A beautiful alternative or addition to a baby shower

Have you heard the buzz lately about birth blessings? If not, not to worry....cause I have the scoop & its pretty cool.

People are embracing a new Mom ritual called Birth Blessing, Mother Blessing or Blessingway...what ever you call it, its a celebration that is tailored to your personal liking. its centered more on the Mom to be. Its more then opening gifts & focusing on the "must haves" its really about the transition into motherhood. A Birth Blessing is a wonderful opportunity to honor the changes & surround an expecting mother with blessings of love and empowerment that she'll carry with her through birth & into motherhood.

The Blessingway originated from Navajo tradition. The idea is to ensure good luck, good health and blessings. Many people now use this term to mean a celebration of motherhood & pregnancy. Out of respect for the Native American culture, the modern Blessingway does not try to duplicate the Navajo ceremony; rather it appropriates the idea of giving strength to the new mother by building a spiritual community around her. Beyond that, it helps the woman find her own strength and abilities by connecting her with the tradition of motherhood. However, you don't have to consider yourself spiritual or religious to get a powerful, emotional benefit from a Blessingway.

Foods are important to a Blessingway, as is the creation of a birth necklace, bracelet or anklet. This is usually done by asking each attendee to bring a bead. The beads are strung together and the finished product placed on the mother-to-be to give her a concrete symbol of the collective strength of the gathering. Although simple, its influence can be powerful. Mother Blessing is a celebration for a new life. It can be used by anyone, expecting a baby, adopting a baby, or just in need of a celebration of life in general.

Without the silly games, the ooos and ahhs over presents, what do you do?

There are many things that can be done for a Mother Blessing. It can be designed by the mother herself, or whomever chooses to host the "party." Here are some typical activities that you might include at a Mother Blessing: presenting a candle (not any candle), made of natural beeswax. Using Beeswax is an ancient tradition, with bees being a symbol for fertility and love! The candle can be lit while Mom is in labor to help sooth her & think of her friends and family who are supporting & praying for her from a far. Blessing cards are used by friends and family to write personal notes about friendship and love or a random quote to make Mom smile. Usually the cards are strung on a ribbon (garland) & presented to the Mom to be. Many women have fun and share the experience by using henna art to decorate her bump or do a belly cast.

Yes, there are co-ed mother blessings (parent blessings/family blessings). As you would honor and respect the mother, the father is treated the same way.
No matter how you choose to celebrate the birth of a new baby, it is a special occasion. A Birth Blessing is but one way to have this recognition. It is a time to celebrate and rejoice in new life.

O Bambino will be carrying Birth Blessing beads, cards, invitations, and candles to help make your celebration as unique & special as you & your baby. We currently carry belly art & casting kits.

As always if there is something special you cant find - ask us & we are happy to help!