Inspirational

As we began to ride we heard the sirens. First one, quickly followed by another, then another, until their wailing filled the streets and pierced the skies. As each ambulance passed, my contractions grew more intense

I find myself praying and talking to Him like never before, finding the great relief of putting all my fears in His hands. I want the birth of this baby to highlight my journey to know myself and G‑d's presence in me...

This time I was hoping for a painless birth. I know this sounds impossible, but I had been reading about a way of birthing in which the mom is so relaxed that she has no concept of time, of anything...

Exhausted and breathless, I couldn’t sing anymore. But I didn’t have to; the first cry of the baby as he emerged into the world was a beautiful song in itself...

I am ready to fall into a new dimension of birthing—the spiritual one, rather then the medical--physical model. For myself, I know that means a natural birth, one where I experience and feel every single part of it...

G‑d is not petty. He is not telling Eve that she will be stressed out by the incessant whining and fighting of her children. The curse of raising children is deeper.The curse of Eve is teng ai, pain and love – her mother love. G‑d is telling Eve that she will spend the rest of her days worrying about the fruits of her womb...

Less than ten minutes elapsed from the time my waters broke to when the baby was born, so there was no time to panic, no time to be afraid or think about anything other than what was happening in the moment. But a few hours later, as I was relaxing and reliving the experience, I could not help but be amazed at the power that G‑d has given us women . . .

After I dropped off the 5 full garbage bags of 'give-aways' at a local charity this morning, I cleaned out, wiped down, sorted out, and re-stocked our 3 door-bathroom chest. I'm in my 9th month of pregnancy and I've got the nesting instinct big time...

It is painful, exciting, scary, unbelievable. There is no turning back. We were created to create, and it is time...

I trudged through those first three months, and transformed from someone who felt truly blessed into a hormonal wreck who questioned whether or not she was ready for another child...

If past experiences are correct, these feelings will accompany me for a number of months. Nine, in total, to be precise...

The creation of the cosmos can be seen in the allegorical context of G‑d giving birth to the world...

Everyone can become a “mother.” What comes naturally to the female half of creation can be learned and assimilated by all, and not only in giving birth to children but in every one of life’s endeavors.

Childbirth, perhaps more than any other life event, is an experience that demands a strong dose of faith and surrender. No matter how well planned or organized we may be, the inevitable moment will arise...

I am constricted, I am uncomfortable, I am in pain. I am in exile from my body, my emotions and my true state of being. I am anxious and annoyed and annoying. I am actually experiencing galut for the first time

I have come so far. I have not enjoyed the suffering, or the unrest, yet I have accepted that it will come to an end, a glorious end that will create a beautiful new beginning.

It may be a truism that no person has ever declared on their deathbed, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office," but I guarantee neither has anyone ever said, "I wish I'd had fewer children.

“I have a friend called Sarah,” said the woman on the other end of the line. “She’s pregnant and says she can’t afford another child, so she decided to have an abortion . . .”

Plucking a child out of his or her native environment is very traumatizing for the child. But sometimes the child's very life depends on it. Here's what you can do to ease the transition...

It is not only the mother that physically houses the fetus, nourishing it, caring for it and helping it develop, but just as the mother brings forth this life from within her, so too, she spiritually gives her baby life and identity. This is why the baby's Jewishness can come from no one other than his or her mother.

It's been two years. Two years of holding my son close to my heart and feeding him from the milk that flowed forth from my body. Two years of sleepless nights and exhausted days...

The pregnancy flew by and I found myself in labor. Frida Tamar, my daughter, was born, another blessing, another miracle. Why then did I find myself crying every night?

I have made a communion with my body and my soul. They are functioning as one whole. Every movement I make and sound I emit comes from a place so deep and innate, so primal, I know I have crossed worlds...

I listened, said goodbye, and then thought about it. Was I trying to control the situation because of my strong views and adamant stance towards natural childbirth?

My nausea often renders me incapacitated for hours, even days on end, to which vomiting provides no lasting relief. My days are stained by actual or anticipated smells, and opening the refrigerator has become an act of bravery...

What I encounter is a matter of life and death. Not death as an end, but as non-life, a state of dormancy. The potential for life is unexpressed. It is curled up, head lying lifeless between its knees. Complete in formation, but inactive and unthinking...