MealBaby. Is this a thing now?

[Deleted User]

A friend had a baby.  A few weeks before they had the baby the pregnant mother-to-be messaged me on facebook to ask me for my email address.  I assumed it was for an eventual birth announcement.  Nope.  In lieu of birth announcement, I've gotten an "invitation" to purchase a meal for the new parents.  Am I crazy to be a little grossed out by this Invitation?

OliveOilsMom

adk19 said:

A friend had a baby.  A few weeks before they had the baby the pregnant mother-to-be messaged me on facebook to ask me for my email address.  I assumed it was for an eventual birth announcement.  Nope.  In lieu of birth announcement, I've gotten an "invitation" to purchase a meal for the new parents.  Am I crazy to be a little grossed out by this Invitation?

Yes, you should!  This isn't done in my circles, but I have heard of friends of the new parents organizing something similar.  But NEVER the parents themselves!  Tacky & gross!

chibiyui

I mean, I've heard of church ladies bringing casseroles over, but that e-mail is tacky as fuck.

VulgarGirl

Ew no. I swear on the vodka in my uterus we will not do this shit for Fufu. No fucking way.

It's great if people CHOOSE to organize bringing some food over to new parents. Lovely. Wonderful. It is not ok for the parents to organize these people because they don't want to plan ahead.

Wifey and I have both been looking up freezer meals and plan on getting some together before baby's arrival. Cause it's our job to figure this out.

sarahufl

Lol. That is so rude.

I have seen people volunteer to keep new parents fed, but this request is horrible.

littlemushroom

Wow, that is presumptuous of them.

When my BFF had her baby, instead of buying a gift for the new baby I made two large meals for her and her husband that they loved and would last for a long time (and were freezable if they wanted). I did a huge pan of 5 cheese ziti and a big thing of taco meat with all the fixings. I portioned everything in generic microwavable containers and told them I didn't need the containers back so that they could throw them away instead of doing dishes.

It was a huge help and they loved it, but they would have NEVER asked for it. I did it because I wanted to. If I had gotten an invitation like that, no way would I have contributed.

[Deleted User]

Ugh.  I deleted the original email invitation because I was just so disturbed.  Today I got a "reminder" from a friend of the couple (at least it wasn't the new mom or dad) to check out the page and register for a day to bring a meal, since the friend had heard that this email had gone into the spam folder for many people.  Gee, I wonder why.  Anyway, since the page already has my email address, I decided to log in to check our their page but this is what it says.

Welcome

Thanks for viewing our meal registry! There are three ways you can participate:
1. Choose a date from the calendar below and bring a home-cooked meal.
2. Purchase a restaurant gift card if you live too far away or don't like to cook.
3. Purchase a chef-prepared meal gift from MealGifts.com.

My sister just had a kid a couple weeks before this friend.  I shipped her Lou Malnati's pizza to LA.  My mom is there now cooking meals.  New dad is the cook of the family and continues to be able to feed himself and my sister.  I have a cousin who will be visiting in a week, she plans on preparing frozen meals in between cuddles with the baby.  But nobody sent us a schedule so we could plan on bringing over a home-cooked meal or a giftcard.

banana468

Yeah I think that's shitty.   If others do this then fine.   You don't solicit for yourself.

daria24

I have seen similar things on Facebook. One was a dad announcing he had set up a Meal Train for himself & his wife. If it had been a friend or family member setting it up, it would not have bothered me as much.

The kicker is that the day before he had JUST been bragging about the very generous paternal leave he was getting from his company and how he could be home for the first 6 weeks. Make your own fucking food dude. 

TrixieJess

Yep, I've heard of this. I wouldn't do it, I understand it, but I wouldn't do it. I will say though, the best things people bought us after my son was born was food and gift cards for grocery stores. Those are the two things I recommend to people when they ask what they should get new moms (after diapers, wipes, formula and bottles).

stefuhknee

Can't believe this is a thing. I've never heard of something like this. It actually never occurred to me to gift food items to new parents. I can see it as being a very nice gesture if someone feels like doing it but I don't recall having a difficult time feeding myself or SO when our son was born...

kvruns

I've been asked to sign up for them at baby showers before.  Unrelated, I saw someone post a link to her OWN list for people to sign up, I thought that was rude for sure.

theartistformerlyknownas

Guys why are we not thinking up these ideas? We could be so rich if we'd thought of this or Honeyfund. 

redoryx

I've VOLUNTEERED to do that for friends, but the parents soliciting is tacky as fuck. 

lyndausvi

I send GC for grocery store delivery services (if available).    They are always a hit.

