What Happens at Babycircle? By Karianne
I’d like to use this opportunity to share with you what happens in the yurt on Friday mornings at our new Baby-circle.
At the beginning of this term, we started this new group with five mums and their newborns. All the babies are tiny, ranging from 2 to 12 weeks old.
Transitioning to motherhood or welcoming a new child into your family is such a big life event. All family relationships undergo changes. You must rediscover your place and redefine yourself in this new role. You are recovering from childbirth, you are in a body you might not recognise, not to mention the enormous shift in hormone levels you´re experiencing.
This phase in your life where it is so important for feeling supported and understood. It's a time when having people around you who are going through the same experiences is invaluable, allowing you to ask questions to other moms, just to share your stories without fear of judgment, and to come together even when you are tired or not happy. You just need a place where you can just be and feel nurtured.
Being at home with a newborn in our individualistic culture can be quite lonely.
Nevertheless, I really remember how important those moments were for me as a new mom. They were really the moments that recharged my battery. During my time working as a midwife, I consistently witnessed how important it was for moms to connect.
During our baby circle, once we are all settled with our cups of tea, we start with a gentle body check-in to help us arrive fully. By paying attention to our breath, grounding ourselves in our bodies, we can find calmness and it often has a soothing effect on the babies too. We take a moment to check in with each other, sharing how everyone is doing. Simply realizing that you're not alone in your experiences can bring relief, and verbalizing what you're going through in that moment can be incredibly valuable. Sometimes the babies are quiet, and other times, they may not be. In any case, we adapt to what's necessary to ensure both the babies and moms are comfortable.
Following the check-in, we delve into a specific topic. Up to now we have talked about the expectations of motherhood, the childbirth experience, and in our last session we discussed babywearing. We discussed the benefits for both mother and child, and had the opportunity to try out and see different types of slings and carriers to see which kind suits each person best.
We finish the circle by setting an intention for the following week before we leave.
It’s always a bit hard for me to leave the beautiful energy within the yurt. It’s such a genuine blessing to be surrounded by the really open energy of new motherhood. It's empowering to be in the presence of these new, powerful moms, alongside their magical tiny babies who are still so closely intertwined with them.
We will start a new baby circle group next term. So, if you´ve recently given birth, or are expecting to do so in the next couple of months, you are welcome to join us for the next group.