Inspiration for Pregnancy
Making Pregnancy Spiritual
We often get so caught up in the physical side of being pregnant- the blood-tests, the nausea, the doctors’ appointments – that we are unable to concentrate on the spiritual significance of these nine months. But if we open our eyes, we can be profoundly inspired by life’s greatest wonder- that through the cooperation of three partners- husband, wife, and the Creator of the World, a unique soul has descended from Heaven in order to grow into a human being inside of us.
Focusing on this privilege can help us to overcome the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy and birth– from the discomfort of back pain, to the emotional ups and downs of these nine months, to fears about the arrival of a new baby.
A rebbetzin and mother of over a dozen children told me that during her pregnancies she would often think of the Chassidic teaching that every child is a living Torah. Even as she felt herself dragging from her growing girth, she would remind herself to hold her head a little higher, as if she was parading around a synagogue with an actual Torah scroll in her arms.
While her approach towards making pregnancy more Jewish and meaningful is original, it is typical of the efforts of countless Jewish women since the beginning of our people’s history to create ways to thank G-d for blessing them with a child.
Through learning more about these traditions, we can connect ourselves back to other Jewish women since the time of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah who went through exactly what we are going through now. We can learn from their experience and wisdom to maintain awareness of the miracle of pregnancy, and to request Divine assistance during these vulnerable months.