If I got one of those emails they would be not only ignored, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't send any gift.

sarawifenow

lolo883 said:

Guys why are we not thinking up these ideas? We could be so rich if we'd thought of this or Honeyfund. 

@lolo883 Can we just make a company called FEEDMENOWBITCH.com where we can sign up to have people cook for us just because we are existing? I think that would go over really well.

southernbelle0915

This is what freezers are for. 

You cook your own meals and freeze them. That way, when you're wigged out with the new baby and running on no sleep/energy, you can pat yourself on the back for being your own lifesaver.

If someone drops off a meal, it's a bonus.

Maggie0829

Um, it is called being prepared.  Before baby, start making meals that can be frozen on the weekends and stock up your freezer.  Also buy canned soup and add that to a quick grilled cheese and you have an easy meal.

I think it is great when family members and friends bring meals and such to the new parents, but FFS parents-to-be get your head out of your ass and realize that making meals and stocking up your freezer and pantry would probably be a smart thing to do before the little one arrives.

theartistformerlyknownas

sarawifenow said:

lolo883 said:

Guys why are we not thinking up these ideas? We could be so rich if we'd thought of this or Honeyfund. 

@lolo883 Can we just make a company called FEEDMENOWBITCH.com where we can sign up to have people cook for us just because we are existing? I think that would go over really well.

@sarawifenow let's go bigger. We'll call it "Because You Love Me" and it'll be your one stop shop for all solicitations for crowd-funding, honey-funding, meal-providing, rides to and from the airport, helping you move, mowing your lawn for you when you'd rather go catch a concert, you name it. Because "people will be happy to help, because they love me/us!"

[Deleted User]

Maggie0829 said:

Um, it is called being prepared.  Before baby, start making meals that can be frozen on the weekends and stock up your freezer.  Also buy canned soup and add that to a quick grilled cheese and you have an easy meal.

I think it is great when family members and friends bring meals and such to the new parents, but FFS parents-to-be get your head out of your ass and realize that making meals and stocking up your freezer and pantry would probably be a smart thing to do before the little one arrives.

Exactly!  My sister's baby showed up 2 weeks early.  So when I sent them frozen deep dish pizza, she and her husband danced a little jig.  (My brother-in-law learned how to text quickly in order to thank me for the pizza, so I got his first ever text.)  Then she showed me the list she hadn't gotten to yet of all the food they were going to prepare for themselves in those two weeks they thought they had.  Ordering deep dish Chicago-style pizza was on that list.  But it wasn't assigned to me to purchase it for them.  I knew they'd like it, so I ordered it.  I'm considering Omaha Steaks next.  They have a grill, 'tis the season for cooking outdoors, so maybe in a month or so, I'll send them more food.  

Here's the thing though, people.  I'm sending them food because they DIDN'T ask for it.  This friend "inviting" me to make them food or buy them giftcards gets nothing.

KatWAG

I have only seen this once. A friend had her triplets at 25 weeks. Obviously a terrible situation. One of the babies died. They basically lived in the NICU for 3 months. They didn't have time to make frozen meals since she was on bed rest and the babies came so early. Another friend set up this for them.

I give them a pass.

But under normal circumstances, I think this is tacky, no matter who organizes it.  

JennyColada

http://www.bitchmakemeasandwich.com

sarawifenow

lolo883 said:

sarawifenow said:

lolo883 said:

Guys why are we not thinking up these ideas? We could be so rich if we'd thought of this or Honeyfund. 

@lolo883 Can we just make a company called FEEDMENOWBITCH.com where we can sign up to have people cook for us just because we are existing? I think that would go over really well.

@sarawifenow let's go bigger. We'll call it "Because You Love Me" and it'll be your one stop shop for all solicitations for crowd-funding, honey-funding, meal-providing, rides to and from the airport, helping you move, mowing your lawn for you when you'd rather go catch a concert, you name it. Because "people will be happy to help, because they love me/us!"

Let's get that shit to the copyright-er!

arrippa

 

KatWAG said:

I have only seen this once. A friend had her triplets at 25 weeks. Obviously a terrible situation. One of the babies died. They basically lived in the NICU for 3 months. They didn't have time to make frozen meals since she was on bed rest and the babies came so early. Another friend set up this for them.

