Shower and "Meet the Baby" Question

QueenofAnything

Here's some background: my mother is throwing a shower for me (customary in the area in which my family lives). Usually, everyone in my family meets the baby at a baptism/christening, which we will not be doing as H and I are atheist. Several of my family members are pretty upset about this, not because of the religious aspect, but because they want to see the baby and H and I live 3 hours away. Therefore, I'm thinking of doing a "Meet the Baby" party in my family's area when LO is a few months old. All of the women who would come to said party will have attended the shower.

My question is this: if you were invited to a shower and then a "Meet the Baby" party, would you feel compelled to bring a gift to both? I don't know why I'm so bothered by it. I don't want people to feel like they should bring gifts, but if it was a christening, they would so I shouldn't feel bad about gifts. I KNOW a cheesy line on the invitation like "Your presence is the only gift we need" is super tacky. I guess I just don't want to seem gift grabby. I don't want my family to get invites to this party and be like "Jeez, we have to buy QoA ANOTHER present?"

EastCoastBride

To me, meet the baby parties are NOT gift giving events.  Yes, people may still bring a small little something, but it's not like a shower where it's expected.

ETA: if it really concerns you,though, then don't make it an official party.  Or just have a BBQ w/ a casual aside of "oh- and the baby will of course be there!"

PunkyBooster

EastCoastBride:

To me, meet the baby parties are NOT gift giving events.  Yes, people may still bring a small little something, but it's not like a shower where it's expected.

ETA: if it really concerns you,though, then don't make it an official party.  Or just have a BBQ w/ a casual aside of "oh- and the baby will of course be there!"

I agree.

I wouldn't feel "compelled" to bring a gift, but probably would, just because I love buying baby gifts. It'd be something very small- a cute little rattle or an outfit for the summer (or winter, whichever is the opposite season the baby was born). 

dufferoo

Close friends will usually bring you a gift to your shower and then another one when they come meet the baby for the first time, whether you have an official party or not. Less close friends will probably do one or the other. No biggie.

rhubarb123

We had our annual BBQ and threw in a "Meet the Baby" at teh same time.  We had 80 or so people there and I'd say we got about 20 or so gifts.  We did not open them while guests were there (except some stragglers that wanted to watch) and when people came and brought at gift we just put it off to the side in another room.  I would not worry about it at all and don't worry about putting anything on the invite about not bringing a gift.  On our BBQ/Welcome Baby Invite we just said the only thing they needed to bring was their own alcohol (if they wanted) and sunscreen.