Introducing ‘Parent-To-Be Ceremonies’ – a new way to support and celebrate parents-to-be

*This is a sponsored blog post for Lisa Bourne Ceremonies

Hello, my name is Lisa and I am a Naming And Wedding Celebrant based in Leeds, accredited by Humanists UK.  My previous guest blog post focused on Naming Ceremonies for babies and children. But this time I am going to focus on parents-to-be.

I feel as a society we are quite tough on new parents. We can feel a lot of pressure on us. After all, we are bombarded with adverts and classes about choosing the right equipment, bedding, clothes, safety measures, feeding methods, birthing methods, parenting techniques, bath products and on it goes!

I had prenatal and postnatal depression and anxiety. I didn’t have a baby shower because I didn’t want to be seen as making a fuss or for my friends to feel it was materialistic and that they were expected to bring presents.

But what I didn’t think about were my own needs and how positive it is to surround yourself with your “village” at such a vulnerable time. Why shouldn’t you make a fuss about the new stage of life you are about to enter? You need your friends and family to help with this exciting but nerve-racking time.

So I have decided to offer Parent-To-Be Ceremonies!

These are ceremonies for clients who want to:

• surround themselves with friends prior to a birth or adoption,
• hold an alternative to a baby shower,
• compliment a traditional baby shower with a meaningful and personal ceremony,
• create positive memories to support you/the parent-to-be through the birth or the early days of adoption,
• recognise the exciting new stage in your/their life.

These ceremonies aim to leave the parents-to-be feeling loved and full of confidence in themselves. They can be a way of releasing fears and worries as well as promoting empowerment and reminding the parents-to-be of the strength of their network.

They can include:

• music and sing-a-longs,
• poems,
• readings,
• promises,
• telling the parents what you love about them,
• symbolic actions. Here are some examples – wish trees, fingerprints, bringing a square of fabric to create a blanket, bunting flags with messages of love, bringing an item for a hamper (e.g. healthy snacks, books, pamper kits), painting the pregnancy bump, painting stones. Basically, anything that brings everyone together or that the parents-to-be can look at or read during labour or the early days of adoption is a great idea.

We can do so much to remind parents-to-be that they are surrounded by love and support. What would you have as part of your parent-to-be ceremony?

A parent-to-be ceremony can be held anywhere of your choosing and will last around 20 minutes, although you may chose to tie it in with other activities that will last longer.   To find out more, head to the Lisa Bourne Ceremonies website or email lisa.bourne@humanistceremonies.org.uk