Posted in Other Ramblings

Wow, it has been a long time since I blogged!!  Time has been running away from me lately.  The big reason is that little baby boo has become exceedingly mobile.  I swear that baby has become part monkey.  I spend all day just running after him.  We weren't even able to do school for a couple of days.  Fortunately, we now have gates up and can confine him to an area a little easier.    We did finish up Unit 1 of Tapestry of Grace Year 2 and I do want to blog about that, and maybe will tomorrow.  As well as what we supplemented with.  And also since a few people have asked, what I have been using for our Jewish spine. 

But tonight, I wanted to share an article in the local Jewish paper about my work as a birth doula.  The reporter spelled my name wrong, and I am misquoted a little bit a few times but in general it is a nice article.

Local Women Offer Services to Area's Expectant Mothers

Since I am not sure how long the article is going to remain on-line and I want to keep a copy of it, I am going to put a copy of it here as well. 

Today is also my birthday - a big one ending in a 0.  So feel free to leave me a comment and wish me a happy birthday. :)

The article was in the December 14, 2007 Edition of the Jewish Advocate and was written by Molly Ritvo.

In accordance with Jewish law, many modern-day doulas – women who assist mothers during and after childbirth – are providing contemporary Jewish women in the Boston area with the same support that their ancestors received for millennia.

“There is something incredibly sacred surrounding the birth of a child,” said Yonit Kastan of Worcester, who is a doula. “At every birth I attend, I feel Hashem’s [God’s] presence.”

In addition to offering emotional guidance for the mother, father, and child, certain doulas, like Kastan and Miriam Reyder of Sharon, also offer religious support. Both women are Orthodox Jews and perform their doula services in accordance with halacha.

“My practice of being a doula is about using halacha to surround the laboring woman and the new baby with kedusha [holiness],” said Reyder.

Reyder explained that a doula is essentially a “woman’s partner” who provides massages, relaxation and birthing techniques, encouragement with breathing and movement during labor, and cares for both the mother and child after birth.

Because Reyder and Kastan follow traditional Jewish laws, certain rules, such as honoring Shabbat when Jews are commanded not to work, are respected, while exceptions are granted.
Reyder said she is able to work on Shabbat because, according to the Mishnah, a woman in labor is considered to be in “eminent danger.”

“Because this is a matter of health, certain exceptions are made,” she added.
When these exceptions, called “heders,” arise, Jewish doulas are not only allowed to work, but are in fact obligated to do anything possible to help a laboring woman, according to Kastan.

Jewish doulas must also make special requests of hospitals, Reyder said, because Jewish law requires that there be modesty and dignity during labor.

“I request that only female staff attend the birth and that there be no students, hospital house staff or other non-labor essential personnel in the room during labor and birth,” Reyder said.
Additionally, the husband is halachally prohibited from looking directly at his wife’s birth canal and, because a woman in childbirth attains a status similar to “niddah” (meaning unclean), physical contact between the couple is prohibited and the husband may not see his wife undressed, according to NISHMAT, The Jerusalem Center for Advanced Jewish Study for Women.

Because most professional doulas are not aware of the specifics of Jewish law, both Kastan and Reyder said they believe it is important for a birthing mother to have a Jewish doula by her side.

“My job is halachically commanded to offer support to the child-bearing mother in the best way possible,” Kastan said. “I support the mother in whatever kind of birth she wants and hope to make her experience the most holy one it can be.”

Added Reyder: “The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that ‘it is known that what a one-day-old baby sees and hears will have an influence on the child even many years later.’ For this reason, surrounding the child with kedusha will have a long lasting effect.”