Blessingways

Blessingway Facilitation
$60 ($30 for Gentle Beginnings Doula Clients) – 1 Hour

Prenatal support is empowering to women, and positive environments not only affect the mother emotionally, but the mother and child physically.  A modern-day Blessingway is essentially a mother-centered baby shower, focusing on positive motivation and support for the mother for the birth of her child.  It can be catered to fit the style of any mother, including as much of, or as little of, traditional Blessingway aspects as one wishes and we encourage Blessingway clients to talk with us about ideas that really cater to your personal situation.  For full details on a custom (or traditional) Blessingway, Contact Crysta with Gentle Beginnings.

Traditional Blessingways were held as a celebration to honor and bless the mother as she begins her journey into motherhood.  Ancient blessingway traditions, with Native American development, were thought to provide healing, harmony, and peace for various transitional periods of life.

Ideas & Considerations

• Guest Lists
  Guests to a Blessingway should not be every friend and member of the family.  Consider carefully selecting those attending that would bring the most positive support to this environment including friends, family, care providers/birth team…etc. 
• Blessings/Prayers/Poems/Mantras
  This is an easy way to incorporate endearing thoughts from each of the guests.  They can be combined with candle lighting, or beads, or simply on their own.  If guests do not have them written down, someone may want to consider writing them in a keepsake journal.  Mantras can be used as a relaxation ritual during the mother’s birthing tiem.
• Bellycasting
  This can be a fun, and memorable, addition to any Blessingway.  Casts created prior to a blessingway can be decorated by guests, filled with memorabilia during a Blessings reading…etc.  For more information, visit the Bellycastings section.
• Beads
  Guests can be asked to select or make a bead, with the mother in mind, and they are strung for the mother to have near her during her birthing time, reminding her of this postive ceremony, and her support system.
• Lighting Candles
  There are a variety of options for candle lighting – including a central candle that lights guest candles, and then the guests take their candles with them to light during the mother’s birthing time. 
• Pampering
  Foot/Hand bath and a massage, or brushing the mother’s hair can be very relaxing and supportive – and a nice addition to the ceremony.
• Planned Postpartum
  This can include having guests bring a freezable meal for the family during the postpartum period, creating a help list (flexible schedule) of people who are interested in offering support postpartum…etc.