PLACENTA TREE MIDWIFERY
A Natural Maternity Care, for a Natural Way of Birthing.
THE BLESSING WAY:
A blessing way is a special ceremony where close family and friends gather at the pregnant woman's house to honor her and the coming baby. Guests are usually also asked to bring a few special items to give to the mother, some people decide to this blessing way at the baby shower or as a separate ceremony. Some of these things might be a special bead, which would be strung along with everyone else's and made into a bracelet that mom can wear during labor in reminder of everyone's wishes/strength are with her. It could be one bead for mom and one for baby. Sometimes a seed is brought to represent something special, such as a quality the mother has or to tell a metaphorical story of strength, or to just plant in the backyard. Also a special item to place on the blanket. This item might represent the woman's own birth that was positive for her, or something special that gave them strength, a gift or a blessing for the baby written as a poem, or shared with everyone as the bead is placed on the necklace, and last but not least food for the feast after the ceremony is also a welcome gift.
"Life only demands from you the strength you possess."
~~~David Hammarskjold
The first thing to start the ceremony is to have every woman smudged with a combination of sage, sweet grass, cedar and lavender. This will cleanse the energy and prepare the woman for the sacredness of the ceremony. At this time either the woman's mother, sister, closest friend, midwife or Doula would place the pregnant woman in a soft chair or cushion and her hair is taken out and brushed lovingly. Her hair is then rearranged into a different style and perhaps flowers are added for beauty. This is to symbolize the change that she will be going through when she becomes a mother.
A belly cast could be done at this time to preserve her pregnant form, and when waiting for it to be dried out you could next have her feet washed in a bowl of water and lavender flowers and essential oils. This is to represent a washing away of all her fears. After the washing the feet are dried off and placed in a bowl of soft cornmeal, there is nothing more wonderful than to have your feet massaged by loving hands with cornmeal! This prepares her feet for the long journey ahead of her. During this time there is much singing and drumming by all of the woman gathered, or you can play which ever music makes the mood in the room right for everyone. Next, the pregnant woman might choose to have her belly painted or perhaps a henna design might be used instead, after washing away very well the remainings from the belly casting, the henna is more permanent , lasting up to three weeks, and can be a delightful reminder of the night!
Belly dancing is a fun way to close the ceremony, or chanting to draw energy . Either way a blessing way is truly a unique and spiritual way to honor mother and baby. After the ceremony sometimes dads, partners and kids would be invited to the feast. At this time blessings for baby can be offered by the men and children, they can be hung on a special tree or hung inside for the couple to remember the evening by.LESSINGWAY
