Mother Blessing

This is a gathering of your nearest and dearest, (usually) female friends. The idea is similar to a baby shower, but the focus is on nurturing you, the mother-to-be, and helping you to prepare for the big changes and challenges ahead, within a loving circle of friends.

 

This can be organised as a complete surprise between myself and one of your friends or family members, or you can have full say in all that we do on the day. The day may include some of the following elements, but none are compulsory!

 

  • Nurturing massage

  • Singing songs together/playing gentle music

  • A small ceremony to honour all that you leave behind in becoming a mother

  • Small simple gifts

  • Poems/readings to be read out

  • Making a necklace or bracelet – everyone brings a bead to thread

  • Making decorations for your birthing room

  • Writing our wishes/prayers/blessings for your baby's life

  • Creating a beautiful centre piece that represents gentle birth & motherhood

  • Belly painting – with henna or washable body paints (pregnancy friendly of course!)

  • A shared feast before or after – everyone brings a dish, and someone brings cake!

  • Creating a meal rota for the first weeks of motherhood to support your new family

  • Many more ideas available and welcome


This is of course something that you and your friends can do together and you may not need anybody to facilitate it. If however you feel you would like me to help to arrange and guide the afternoon, I would be honoured to be a part of your special day.

I have many years of experience in leading and participating in women's circles, creating small, but profound ceremonies to honour our many different stages of life. More recently I have led numerous Mother Blessings (also known as blessingways) for close friends as they move into motherhood for the first, second or third time. I feel very strongly that the most important day of a woman's life is the day she becomes a mother, and she needs to have a loving community around her to show that they understand the highs and lows associated with this enormous life change, and that they will be there, at her side to offer practical, loving and non-judgemental support. This is no different whether she is already a mother of one, two or more children – her need for support only grows with the number of children she has!


 

Testimonial

I am not alone in my pregnancy, my partner is very present with me. I come down from a nap or a bath to dinner cooked and he does the dishes too. I have supportive friends  most with small children too. However, as I entered my third trimester I felt so alone. So much was changing for me as my body was becoming less and less able. My sister arranged a gathering for me and I was delighted, I looked forward to it for weeks having no idea what she would do. Laura arrived as a surprise. As soon as I saw her I knew she would host the most beautiful ceremony for me and she certainly did. I felt so held and nourished by the afternoon. Whenever I feel lonely now I think back to the support I felt that day and the reassurances from the women, that it is a big change, becoming a mother!! I am so grateful to Laura for holding this space for me to be looked after and loved. During the ceremony I was filled with gratitude that this was for me and sadness that some women don’t have this....  all women journeying into motherhood should have a day like this!!

Thank you Laura!!
~ Rose Cherry

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My offering includes:

 

  • a one off meeting with yourself and/or the person organising your celebration at a mutually convenient location

  • any phone/email communication leading up to it (you will be in charge of inviting your friends, I will send you/your organising person information to pass on to all invitees, including optional poems and readings to choose from)

  • Early arrival on the day to set up the space (this is a place of your choosing – usually your home, or a friend's)

  • I will bring beautiful fabrics to decorate the room, and all things required for our time together (though I will ask your friends to each bring things to contribute also)

  • 2 -3 hours circle time, plus an hour of feasting and chatting before or afterwards

 

The total cost is £150. 

50% to be paid at the time of booking, the remainder to be paid 48 hours before the event.

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Please feel free to call me or email me to discuss anything regarding this Celebration.

Background image with thanks to: www.josiegrittenphotography.com