Well you could tell your Canadian friend that we have a British custom where people buy presents for the baby after it is born. We don't have to follow every American/Canadian trend and when in Rome........................
maybe instead of spending loads of money buying stuff for baby, who will get loads of presents when its born, why not spoil mum to be, my brother bought me a beauty treatment of my choice when i was pregnant, it was the first time i'd ever been to a beauty salon and it was lovely and relaxing before the hard work started!