Pregnant ladies/Moms

Brie2010

FSIL is pregnant.  She is totally awesome and I love her, but she lives halfway across the country.  I'd like to send a congratulations gift or pregnancy care package type thing her way.  Obviously, I've never been pregnant so I'm clueless. Any suggestions? 

[Deleted User]

How far along is she? When I was pregnant the book "What to expect when you're expecting" was my Bible. She may already have it, though.

Brie2010

She's only 6 or 7 weeks along, I think.  That book is a good idea, but I feel like she's the sort of person that would already have read it twice, you know?  I'd hate to get a duplicate.

crfische

When both of my SIL's got pregnant I got them both this:



With a gift card to target, some chocolate, some comfy pajamas, and a nice card.

[Deleted User]

Yeah, I like Fishy's idea a lot.

Mrs.B6302007

She's only 6-7 weeks?  might I offer a word of caution?
Definitely send her a congratulations card but I would hold off on bigger gifts right now.  So many things can go wrong....I know that from experience.  I would send her something on the milestones: when she moves from 1st tri to 2nd tri, when she feels the baby move for the first time, etc.


ETA: but that's just me - I'm not saying DON'T...just offering alternatives as far as timing goes

Brie2010

That's a cute idea.  I like that!  She's a SAHW, so the PJs would be great.

salt78

Preparation H.

Just kidding. Kind of. Congrats to FSIL! Nephews and neices are so much fun. I'm in baby overload after spending the day with my little nephews on Christmas!

Brie2010

Good point, B.  I'll wait a few weeks.

Mrs.B6302007

Though the PJs are a cute idea...spending her mornings hugging the porcelain god would be more bearable in comfy PJs.

Mrs.B6302007

Brie- would she have her feelings hurt if you didn't send something?

Brie2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_pregnant-ladiesmoms?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:406151e5-df97-4bee-9a9c-1b2d06455d81Post:96c065e2-9fed-44d8-ad13-d31166e65c62">Re: Pregnant ladies/Moms</a>:
[QUOTE]Brie- would she have her feelings hurt if you didn't send something?
Posted by Mrs.B6302007[/QUOTE]

Oh, no way.  I highly doubt she expects anything, I just wanted to do something nice for her.  We've only met in person twice because they live so far away, but I really like her and we get along really well.

I'm thinking a robe and slippers, because I couldn't even begin to guess at her pajama size.  I'm terrible at stuff like that.

Brie2010

Oh, good lord, or I could just  get her this terrifying card:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=33196595&ref=sr_gallery_6&&ga_search_query=pregnancy+gift&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

goheels05

Whoa.  Someone submit that to Regretsy.

I agree with B.  My SIL is also pregant, and also right around 7 weeks, and she's shouting it from the rooftops.  She is going to be crushed if, God forbid, something were to go wrong.  Her husband and inlaws already got her all kinds of pregnancy and baby stuff for Christmas. 

Don't something like 1/5 first trimester pregnancies end in miscarriage?

Mrs.B6302007

heels - I don't know the exact number but it's high.  many times, women go in for their 8-12 week appointments for an ultrasound and find out that they have a blighted ovum (where a fetus never develops) or a missed miscarriage (where the fetus has died but the miscarriage hasn't begun yet..sometimes it can take a couple of weeks).  The chances of  loss drops significantly (to almost nothing) at the 2nd trimester.

Brie2010

Yikes.  I had no idea.  I will definitely wait a few weeks and some something late January/early February.

Mrs.B6302007

Are you FB friends with her?  Talk on the phone often? You could let her share all of her excitement and those moments with you and that will help you keep up with her progress so that you'll get some ideas of when and what to send.

Brie2010

Good plan.   We FB chat and e-mail pretty regularly.

Mrs.B6302007

Oh, and sending congratulatory flowers now would be okay.  Should she have some problems, flowers aren't going to something she keeps and has to look at as a reminder, KWIM?

Brie2010

True.  I like that idea. 

squirrly

Brie, once you do send something, if she is dealing with morning sickness, lavender scented stuff can help.  It's the only thing that kept one of my BMs sane when she was pregnant with her son.  Bath & Body Works still has the lavender stuff, I think. 

ButtonsPepper

That is the main problem with finding out SO SOON whether you are pregnant or not... the possibility of losing the baby is still there :-(. It's happened to family members, and to already have baby/maternity stuff was really hard.

I would stick to things for her, a foot massager, or a robe/slippers... something she can use no matter what.

lpstl

Barf bags.

I kid, I kid... kind of.

I'd send her a card or flowers for right now, after she goes to her 8 week appointment and determines that it's a viable pregnancy then I'd send her something cute.

bombtones

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_pregnant-ladiesmoms?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:406151e5-df97-4bee-9a9c-1b2d06455d81Post:3fcbd88f-5a92-4a7f-a297-62a79252a4af">Re: Pregnant ladies/Moms</a>:
[QUOTE]Brie, once you do send something, if she is dealing with morning sickness, lavender scented stuff can help.  It's the only thing that kept one of my BMs sane when she was pregnant with her son.  Bath & Body Works still has the lavender stuff, I think. 
Posted by squirrly[/QUOTE]

As calming as it is, lavender actually isn't recommended for pregnant women.

ootmother2

Go to Sephora's website and get their brand of "body butter".
Get a bottle of vitamin C large enought to last the pregnancy.
If you can afford it, get her a pregnancy pillow (Company Store has them pretty cheap)

It's a pregnancy care package.  The body butter and vit C prevent stretch marks and the pregnancy pillow will keep her on her side, not her back and that's important!

BecW2be

Does she have a sense of humor? When the first few weeks are behind her, send her What to Expect When You're Expecting AND What to Expect When You're Expected. It's a funny book from the POV of the fetus. It's hilarious, and not like a creepy fetus's FB page; I promise. I was laughing in the bookstore when I found it. I don't have anyone close who's pregnant, but I can't wait to buy it for someone.

terbear_86

Jenny McCarthy wrote 2 HILARIOUS books one on being pregnant and one on the first year of baby's life. I only have the second one, but I read the first one. It was good for the hormonal days when I was teary and needed a pick-me-up. Also, if you wanted to buy something and have it shipped directly to her, Avon sells a great stretch mark cream that my mom bought for me and I have 1 stretch mark-- that's it, and I didn't have it til the day before I gave birth. Also, lollipops and hard candies for morning sickness, work better than chocolate which can cause heartburn.  But I second the idea of waiting til maybe the middle-end of January or after her first docs appt.