Recommendations for a Spiritual Birth

Spiritual Preparation for Birth

(taken from a lecture given at Ohr Chaya in Jerusalem by Nurit Glazer called “Spiritual Preparation for the birth”) I listen to this tape several times before every birth! It is incredibly helpful! Here are the class’ main points…

– Birth is the greatest opportunity in the life of a woman to connect with G-d. If we spend the birth just waiting for the time to pass, we are wasting one of the greatest opportunities in our lives.

– Birth is a time to return to G-d (teshuva) through the happiness we feel to be bringing a new soul into the world.

-Your thoughts should focus on a spiritual place, and not on the physical sensation of the contraction. Concentrate on the fact that G-d is opening your cervix. The doctors and midwives are G-d’s helpers, but only G-d can really help. Turn to G-d.

-G-d is waiting for us to pray for help- for us to ask that He ease our pain.

-Don’t worry about giving birth past your due date (unless your doctor tells you that you should worry about it.) There is a special time appointed for each baby to be born, and we should leave this up to the Creator of the world to decide.

-During the birth we should concentrate on the thought that G-d is totally with us, as He is with every birthing woman. G-d controls every detail of our births.

-The pain of birth is also from G-d. We are totally in His hands.

-When you walk into the hospital, it is easy to forget that the birth is in G-d’s hands- and not controlled by the doctors, midwives, and big flashing, beeping machines. The moment you walk through the hospital’s sliding door, take a moment to remind yourself that G-d is opening your womb- that a new soul is coming into the world, and that G-d is the ultimate midwife.

-She recommends reciting Biblical verses during the contractions. Click here for suggestions for different verses.