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March 2019 Moms
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Strange unwanted gifts

mamamac2019mamamac2019 member
in March 2019 Moms
So we all deal with unwanted gifts (and hand-me-downs). And it's gotten much easier to say no, I've got enough of that, or I don't need that. But what do you do when the gift comes from someone close or it is something that takes you off guard? In my case, my mother gave me puppy pads for my bed so that I bleed on that after birth. It made me feel awful and I didn't say anything because she just stuck it in my closet and told me about it later. The more I think about it the more uncomfortable I am with it, and I'd already had a plan for that bleeding.

What do I do about it?
Do you have strange unwanted gifts?
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Re: Strange unwanted gifts

  • meggymemeggyme member
    mamamac2019 said:
    So we all deal with unwanted gifts (and hand-me-downs). And it's gotten much easier to say no, I've got enough of that, or I don't need that. But what do you do when the gift comes from someone close or it is something that takes you off guard? In my case, my mother gave me puppy pads for my bed so that I bleed on that after birth. It made me feel awful and I didn't say anything because she just stuck it in my closet and told me about it later. The more I think about it the more uncomfortable I am with it, and I'd already had a plan for that bleeding.

    What do I do about it?
    Do you have strange unwanted gifts?

    Use them for travel changing pads, give them to someone with a puppy, use them for potty training in 2-3 years...

    The ones I have problems with are the hand crocheted blankets from a friend's boyfriend's mother. Everything else I have little remorse returning, exchanging, or donating.
    DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
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  • 3rdtime_charmed3rdtime_charmed member
    Soooo many blankets. That they expect to be keepsakes for life. I keep telling them we don’t need more blankets!

    [spoiler=TW in signature]

    Me: 36, DH 37.

    August 2014- 6w MMC

    July 2015- CP

    PCOS, plus some medical issues that make me high risk.

    Our rainbow babies are due 3/21!!!!!

    [/spoiler]

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  • meggymemeggyme member
    @3rdtime_charmed it was ridiculous with my June baby. I was like “it’s the middle of summer!!! She can’t sleep with a quilt in her bed! We don’t need 30 crib sized quilts!”
    DD1: June '16 DD2: March ‘19 :::: Married since 2011 :::: USN Wife ::::
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  • stmgsam3stmgsam3 member
    I felt the same way about blankets at first with my 1st baby, but she actually loves them all now that she’s a toddler (mind you I only really kept the ones that were decent quality).  

    I really hate all things girly and pink though and this is my second daughter.  With the first I made it clear that I don’t really care for such things and most people listened, but my mother in law got as much frilly pink clothes and baby essentials as possible for this baby.
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  • dtspmamadtspmama member
    I'm with @meggyme, I have absolutely NO problem returning pretty much anything or sending things to Goodwill (even if they're handmade) unless they're from an immediate family member who's actually going to notice.  My MiL sends gifts to DDs on a near-daily basis, and they almost all go directly to goodwill or consignment (she buys from Zulily so I can't always return).  She lives on the other side of the country and shops so much she has no idea what she even buys (as evidenced by the fact that she's purchased duplicates of things in the past) so I don't feel even a little bad!  You know what you need for yourself and your kid.  Period.
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  • dandpromadeababydandpromadeababy member
    Actually one of my friends uses these puppy pads as an extra layer of protection when changing baby on the sofa so if you want to stash a few in the car or at friends houses where there aren’t other babies and maybe not a great dry place for changing this might be an option. I know how you feel though. We literally got SO MANY duplicates of items from the registry because apparently people didn’t remember to scan it? So glad I didn’t open shower gifts at the shower. Would’ve been awkward as hell. 😂
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  • lovesclimbinglovesclimbing member
    Maybe I'm weird, but I don't find it that strange for your mom to do that? My mom gave me nipple balm and two kinds of stuff for postpartum "down there." I hadn't really thought about getting products to apply to my crotch, and those things were amazing! Currently using them with my second! Will definitely rebuy the same stuff for future babies. 

    If you don't want them, donate them to an animal shelter or a pregnancy center. Save them for when/if you have a pet. Give them to a pregnant friend. 

    With that kind of item, your mom won't know when or if you use it or what you actually use it for. 
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  • little_brenlittle_bren member
    Throw them out, find a use for them, or give them away. No need to be super affected IMO. She was trying to be helpful even if it came off weird.

    Me: 29 / Hubster: 31
    Married July 2010
    DC #1 Oct 2013
    DC #2 EDD June 2016

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