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The “Push Presents” Babylist Parents Actually Want
The “Push Presents” Babylist Parents Actually Want

The “Push Presents” Babylist Parents Actually Want

Here are ideas for push presents, from real Babylist parents.

author-Briana Engelbrecht
By Briana Engelbrecht
Updated On
Updated On
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In This Article

Wear Baby’s Name
Or Wear Their Initial
Or Wear Their Birthstone
Add a Ring to Your Stack
Splurge on Elevated Loungewear
Get the Really Good Bag
Get the Thing You’ve Been Eyeing
Get the Fancy Kitchen Thing
Pick Something Just for You
Plan Something You Can’t Wrap

Graduating from college. Buying your first home. Landing your first big “adult” job. Getting married. We mark life’s big transitions with gifts all the time—so why not celebrate becoming a parent? If there were ever a milestone worth marking with something special, welcoming a new baby into your family is a pretty big one. Enter the push present: a gift meant to celebrate that transition, whether your path to parenthood is through birth, adoption or surrogacy.

So much of the attention and excitement is on the new baby (and we get it), but becoming a parent deserves some celebrating, too. We polled Babylist parents in our weekly newsletter about push presents, including what they’d want and what makes a gift feel meaningful. Using their feedback and my own unapologetic “treat yourself” energy as a mom of two, we rounded up some of the best push present ideas to mark this huge life transition—whether you’re treating yourself or shopping for someone else.

The biggest takeaway? Meaningful doesn’t necessarily mean expensive. While plenty of parents had diamonds and designer bags on their wish lists (fair), others just wanted something thoughtful that made them feel seen and celebrated. Whether you’re buying something for yourself or giving someone a few not-so-subtle hints, here are some meaningful gifts to celebrate becoming a parent. 

Wear Baby’s Name

Parents put so much time and thought into choosing a baby’s name, which is why a name necklace can be such a meaningful way to mark their arrival. It’s sentimental without feeling too precious—and something you can keep wearing long after the newborn days.

Or Wear Their Initial

If spelling out a full name isn’t your thing, an initial is a subtler way to make a piece feel personal. Choose one letter, add multiple initials or go for a signet you can engrave now (and potentially add to later).

Or Wear Their Birthstone

“I want a ring with my baby's birthstone—an heirloom to pass onto them one day,” one Babylist parent wrote in our newsletter poll. A baby’s birthstone is another way to mark their arrival without going quite as literal as a name or initial. Choose a charm you can add to a favorite chain, a ring for your everyday stack or a piece you can build on if your family grows.

Add a Ring to Your Stack

A few Babylist parents said something like, “Another wedding band.” Adding another band to your wedding stack can be a sweet way to commemorate this new chapter for your family. Go classic enough to wear every day or choose something a little different that makes your whole stack feel new again. Or wear it solo on your right hand if adding to your wedding stack isn’t your thing.

Splurge on Elevated Loungewear

There’s regular loungewear, and then there’s loungewear that makes spending most of the day at home feel significantly more luxurious. “Cute set that’s easy to nurse in and pretty enough to wear all day long,” one Babylist parent suggested in our poll. Think beautiful robes, really good pajamas and other pieces you probably wouldn’t buy for yourself but will be very happy someone else did.

Get the Really Good Bag

A really good bag is the kind of thing you’ll use for years but may have a hard time justifying as an everyday purchase—which makes it pretty perfect push present material. Babylist parents mentioned luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Goyard in our poll, but your dream bag definitely doesn’t need a designer label. Here are a few we’d happily unwrap.

Get the Thing You’ve Been Eyeing

There’s probably something that’s been sitting on your wishlist for a while, and becoming a parent is as good an excuse as any to finally get it. Maybe it’s really good headphones, a Kindle for late-night reading or the gaming system you’ve been talking yourself out of buying. Babylist parents had all of the above on their lists, along with beauty tools, smartwatches and other fun upgrades that are decidedly for them—not baby.

Get the Fancy Kitchen Thing

While jewelry and luxe gifts are nice, really good coffee is, too. Babylist parents told us they’d happily take everything from an espresso machine to a Ninja Creami—and we’ve even heard of a wheel of cheese making an appearance as a push present. The point? The best gift is the thing you would be genuinely excited to get.

Pick Something Just for You

Becoming a parent is a pretty major identity shift, but you’re still you. A push present can be a good excuse to invest in something you love just because you love it—whether that’s a really nice set of paints, supplies for a favorite hobby or something that helps you get back to doing more of what makes you feel like yourself.

Plan Something You Can’t Wrap

Not every push present has to come in a box. Just ask the Babylist parents we polled:

  • “A shot of good bourbon and a sushi boat!”

  • “A spa day, and/or a margarita! Lol”

A special dinner, a weekend away, concert tickets or even a class for something you’ve always wanted to try can be a meaningful way to mark this new chapter. Pick something that feels like a treat to you—whether that means going all out or simply having something fun to look forward to. 

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