It is no coincidence that the popularity of Blessingway ceremonies is growing at the same time that midwife assisted natural birth and homebirth rates are rising. Preparing for natural childbirth involves the nurturing of the mother’s body, mind, and spirit. Many women choose a Blessingway because they feel the need to surround themselves with positive energy and support as they prepare for their birth.
What is a Blessingway ceremony? The term “Blessingway” comes from an ancient rite-of-passage ceremony in the Native American Navajo tradition. It is a celebration of sisterhood, during which women gather to honor and support a new mother’s journey through birth and into motherhood.
Why would someone choose this over a traditional baby shower? The main difference between the two is this: a baby shower tends to focus on the baby and giving gifts to prepare the new mom for her newborn’s arrival, while a blessing way tends to focus more on the mother and her pregnancy and birth experience. Both aspects are important to an expecting mother, and I see no reason why they should be mutually exclusive…
Do you give gifts at a Blessingway? While I was helping to plan my sisters’ blessingway ceremonies, we decided to ask the guests to bring an unwrapped gift. This served two purposes: a lot less waste with no wrapping paper to deal with… but most importantly, it allowed us to spend quality time and really connect with the mom-to-be. She was able to relax and be pampered for a while, instead of having to open gifts for hours! We set up a sort of shrine with everyone’s generous gifts, so we all got a chance to “oooh” and “aaah” at our leisure while we enjoyed spending time together.
If you’re not opening gifts, then what do you do at a Blessingway? There are so many ways to shower a new mom with love and make her feel special. For my sister-in-law’s Blessingway, we had a drum circle that spanned 3 generations of women, all together with mom and baby, all of us sharing one heartbeat. For my sister’s ceremony, we had her sit back and put her feet up while she had henna art painted on her pregnant belly. While she relaxed, each of us took turns showering her with our blessings, and an offering for her Birth Bead Necklace.
What is a Birth Bead Necklace? This is when all the guests are asked to bring a bead to the ceremony, and each woman gives the mother their bead along with a blessing or prayer. They are then all strung together onto a necklace, symbolizing the circle of strength and support surrounding her during labor and birth. Birth jewelry can be a powerful focal point during labor, and then becomes a sacred heirloom for the mother to cherish always.
