as to why it is called a “Push” Present. It is usually a piece of jewelry to mark the event, but I’ve also known woman who have received other small gifts. It’s a new practice, starting sometime after I was born, so my mother never received one or knew what it was. Out of the handful of women I know who have had children, only one woman was given a Push Present. Many of the others didn’t really know what a Push Present was, and a few said that it would have been nice, but they weren’t give one, and one knew what it was but didn’t want one.
I wanted one, and since my husband didn’t know what a Push Present was, I was happy to educate him. We talked about it briefly once. At first, my husband laughed at me about it, “You actually want a Push Present?” He asked. “Yep!” was my reply. I did, and I didn’t feel bad about it. Honestly, I just thought it was a kind gesture my husband could make in an effort to say, “Hey- thank you so much for growing a human inside of you, and going through the painful process of delivering said human.” Later in life, I would be able to look at my present, or wear it, and remember that special day. I honestly didn’t think there would be so much judging that would take place surrounding the idea.
Little did I realize that there would be so many women who would be appalled at the idea that I would enjoy receiving a gift after the delivery of my baby. Several times during my pregnancy while on Mommy Forums the topic of Push Presents came up and there were a lot of commenters who said things like, “My present is baby!” Well- obviously! Anyone out there who thinks that a woman would rather want a ring then their actual baby after the birth is crazy! Others would say things like, “I don’t need a present.” Neither do I, I don’t “need” a present, but none of us “need” presents, that’s why they are so special when you receive one. Another often repeated comment, “My husband isn’t going to get a present, so why should I?” This is true, my husband would not be receiving a present, but to me that’s okay. The idea is to get the person who did all the hard labor-literally- a gift. My husband is not a neglected man, by any means. Finally, many woman posted that this was an expense they couldn't afford. By no means, should a Push Present create financial hardship! That's just downright irresponsible. Push Presents aren't meant to be something grand and majestic, rather something sweet and meaningful, and within your means.
I have to admit, after reading post after post, and blogs about how stupid and selfish Push Presents are, I definitely started to feel bad about wanting one. Was I being selfish? I guess in the most basic sense of the word I was, but then, does that mean anytime we get excited about the prospect of gifts from our loved ones for special occasions we are also being selfish? Yes, materialism is a problem, and that an over infatuation with things can affect your ability to appreciate what really counts in life. I get that. But I also think this wasn’t that big of a deal.
I finally decided that it didn’t matter to me what others would think. If my husband bought me a Push Present then that would be a special moment between the two of us. And it was. I love my little charm, and every time I look at it I think of that terrible turned beautiful moment of my daughter’s birth. I can hear the doctor telling me that my daughter’s heart rate was falling and she needed to perform a c-section and get her out. I can still see my husband’s eyes widen and his nervous smile as he looked at me, both of us knowing we were going to meet our baby girl that day. My Push Present is not just something pretty and sparkly that I wear around my wrist; it is the fear, excitement, pain, and overwhelming joy packed into a small silver heart. It is not something I am either ashamed of or proud, it just is. I am not sure if I will get a Push Present for every child I have, but if I do, I will happily accept the gift because I know it’s a tangible way for my husband to show his love and gratitude to me for helping our family grow and thrive.
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