Me again! I still need help with my baby shower...

[TeniBear]

Right, I've already asked for help with my baby shower/blessingway invitations in another thread (here). I've got the baby shower bit planned out, but now I'm a bit stuck on the "blessingway" side of things.

First... I want to include the making of a birthing necklace/thread by getting people to bring along beads for me (or sending them if they're not coming) but I'm not sure how I'd put that in the invitation. It's already wordy enough as it is.
ETA: I've decided on the wording, it popped into my head so I put it in:

All invitees are invited to bring along or post a bead to add to Tenielle’s “birth necklace” that she will wear during birthing. These are to symbolise your good intentions towards both Tenielle and the new baby.

Second... I don't really know what other mother-focussed things I can do. I've never been to a blessingway before, so I don't really know what to do. It's always been about giving a ton of plastic stuff to a cousin and guessing how big her belly is while sipping fake champagne and trying not to kill myself and/or my screeching aunties.

Third... I'm serious, do any Vic ladies want to come? I'd much prefer to have you all there to thicken the crowd with people I actually like and who get what's going on during the "non-plasticky" things I've already invited a couple of you on FB, but I can't remember who's Victorian and who's not...

[boomba]

Why dont you organise a body painter to come and paint your belly? Maybe ask everyone to sit in a circle and ask them to give a blessing to you and bubs? A foot ritual is really nice too so getting the woman who attend wash and massage your feet?

Good luck i am sure it will be lovely xx

[~Lashes~]

just want to wish you good luck! (secretly subscribing aswell, but shhh!)

[sconeonamission]

plastic-y things?

I like non-alcoholic champagne.... Shame I'm not in Vic, I'd be there!

my 2 cents , so please don't take it the wrong way - I don't like the words "birthing" or "intentions" in your wording. they just sound... out of place. I can't think of any substitutes. I'll have a think about it

The necklace is a great idea!

[allycat06]

Someone to Henna your belly?
It looks pretty

[TeniBear]

I can't afford to get someone out to do anything like that, nice as it would be

"Plasticky" is the closest I can get to how my cousins' showers have been. Just kinda fake and like no-one really cares... I dunno, just icky.


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[PumpkinZulu]

You could just buy a pot of henna, a few cheap brushes and print out some cool tribally looking stencils, and everyone can have a god at painting your belly. Oh and make a belly cast everyone can paint!

[TeniBear]

Oh and make a belly cast everyone can paint!

Geez we must think alike... that's what the "messy activity" is that I've mentioned in the invitations I'm going to do a cast the day before so we can all paint it on the day - not that I see my hoity toity s**ts of aunties and cousins doing it. (Okay, by that I mean four aunties and one cousin - the rest of the ones invited aren't really that bad and most like the non-mainstreamy stuff.)

[*Sparklez*]

oh my gosh ur baby shower sounds like it is going to be absolutlely beautiful!!!
congrats hunni i hope u have an awesome and inspirational day!! u are more than deserving of it..
wish i could give some advice to u but i dont have any lol (still got baby brain sorry lol)

[starangelk]

Teni, this sounds lovely

I've never been to a blessingway either but I have read that they are really lovely and the one I read about said they all sat around in a circle and blessed each bead as they put them on the necklace and said what they hoped for in the life of the child to be born. I hope everyone really gets into it for you I think the invitations are important as they set the tone and make everyone aware that you aren't just after a "plasticy" baby shower.

Other mother focused things.......hmmmmm..........what about having everyone write down something they admire about you and you can keep these and read them in the early stages of labour? Just an idea, probably a silly one

[Deedles]

I have been to a close friends blessing way and it was beautiful. I am not sure just how spiritual or out there you want your experience to be, but here are a few things that we did at hers.

We each brought a bead for the birthing/breastfeeding necklace and had a circle where we all held hands and had a moment silence where we put our positive energy into the beads. Then as we were threading the beads on the necklace we each said a few words to the expectant mother and gave her our blessing.

Each of us brought a candle as well and then from the master candle the expectant mother had, we lit each of our candles. When we found out she was in labour we each lit the candle and thought about her at that moment (obviously only if we were home or able to),also she now is onto her second candle that was lit from the first candle and will burn forever from the same flame.

Also, We all added to a photo album a photo and a blessing. Can be used to get support and strength from in the final days of her labour and during labour. you can keep it as a keepsake for the baby.

We also had moment where we acknowledged that this was her second child as her first was a miscarriage at 10 weeks and had a moment where we spoke about that. Though it depends on how you feel.

I know it may be a bit out there but that was my experience of one. I also helped her out organizing it and looked on the net for some ideas. There are many out there!
I hope that helped a bit.