04 October 2007

'Push' presents: pop out a baby, get a diamond necklace?

If you thought pregnancy and birth couldn't be commodified any more...

Apparently, in the US (read: New York) “push presents” — have become standard and expected after the birth of a child as a reward for a 'job well done' usually in the form of expensive jewelry. According to the Today show, certain department stores in New York actually have push present registries so cashed up fathers can buy their wives some post-birth bling. High-end jeweler Fortunoff has an entire range of pieces made specifically for the 'new mum'.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, considering women have to carry around another human for 9 months and then squeeze it out, a little recognition doesn't seem so bad. However, if you watch the video of the segment on the link below, some women 'expect' to have jewelry or some expensive item for a 'job well done' after they give birth and this just reeks of unnecessary middle-class materialism. What if a woman's 'natural' birth doesn't go to plan? If she has a caesarean does that mean she only gets to have 1 carat diamond necklace instead of the 3 carat diamond ring? Is a woman's worth contingent upon her ability to have a 'good' birth?

Give me a break.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21101071/

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I couldn't get the video to work, but I think I get the gist! To call them "push" presents is awful...tacky even. However, we get presents on our birthday, at christmas, because we are getting married, so why not at the birth of our child. I thought they were always called eternity rings - and loads of people I know recieved one after the birth of their first child. Mine I recieved sometime after the birth of my second...and it contains no diamonds. Some of my friends have bought their partners a gift also on becoming a father.

 
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