[flagem2]

Our birthmother is due in Sept. The agency she works with suggested that we bring her some shampoo, soap, lotion etc to the hospital.

I have no problem doing this, but is this the norm? I do not want to insult our birth mother. We are planning on bringing flowers and have bought a beautiful necklace for her and the baby (once she gets older).

I just haven't heard of this. Has anyone else done this for their birth mother??

[Magic_Hat]

I have heard of that but not as in bring her toiletries cause she might not have them but more like bring her some really nice stuff that she could use to pamper herself like nice lotion, foot cream, etc. But you already have nice gifts picked out so I don't think you need to do it in addition to what you are already bringing (unless the agency knows something I don't and this person really needs you to bring her toiletries, in which case, go ahead).

[mommyhood]

Our social worker suggested flowers, which we brought, but we also gave her a necklace as well. We did not bring toiletries, we also gave a gift certificate to a local restaurant when we came home after finalization for the birth family to celebrate our little girls baptism.

[disenchantedystopia]

I have no idea what is "standard" practice, but speaking as a birthmother who just jack squat, not even flowers, I will say that I think any kind of gift would be a nice gesture and wouldn't be taken as an insult. I really like mommyhood's idea of the matching necklaces. If you do choose to give her something, I wouldn't worry over it too much. Just anything with a little thought that you actually care and it's not just like "thanks for the kid, bye now".


*EDIT: Just re-read your post and saw the due date of Sept, so sorry that this isn't any help for you! But I will leave the post regardless, in case others see the topic and are looking for an answer to this question.