The Blessingway is a unique alternative to the traditional baby shower.

The
Blessingway is a unique alternative
to the traditional baby shower

The blessingway is a Native American tradition focuses on the
mother-to-be
as she moves forward toward motherhood.  This type of
celebration differs from a traditional baby shower, in which the guests
focus
on the arrival of the new baby.

Baby shower guests look forward to playing games, getting party favors,
and watching the guest
of honor open all the gifts.  But these activities are
traditionally not part of a
blessingway celebration.

Instead, the guests focus on giving the mom-to-be as much
support as possible during her pregnancy.  Obviously, this
type of celebration is much more spiritual in nature.

For some, this type of celebration is more relevant than a
baby shower because, though it is important to recognize and rejoice in
the birth of a baby, it is also important to recognize and pay tribute
to the journey the soon-to-mom had to take in order for the baby to be
born.

So, exactly what goes on at this unique ceremony? As I’ve said
earlier, the guests usually don’t play games or share funny pregnancy
stories. But the ceremony is still meant to be enjoyable.

Below are some common activities that take place during this
special occasion. All of these activities are meant to be meaningful to
the
mom-to-be, as they focus on recognizing her role in the coming of new
life and supporting her during her pregnancy.

Make a birth bead necklace – This is not to
be used a just a nice piece of jewelry. Its purpose is to surround the
mother and new baby with best wishes from their loved ones. Ask each
guest to write down two wishes – one for the mother during labor and
one for the new baby. During the blessingway, each guest will take
turns stringing a bead on the necklace, and each bead will represent a
wish. You can use any color combination, but lots of people use one
color bead to represent wishes for the mom, and another color to
represent wishes for the new baby.

Candle lighting – This activity is similar
to the necklace task, except that each guest will light a candle as
they say a wish or prayer for the mom-to-be. After all candles have
been lit, they can be placed somewhere in the room and remain lit
during the rest of the blessingway.

Creating/decorating a belly cast – Here’s
one activity that can also be done at a baby shower as well. Some new
moms like the idea of a belly cast because it’s a great visual reminder
of her carrying the baby. The easiest way to make one is to simply buy
a kit either online or from a craft or maternity store.

If you decide to have a blessingway celebration, you are
certainly in for a unique experience. Both the mom-to-be and the guests
will have the opportunity to bond with and support each other. If you
have already participated in this unique celebration and would like to
share your
experiences, please click
here
to share your story.

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