I give them a pass.

But under normal circumstances, I think this is tacky, no matter who organizes it.  

My church organizes them for new parents. It's voluntary so it doesn't bother me much. But if the parents organized it, I would say no, just for that.

Maybe it's because I am reading Harry Potter, but after reading the title, I thought this thread was going in a different way.

Editted: trying to take out the extra lines.

flantastic

Ugh. I understand that this is a smart thing to mention WHEN PEOPLE ASK what they could do to help, but preemptively, gross.

littlemushroom

arrippa said:

 

KatWAG said:

I have only seen this once. A friend had her triplets at 25 weeks. Obviously a terrible situation. One of the babies died. They basically lived in the NICU for 3 months. They didn't have time to make frozen meals since she was on bed rest and the babies came so early. Another friend set up this for them.

I give them a pass.

But under normal circumstances, I think this is tacky, no matter who organizes it.  

My church organizes them for new parents. It's voluntary so it doesn't bother me much. But if the parents organized it, I would say no, just for that.

Maybe it's because I am reading Harry Potter, but after reading the title, I thought this thread was going in a different way.

Editted: trying to take out the extra lines.

OK, I love Harry Potter and feel really stupid that I can't make the connection between the title and HP. Please explain so I don't drive myself crazy trying to figure it out.

arrippa

littlemushroom said:

arrippa said:

 

KatWAG said:

I have only seen this once. A friend had her triplets at 25 weeks. Obviously a terrible situation. One of the babies died. They basically lived in the NICU for 3 months. They didn't have time to make frozen meals since she was on bed rest and the babies came so early. Another friend set up this for them.

I give them a pass.

But under normal circumstances, I think this is tacky, no matter who organizes it.  

My church organizes them for new parents. It's voluntary so it doesn't bother me much. But if the parents organized it, I would say no, just for that.

Maybe it's because I am reading Harry Potter, but after reading the title, I thought this thread was going in a different way.

Editted: trying to take out the extra lines.

OK, I love Harry Potter and feel really stupid that I can't make the connection between the title and HP. Please explain so I don't drive myself crazy trying to figure it out.

It was a joke. The title was so bizarre to me that I was going to a bad place with mealbaby.

KatieinBkln

Why are people so gross? 

I am not a huge proponent of guilt and shame in general, but like...aren't these people ashamed of themselves? Do they not think to themselves on occasion, "ugh, what would my grandmother think of all this?"

I refuse to think there are very many grandmothers out there who would give this idea the Granny Seal of Approval. It's got to be a current-generation thing, right? ...please?

simcal18

I have zero issues with someone setting this up for family/friends, especially if it has been a particularly early or difficult delivery.  It's not that different from doing a more traditional meal tree or hosting a shower.  But setting it up for yourself and publicizing it on your own?  Ew.  Ew ew ew ew ew.

[Deleted User]

Heh.  Apparently I didn't delete the original email.  I just thought I did since the wording made me gag.

You have been invited to participate in a meal registry for K!

The following link is private and is associated with the email address that this email has been sent to. Please click on the link and either sign in or create an account to view this registry:

What is MealBaby?
MealBaby.com is an online service that allows people to plan and organize all the details of a meal registry. Whether you just had a new baby, are recovering from surgery or just need friends and family to bring you meals, MealBaby is the free and easy way to make it happen. With calendar planning tools, customized food preferences and gift card options - MealBaby is meal registry made easy.

Enjoy!
MealBaby Staff

("...or just need friends and family to bring you meals..." is what makes this art.)

kvruns

arrippa said:

 

KatWAG said:

I have only seen this once. A friend had her triplets at 25 weeks. Obviously a terrible situation. One of the babies died. They basically lived in the NICU for 3 months. They didn't have time to make frozen meals since she was on bed rest and the babies came so early. Another friend set up this for them.

I give them a pass.

But under normal circumstances, I think this is tacky, no matter who organizes it.  

My church organizes them for new parents. It's voluntary so it doesn't bother me much. But if the parents organized it, I would say no, just for that.

Maybe it's because I am reading Harry Potter, but after reading the title, I thought this thread was going in a different way.

Editted: trying to take out the extra lines.

I thought it was about Food Babies and people posting pix of them.