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Whom to Invite to a Mother Blessing

A Mother Blessing should be attended by anyone who seriously wishes to help the expecting mother prepare for childbirth. Traditionally, Mother Blessings were women-only, but we've recently learned that men have a lot of spirituality and positive energy to contribute to a Mother Blessing!

If the expecting father plans to be present with the expecting mother throughout her labor and delivery, he certainly should be a part of a Mother Blessing as he needs to prepare just as much as she does. The positive energy generated at a Mother Blessing will also be a source of strength for the expecting dad as he comforts his partner through labor and birth.

In addition, many men will feel more comfortable to not be at a baby shower and if a Mother Blessing is new to your family friends, the women will be just as out of place (but don't worry, everyone will get the hang of it in no time!)

Because this is an intimate celebration, guests should be mature enough to positively participate in the rituals but it is possible to include the children of the expecting parents. They certainly will enjoy activities like decorating meditation stones and belly painting, but there should be someone there who is not part of the Mother Blessing to chaperone them when they get bored. Other children, including children of the host(s), should really be left at home or kept separate from the Mother Blessing.

You can make a Mother Blessing as intimate or as large as you like. Some women prefer the attention of just their partner or of two or three close friends. Other women gain more strength from a mass of supportive friends and relatives. That said, I would say the upper limit on guests should be about 10-15 people. With more than that it becomes cumbersome (not to mention time consuming) to allow each person to participate and some people will shy away or break off instead of keeping the energy moving.

If you have more than 15 people who "have" to be included, I would suggest still keeping the Mother Blessing ritual intimate and either having a big "reception" afterwards or saving the big crowds for a welcoming party after the baby is born.