Other Offerings
Nurturing the Mother Ceremony
$300-350 | 3 Hours
The Nurturing of the Mother Ceremony is Gentle Lotus Doulas modern take on the traditional Native American Mother Blessingway and an alternative to a baby shower. It is a time for women (and men) to come together and honour the mother-to-be. We will shower her in love, nourish her beautiful body and celebrate her upcoming rite of passage into motherhood (whether this be her first entrance into motherhood or her 5th). We want the mother-to-be to feel loved, supported and confident when the time comes for her to bring her baby Earthside.
There is no strict agenda for the Nurturing the Mother Ceremonies as I feel they should be tailored to each individual woman and her needs. They can include some of the following suggestions or you may have some ideas of your own but together we can plan a perfect gathering.
- Attendees bring a nourishing food plate to share
- A batch of Gentle Lotus Doulas nourishing tea
- A fun still life painting
- Affirmation bunting- all attendees write a birth affirmation on a flag and we string them all together to create an inspiring bunting for the mother-to-be’s birth space
- A sharing circle- we sit in circle and share birth stories (positive stories only), the mother-to-be may raise any concerns so that we can alleviate her worries
- Build flower crown for mother-to-be
- Pamper the mother-to-be (brush hair, paint nails, etc)
- Massage mother-to-be hands/feet in Gentle Lotus Doula soak
- A cooking afternoon to prepare meals to freeze to ease stress once baby arrives
- Bead ceremony- each attendee brings a bead with them, one-by-one attendees give the mother-to-be their bead and say a little message or quote or poem, then we string all of the beads into a bracelet or necklace for the mother-to-be to wear during labour so that she is reminded of her friends and families inspirational messages and she can draw strength from their ever present energy
- Candle lighting ceremony- we go around the circle and each attendee lights a candle as they share their special message for the mother-to-be
- Henna the mothers belly or hands and feet
- Belly cast
- Red Thread Ceremony
As the mother-to-be you can choose how you want your Nurturing the Mother Ceremony to be. The above is some suggestions but I can accommodate most other wishes as well.
Closing the Bones Ceremony
$500 | 4 Hours
The postpartum Closing of the Bones Ceremony is a Traditional Mexican Ceremony in which women relax, release, heal and find closure after childbirth. It can be done at any time in a women’s life but is generally conducted within the first few weeks after birth.
The ceremony is intense and immensely healing, using steam, medicinal herbs and the rebozo to allow the woman to surrender and be nurtured.
Many offerings of the postpartum Closing of the Bones Ceremony in Australia only include one stage of the traditional Mexican Ceremony, the wrapping stage. There are actually 4 phases to the postpartum ceremony, all of which I have learnt and experienced firsthand from a traditional Mexican midwife.
Phase 1- Massage
Phase 2- Steam/Immersion Bath (Traditionally in a Temazcal)
Phase 3- Sweat
Phase 4- The Closing of the Bones/Wrapping
The combination of these 4 phases allows the new mother to relax, release, heal and find closure. It is a deeply emotional and spiritual ceremony with many physical benefits also.
The ceremony begins with a full body massage to relax the mother and allow blockages of energy to start flowing again. The steam/immersion bath is very intense- think of a sweat lodge- where the woman will release, sing, cry, scream, whatever arises at the time. After emerging from the steam/immersion bath the woman will be wrapped from head to toe in sheets and blankets to retain the heat and allow her to sweat. At this point we will often enjoy a hot herbal tea, sit in silence allowing reflection and simply be present in the moment. To finish the ceremony the mother will be wrapped in rebozos to close her bones. When unwrapped, she will emerge a new woman.
I had the privilege of being trained by Naoli Vinaver, a traditional Mexican midwife. As I was taught this ceremony in a very authentic fashion, I conduct my ceremonies as close to the traditional Mexican way as possible, given the herbs available and makeshift temazcals available in Australia.