Baby Showers, Blessingways and Birth Preparation

The entrance of my twin girls to this world was like a summer storm, we saw it coming on the horizon but the full impact could not be determined, predicted or contained. They burst into our lives with such a great force that a baby shower was the last thing on anyone's mind. Instead of celebrating we survived. Each person came forward with their own gifts and offerings to our little girls, individual dinners and visits were welcomed and cherished. During this time I did feel sad that there was nothing traditional about their birth, that I didn't have a baby shower or the normal newborn experience but I was so happy to be a mother, finally, that I let it all go and enjoyed my little ones.

This time around I wanted the celebrations, the party, the cooing over my big belly and the blessings and support of my dear friends. I was the happy recipient of both a baby shower and a Blessingway.  The baby shower was held by my dear friend Bethany. We go way back to the days of pleated plaid school skirts, really bad hair and band instruments that never should have been shoved on a bus! She did the most amazing party for me, every detail was thought out and everyone there saw her decorations and preparations with awe. But it was not the actual party that stood out to me the most, it was having my dear friends who I rarely see all in the same room at the same time. We played games and had many giggles along with a few tears of joy and when I finally went home I felt so blessed to have so many wonderful women in my life.

Birth art created by myself

The Blessingway was a different type of celebration. It is a Native American ceremony that takes the focus off of gifts and places it on to the wonderment of birth. Each Blessingway is different and has different ceremonies, mine had the bead ceremony. Each woman brings a bead that represents herself, she tells the expecting mother why the bead represents her journey to motherhood or the significance. The honored mother then makes a necklace out of the beads or puts them on display in the birth area to remind her of all the women who made this journey before her and that each one of them is offering prayer and support during labor. I took the bead from my mother and a very special bead from a very good friend and wove them together in a necklace. From that day I have worn the necklace as a reminder that birth is coming and to mentally center myself. The other beads were lovingly placed in a special bowl for the birth environment, I will be able to take them out individually during labor to focus on that person's prayers. 

Since these two celebrations I have been centering myself for birth. I wear the necklace as well as some prayer beads daily. I also took time to create some birth art to use as a focal point in labor. The next thing I will do is have my mother help me paint henna on my belly and hands. Each day that passes I know I am closer to the birth experience I always wanted and I feel the excitement building. In a way this baby has helped me come full circle, my twin daughters made me a mother but through this child I will get a full birth experience. I feel truly blessed and very grateful.