Baby Shower? Consider the Blessingway Ceremony!

Honoring  Sacred Pregnancy, Birth and Motherhood and New Life

 

See the mother within your heart and thoughts. Labor for love of her, draw others to her by your own example. Create the atmosphere of divine harmony and receptivity  she cannot resist, then you will have her form as well as the blessings of her formless self. Those who labor thus are the dearest of the dear to The Divine Mother.”

— The Divine Mother, Sri Daya Mata

ABOUT THE BLESSING CEREMONY

Throughout human history, and in all cultures and times, a woman’s journey through pregnancy and childbirth has been revered and honored as a unique, special and sacred journey. In many cultures, during the period of pregnancy and childbirth and the weeks just after birth, this vulnerable and sacred time is protected and blessed by ritual and ceremony by the woman’s family and community. Today, American women are beginning to rediscover the sacredness of pregnancy and childbirth and wish to create their own special ceremonies to celebrate and honor their journey into motherhood.

The Blessingway  Ceremony is an alternative to or in conjunction with a Baby Shower or Baby Christening given to a pregnant woman to prepare her for a Sacred Childbirth, or as a Baby Naming Ceremony. It can be customized to any religious or spiritual tradition.  We will plan your whole event and handle all the details of your Baby Shower/Blessing Ceremony from start to finish.

This ceremony is derived from a Navajo fertility rite; borrowing elements from Native American, African, and other religious traditions, while respecting the original culture from which the tradition is derived.  Unique elements (songs, prayers, liturgy, chants, scripture, etc.) can be added to the ceremony and the ceremony can be done appropriately within the religious or spiritual tradition of each family. No matter  what form the ceremony takes, the purpose is to surround the pregnant woman or new mother (and sometimes father and siblings) with support from extended family and community and to help  transform fears about childbirth and/or motherhood into trust and confidence. . For women who have had a prior traumatic birth, this ceremony can help alleviate anxiety and worry about the upcoming birth. For first time mothers, it can help reinforce the belief in childbirth as a normal and miraculous event, and help garner community support for her birthing goals. Makes a beautiful and unique addition to the conventional baby shower. Or, it can be done as a Baby Blessing or Naming Ceremony.

 

Here is what we offer:

• PLANNING THE CEREMONY – We will help you plan your ceremony, helping you choose an appropriate setting (your
  

  Henna Tattoo Belly Art can be created

• home, yard, sanctuary, spiritual center, church, temple, etc.)

• INVITE GUESTS – Create unique, customized invitations for your family and friends.
• CREATE SACRED SPACE – We will create a sacred space for the ceremony (decorate and adorn the space, transforming the environment from ordinary to sacred).
• CONDUCT THE CEREMONY – We will facilitate the ceremony including your friends and family in nurturing the pregnant
  

  A Pregnant Belly Cast can be made and then mother and/or guests can decorate it

   woman, new mother (and possibly the father and siblings if desired); ideas include: henna pregnant belly tattoo, plaster of Paris belly casting, floating the pregnant woman in a hot tub, foot massage, adornment and braiding of her hair, etc. Scripture, music and text from your religious or spiritual tradition. For baby naming ceremony, planting the placenta beneath a new tree can be incorporated into this section. 

• HELP YOU WORK THROUGH FEARS – As childbirth educators, midwives, doulas and mothers ourselves,  we support women to work through their fears and surrender to the birth process and new motherhood.
• INCLUDE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS – We will encourage your friends and family to give you a “gift from the heart”; instead of store-bought baby items, we recommend hand-made gifts such as: floral hair wreaths, bouquet of flowers, necklaces of gem stones, original poems, songs, dances, artwork, etc..
• CONCLUDE THE CEREMONY – Conclude the ceremony with your community surrounding you in love and support; afterwards, a traditional baby shower could follow with store-bought gifts and food.
• MAKE REFERRALS- we can refer you to henna tattoo artists, musicians, photographers,  etc., to make your day special and memorable.
  

 

FEES

Range: $500-1500.00. The fee for our service depends upon several factors. We can create invitations and send them out, prepare food or coordinate catering, decorate the space and facilitate the ceremony (including Belly Casting or Henna Belly Art), or, the parents can handle the food and invites and we can do just the ceremony, coordinating the musicians, providing decorations, and leading  the ceremony.

 

 

The ceremony can be customized to the family’s spiritual and religious and cultural traditions.

Questions? Please contact us at (626) 388-2191 or Email: inquiry@motherbabysupport.net