Just over three months after my baby was born, I was blessed with a beautiful postpartum ceremony offered by my doula Tanya of Nourished Beginnings. This was my first pregnancy where I considered hiring a doula and I am forever thankful for having her support. It made such a difference to my mental, physical and emotional health.
To read more about my postpartum experience, read this post.
I loved knowing Tanya was going to visit me every week for the first six weeks after giving birth. She helped make nourishing meals I could easily reheat plus herbal teas and lactation cookies, offered relaxing foot soaks and massage, helped me process what I was going through, and so much more. It really made me feel supported and held during my postpartum time… and having her support gave my husband the ability to focus more on our three other kids as well which was a huge relief for us both.
The postpartum ceremony itself started with space for relaxing, reflection and processing. I decided to create a vision board to share my intentions for the stage of my life to come, based on what I have learned through mothering over the last 15 years. (I got the idea to do this after creating my original postpartum vision board which helped me focus on specific goals during my first few months after giving birth.) My new board included affirmations I created and recent photos of my family to remind me of their unique needs and how I could support them as individuals during the current phase of our lives.
Download my Motherhood Affirmation Cards here.
Beautiful cross-cultural practices offered during the ceremony included moxibustion, Abhyanga (Ayurvedic masssage) and wrapping of rebozos.
Throughout the experience we also enjoyed plenty of time to connect and chat about the experience.
I was grateful for my friends and husband for helping and being a part of the day. They were able to support with the ceremony itself plus taking photos/videos and looking after baby.
Tanya made a yummy roast veg quinoa salad and banana bread so we could enjoy lunch together afterwards.
I chose jewellery to wear given by the people in my life I wanted to feel close to during this experience but who couldn’t be there: my sister, grandmother and parents.
I want to publicly acknowledge and say thank you, thank you, thank you to Tanya for all the beautiful gifts you have given me by offering your time, expertise and energy as my doula. If you or someone you love is currently pregnant and considering hiring a doula to support you during your postpartum period, I highly recommend checking out the offerings at Nourished Beginnings.
If you are interested in exploring the idea of ceremony for mothers after giving birth, I hope this video of my experience might give some inspiration for how creative, encouraging and empowering it can be. Of course it’s an experience that can be tailored to each individual, as well! It’s certainly a day I will always cherish and really gave me a sense of closure and moving forward in my mothering journey.
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