Hippie at heart? Then I have the perfect Baby Shower recipe for you. Combine belly mapping, tie-dye, and a mama blessingway for a lovely afternoon. Throw in some ice cream sundaes and iced herbal tea, and you have everything you need.
Being the pregnant one, I can’t, of course, claim any credit for this wonderful shower idea. My best friend is the master brain behind my special occasion. But as the recipient, I can say it was a wonderful way to celebrate the upcoming arrival of my second baby. And yes, I am a hippie at heart.
- Have everyone bring a bead to add to a bracelet at the conclusion of their contribution during the Blessingway. This makes a great item for the pregnant mama to wear during labor. I know that as soon as my water broke the first time, I went for my bracelet so I could feel the support of others with me through labor.
Mostly I think that a baby shower should be about more than consumerism; it should empower the mama and celebrate the baby. By incorporating a Blessingway into a shower, you can do just that. (See here for my past blogs on Blessingways or Mama/Baby Blessings.) A Blessingway is all about having those you love share their support and love. They do this by reading poems, coming up with original material, and sharing stories. (Stay away from advice, as that can get dangerous because each mama does things that feel right to her.)
- Hard at work, creating something funky. What's not to love about tie-dye?
- Using kits from Wal-Mart, we tie-dyed a myriad of long and short-sleeve onesies and t-shirts, as well as shirts for us adults and one for my 3-year-old.
- It is 99% likely that the first outfit my new baby wears is going to be one of these funky tie-dye shirts.
The tie-dye was a fun shower “game” that sent me away with a pile of brightly colored onesies and t-shirts. I can’t wait to dress the new baby up in these hip clothes! And to don my own tie-dye shirt, dress my 3-year-old daughter in hers and snap a photo. In addition to making memories at the shower, I know I will smile everytime I take one of the onesies out to use in the future. Tie dye must be making a comeback right now (or did it never leave?). The shower co-host found the tie-dye kits in a Wal-Mart shopping aisle.
- The finished product: an abstract belly painting by Jen.
- Start off by identifying where the mom feels kicks, where there are bulges, and where there are hard spots in the belly. Ask whether the head is down. Then grab a baby doll to help you visualize what's going on inside the belly.
- This graphic shows the various positions a baby can be in. Learn more about belly-mapping and getting your baby into the optimal position for labor on Gail Tully's web site: spinningbabies.com.
The belly-mapping gave us a fun way to connect with the belly. Minnesota midwife Gail Tully is well-known for her expertise in belly mapping and fetal positioning. She has a useful page on her web site that gives directions on mapping the belly yourself, or you can bring her in to do a workshop. Belly Mapping teaches a pregnant woman (and others) to tell her baby's position for herself, which is pretty useful information before labor so you have an indication of whether there will be any trouble because of a breach or sunny-side up position. There are many things a woman can do to help turn her baby before labor to avoid those problems. According to my experienced midwife, Jeanne Bazille, my baby is currently in great position, so I’m not worried about that. We could focus during the Blessingway on having fun with the belly-mapping. There are step-by-step directions on how to map a belly on Gail Tully’s web site; go here http://spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/belly-mapping. Have a doll handy for a visual reference. After drawing the “map” on paper (leg, arm, head, back, placenta) my friend painted an abstract design right on the belly. Ah! The water-based paint didn’t stay on long, but we took a lot of photos.
Hope these ideas inspire you next time you’re planning a shower.
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