In the time I’ve had my infant massage business, I’ve learned so much about the pregnancy and postpartum world. One thing I learned about from another mompreneur was the Mother’s Blessing, inspired by the Navajo community. The Mother’s Blessing is an alternative to the traditional baby shower and is a time when an expecting mama is surrounded by her closest friends and family to honor the life that is within her and to support her in the journey. There isn’t a registry or baby shower games or opening of gifts that guests bring for the baby.
It’s a special time to understand the dreams and wishes of mama for her baby, time to talk about fears and worries, and time to pamper her.
Once I heard about this beautiful ritual, I knew I wanted to have it for my next child and to throw one for my good friend, who was pregnant at the time.
My Friend’s Blessing
My friend’s blessing was so special as she was able to celebrate with friends from all stages of her life, who had traveled to town to celebrate. There were college friends, graduate school friends, childhood friends, and adult friends. We had the intimate blessing at home, hosted by a woman who taught yoga and who hosts Mother’s Blessings. It was followed by a more traditional shower for a bigger group at a tea shop. My friend enjoyed a rose petal foot soak, massage, and nourishing food. We shared some fears we have as parents, which brought many of us tears. Then, we had a thread ceremony tying us all together as mothers, women, and sisters. Then, we wrote down our wishes for baby on a banner, which the mother would hang on the crib. We laughed and danced. It was wonderful to experience.
My Blessing
Fast forward to 2020 when I was pregnant with my second child and, of course, in the throes of a global pandemic. Needless to say, when I learned about my pregnancy, I reached out to my friend, who had one herself, and asked her to host one for me. She invited seven of my closest girlfriends to a wooded park on a sunny, Saturday afternoon in the fall (Piscataway/Nacotchtank land). Given the pandemic, we had to be outdoors and masked and couldn’t touch one another.
We laughed together, cried together, and felt closer than we did when we arrived, especially because we were all going through a global pandemic together. The ceremony including some reflective writing, meditation, and reading. It also included the making of a necklace for me and bracelets for themselves with a stone that resonated with each of them. The idea is that I would wear this during labor and postpartum and it’s my favorite. They also wrote notes and affirmations for me to post up during my birthing to remind me of my strength. When I go into labor, they would all light their candles, which they did. I often looked at the book of notes they gave me, when times were difficult in postpartum, to get me through.
If you want to have your own Mother’s Blessing, know that you can customize or tailor your blessing to what means the most to you. For me, I love massage and touch, but because of the pandemic, I had to forgo those. Otherwise, the affirmations and readings and necklace they made for me was exactly what I needed.
Here are some ideas to make your blessing special:
- Henna design on your bump
- Beaded necklace made by friends
- Red or purple string on everyone’s wrist to wear until birth
- Letters to mom or baby
- Note cards with strengths and note on back
- Crystals
- Messages on hemp and strung together for nursery
- Foot soak
- Hand massage
- Dancing
- Back rub
- Distribution of candles to everyone to light when you go into in labor
- Nourishing food
- Meditation
- Flowers
- Music
I remember at both my friend’s Blessing and mine that we both felt so cared for and loved, which is how a mama should feel. Our friends commented on how they wished they had something similar during their pregnancies or that they would love to do a blessing monthly even without having an expecting mama. You can still have the traditional baby shower that you’ve always wanted but consider having a Mother’s Blessing to honor the transformation that you are and will be going through. After all, it’s the biggest one of your life.
Are you expecting? Reach out on how I can support you in having a Mother’s Blessing.
