Gifts from clients

[shelldar]

I just went for my first post natal visit with my first ever client on Saturday.

It was lovely, and mum and bub are doing well. I was quite worried about them as the birth was nothing like she planned and ended in an emergency c/s, but they both seem to be thriving.

As I was about to leave, she said "Oh, wait, I have a gift for you" and gave me a massive bag full of goodies. It had a lovely card and some photos of the bub, a huge gift box full of body lotions, bath stuff, massagers etc, a bottle of expensive perfume , a really nice bottle of red wine, and some bath crayons for my kids!!

I was just blown away at the gesture, as I really didn't expect anything. She was one of those people who was really not touchy feely, and I was not sure she was happy with the service I gave her. But her words in the card were so nice, and obviously she was happy with me after all!!

So it got me thinking,just for fun, for those of you who have attended lots of births, what sort of gifts have clients given you?, what was your favourite?, what do you tend to get lots of?

[dorothyh]

The best gift, by far, is when clients write me notes or send cards telling me how much I helped them.

Other gifts (also much appreciated!!!) have included:

cash
Barnes and Noble gift card
Bath and Body Works-type products
a flowerpot and seeds
a CD of the music one client used during her birth - I had mentioned that I really liked it
a lead crystal clock
Willow Tree pregnant figurine

My most unusual gift - chili-covered mangos from Trader Joes. I had seen a Trader Joes bag in their home during a prenatal visit and mentioned how there wasn't one near me, and then we got to talking about Trader Joes products and I mentioned that I LOVED their chili-covered mangos...and they remembered!!

You take a Tricuit, a slice of chili mango, a piece of cheese on top, 15 seconds under the broiler...it's a little slice of heaven.

[Jilian]

I usually get gifts, and it is really sweet of the mamas to do it, it makes me feel special but I never expect it. I've gotten lotions, soaps, massage oils, a GC for a massage, beautiful hand-written thank yous, letters of reference, books for my library, pics of birth and baby, and this last birth I attended I got lots of pregnancy/pp stuff because I'm pregnant.

The thing I get most often is lotions, and I love them. My fave gifts are the hand written thanks yous and pictures of the baby. I keep them on my birth board in my office.

[RAnderson]

I once got a French coffee press and 2 bags of expensive coffee!

Other than that just a little card saying that I made a difference is the best thing I"ve gotten.

[heathenmamaof5]

a $100 American Express gift card with strict instructions the money be spent on me

Books for my libarary
a fetoscope
cards, cards, cards whcih are the best!
refrence letters
I'm often tipped
My hair dyed and cut for the rest of my life. This includes weddings, proms, graduations, etc Yep she's now family! That's the best gift, becoming true freinds

that's all I can think of right now

[midoula]

I just got a gift card for a local restaurant and the movie theater so that my husband and I could go out after all the time I spent with them that took away from my family. I thought that was very thoughtful.

[ferndoula]

Lotions and bath and body stuff seems to be popular, and very much enjoyed by my family! My Favorite favorite gift was from a woman I worked with who was from Eritrea, in Africa. She cooked me this beautiful feast of foods from her country and made me coffee a special way, the way they make it in Eritrea. It was very elaborate, which was so fun (not necessary of course!) and it really showed me how much she had valued my help.

My oddest? well, a client recently gave me a full 16 piece set of stoneware dishes. And I did not, during my time with this family, ever mention dishes in any way, it was just out of the blue...

[amymaew]

I've gotten a fruit basket, gift cards to the melting pot (which dh and I were going to use for our anniversary but I was at ANOTHER birth - fitting, huh?) and a sushi place, flowers, and lotion. I love them all

[1stimestar]

The best thing I've ever gotten from a client was this ring. It's made with Tibeten coin silver (they melt down coins to get the silver to make their jewlry.) It has the most delicate workings on it I've ever seen. She got it on one of her trips there. This client had a c-section at 42 weeks and 1 day for breech baby. She/we/even her doctor had tried everything to get that baby to turn.

[1stimestar]

Well, you can see it better in the original.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cloud9d...7613220382928/

[DL]

I've gotten restaurant gift cards, flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals with 'Thank You' theme, Willow Tree 'Thank You' angel, Bath & Body Works gift cards, Thank You cards, & hand-written notes. Hand-written cards and notes are my favorite as well!

[sunshine]

a homemade beauty products gift basket, extra $$$, a silk scarf, a little uterus shaped vase, beautiful silver necklace with a little dove, which i wear every day now, a gift certificate to a local resort (the dh really loved that one-we got a weekend away and the gifting family watched our kids), most recently i got a gift certificate for a massage. i'm using it next week

[Nicole E]

At my last birth, the mom gave me a very nice thank-you card and a silver necklace with a butterfly pendant. I was so touched.

[demetria]

I got a $1,000. tip not to long ago at a birth I attended in France. Yes, I cried....lol...
Other gifts have included mostly donations in my name to a charity of my choice.
I have gotten pictures, jewelry, gift certifications. Although it isn't something I expect, it is always so sweet.

[EastWind]

Aside from the beautiful notes I have received, my favorite was the BIG box of Godiva truffles one client gave me. Mmmmm!!!