Mother's Blessing

Jaz and I recently helped host a Mother's Blessing for a friend and it turned out to be a really beautiful, wonderful experience for the mama and all involved. It was a day of pampering Alyx, belly casting, and sharing stories of strength and guidance.

Mother's Blessings can be alternatives to the traditional shower, or supplemental to them. There are some unique traditions to be made up and some long-standing ones to be celebrated during the event. There are no gifts to buy, but the time spent helping the mother prepare for the journey she will soon take is worth so much.

For Alyx's ceremony, we made an intentions banner and left it blank for everyone to fill in with pictures, drawings, affirmations, and messages to mama and baby for labor. Alyx can bring the banner to the hospital on the birth day and hang it in the room for some added cheer and to remind her that although she is the only one that can deliver this new life into the world, she is not alone.

These ceremonies are really about celebrating the journey of motherhood and honoring this mama's entry into the world of motherhood. There are no set guidelines for these events, but some wonderful activities could be cooking food to freeze for the postpartum period, belly casting or painting,  belly henna, giving mama a massage and a foot bath, sharing birth stories, writing and sharing affirmations, making a calming birth playlist together, making a quilt or afghan for mama and baby, or sharing beads or other collected items for a labor necklace. The possibilities are endless! Just get creative and think of ways that you can show the new mama you care!