Gifts for Midwife and Assistant?

[fivehansens]

I'm wondering what the consensus is on gifts for your midwife and her helper(s). Is this common, does everyone do it, no one, etc. And if you did gift your midwife(s) something, what type of gift did you give? Any help is appreciated! I had my baby girl at home 3 weeks ago and am sending out birth announcements, thank you cards, etc. and would like to include a gift for my wonderful midwives, but I'm not coming up with anything specific and would LOVE any ideas! TIA!

[bird_verde]

I think giving a gift to the person that helped at the delivery of your child is appropriate but not a requirment. I recently gave my midwife a gift certificate for a 60 minute massage and her apprentice a 30-minute massage.  I gave it to them at my 6-week postpardum appointment. They seemed to be very appreciative.   For DD1, I gave my family practice doctor that delivered her a religious icon (he is orthodox and we had discussed icons several times in the past - I knew that he liked them).

[mamamille]

I think it's totally appropriate, and am giving our midwives a collection of tea blends and herbal salves my friend makes (annamana.com).  I also plan on including a picture of the family and a pretty crystal to hang from the window.  But I think anything would be great.

(with my first birth I intended on gifts but didn't follow through and I think that is ok too)

[Caterina]

We also gave our midwives gifts at our 6 weeks PP appointment. We gave them each those rose quartz crystal candle holders. A friend had given me one for our birth and I loved its glow while labouring. I don't know if a lot of people do it, but it felt right to us.

[stellabluz]

My friend makes these and my midwife LOVED...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66255876/needle-felted-mother-earth-rainbow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66584580/needle-felted-earth-mama-pendant

[MegBoz]

I liked the idea of a book for her library - my MW had never heard of the book "Exercising through your pregnancy" even though she has a large lending library, so I plan to get her that.

I also heard you can gift a MW "kit" for use in developing nations - (Sorry, forget the name of the organization) which I thought was fantastic! I know I personally have enough "stuff" so that sounds like a great gift to me.

[MarineWife]

I gave my MW and her assistant from my pg with ds3 gifts. This time I'm knitting them socks because they were both admiring some that I was wearing that I had made for myself.

[LittleBirdy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MegBoz 

I liked the idea of a book for her library - my MW had never heard of the book "Exercising through your pregnancy" even though she has a large lending library, so I plan to get her that.

I also heard you can gift a MW "kit" for use in developing nations - (Sorry, forget the name of the organization) which I thought was fantastic! I know I personally have enough "stuff" so that sounds like a great gift to me.

I gave my midwives a book too.  I appreciated all the books I got to read from their lending library so I gave them one that I read that they didn't have.  I think the gift of a MW kit for someoone in a developing nation is an awesome idea, too.

When I was first planning my HB I thought gifts were a little overkill (I think we are a little too gift-happy in this country, for the most part) but after I every thing was said and done I wanted to give them the Earth, moon & stars so a book seemed completely appropriate.
 

[nononose]

I'm intending on making a necklace.  Mostly because I found a charm of a baby rumping (crowning, but bum first) and my midwife has an interest in breech birth.  I haven't picked out the rest of the stones yet though.

[AngelKissedKids]

Originally Posted by MegBoz 

...

I also heard you can gift a MW "kit" for use in developing nations - (Sorry, forget the name of the organization) which I thought was fantastic! I know I personally have enough "stuff" so that sounds like a great gift to me.

Does anyone know any more details about this organization?  I think it would make a perfect gift but I've had no luck googling.

[mumofmak]

http://secure.jamesavery.com/jewelry/search/product/R-1305/Mothers-Love-Ring/

 

We gave our midwives this ring...

[KimMamaLove]

After reading this thread I thought long & hard on what I can give my midwives. A friend who will be present at the birth & is assigned to take care of my two kids is a painter. I have asked her to absorb the experience & emotions while being there and, through her own artistic interpretation, paint a picture for me to give the midwives as a gift. Here's hoping we can pull this off! 

[Banana731]

Originally Posted by crystalcm 

Does anyone know any more details about this organization?  I think it would make a perfect gift but I've had no luck googling.

https://www.thehungersite.com/store/item.do?siteId=220&itemId=32493 

there are several things like this and organizations that do this on the site.

[AngelKissedKids]

Thanks for sharing the link.  I'm in Canada and found that Plan Canada has a similar gift option in case anyone else is interested:

http://plancanada.ca/giftsofhope/shopexd.asp?id=26
 

Originally Posted by Banana731 

https://www.thehungersite.com/store/item.do?siteId=220&itemId=32493 

there are several things like this and organizations that do this on the site.

[2doves]

i love reading all the different gift ideas! they are so great! i gave our MW a garden stone made by a close friend of mine, she sells them on Etsy. To get to her front door where we had appointments you walk through a beautiful and very eclectic garden. It said "Nest" and a pregnant goddess with a gemstone in the belly and another heart stone. We had a sign in our living room that said "Nest" when i was in labor and our MW moved it to our bedroom where the tub was and where gave birth. So the sign was in some of our pictures which was beautiful. Also the doula held it up in some pics being silly (like the garden gnome that appears everywhere) so it was a fun memory too. I included a small stack of pictures of our labor and a few favorites of his first year.

[donutmolly]

We had a friend who make silver jewelry design and make our two midwives some lovely, birth-related necklaces.  It was Dh's idea, and he actually made sure it happened...  That was after our 3rd birth...  I always intended to do something before, but was so busy caring for a newborn that I never followed through.  I'm trying to decide what to do for this birth --  I love the idea of giving a book for their lending library. 

[Nutter]

At my very first appointment, my midwife and I got talking about alternative menstrual products.  She expressed that she has always been interested in a diva cup, but never got around to buying one.  So I thought I'd buy her a diva cup as a thank you gift.  A little off the wall - I know - but I think she'll appreciate it.  Mind you, she is now pregnant herself and due in July (I'm due in May) so I also might make her a batch of my homemade Belly Balm.  We'll see...

[Adasmommy]

I'm thinking of gifting my midwife a glass pendant depicting a pregnant woman and birth partner.  I have one, and to me the birth partner figure is my husband, but I suppose the partner could as easily be a woman/midwife.  I also might give her a copy of "Hello Baby!" by Jenni Overend which is a gorgeous childrens book about a homebirth with a midwife.  I figure she would enjoy it, and could also lend it to clients who have kids.

[lapoucelle]

I loved reading these, such great gifts! With DD2 midwives had Mothering magazines in their office from years before, so I gave my previous midwives subscriptions to Mothering and Wondertime (no longer in print) magazines for their office, that I renewed on my daughters first birthday. This time I am not sure, I have only been to my midwifes office 2-3 times and am going to keep have been looking around for ideas.