A Closing Ceremony for The Fourth Trimester
With gratitude, we gather today to honor [baby’s name]’s placenta.
It is a blessing to be here together as a family of [# of family members].
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ, מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh haolam, shehekheyanu,
v’kiy’manu, v’higiyanu laz’man hazeh
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us alive,
sustained us, and brought us to this season.
The placenta is an organ created solely for the purpose of nourishing a baby inside the womb. Our ancestors preserved the placenta “in a bowl of oil, straw, or sand” [1] as a source of protection over the child.
[Baby’s name], may the Source of Life protect and nourish you
through childhood and beyond.
When Eve birthed the world’s first child, she said,
קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה
Kaniti eesh et Adonai
“I have gained a person with the help of Adonai” [2]
Adonai, we thank you for your partnership in creation.
The placenta contains a web of blood vessels that form the shape of a tree, often referred to as the Tree of Life. As they grow, the baby is enveloped in the Divine, wrapped in the wisdom of Torah in preparation to enter our world. [3]
[Baby’s name], may you always feel held by the warmth of Jewish tradition.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, רוֹפֵא כָל בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשׂוֹת
Barukh Atah Adonai, rofah kol basar umafliya la’asot
Blessed are You, Adonai, who heals all flesh and acts wondrously.
In this placenta, we witness the miracle of new life. Shechinah, we bless You who grants our precious baby with health and growing strength. May this placenta serve as a token of our gratitude for a healthy pregnancy and birth.
[Baby’s name], we wish for you a life of fullness in spirit, mind, and body.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, הַמַּבְדִּיל בין קודש לחול
Barukh Atah Adonai, ha-mavdil bein kodesh l’hol
Blessed are You, Adonai, who distinguishes between the sacred and the profane.
The placenta connects the baby and mother/parent through the umbilical cord.
As [baby’s name] grows, our connection will remain strong even as it evolves.
Today, we arrive at a new milestone and a moment of transition: 40 days since birth and the end of the fourth trimester. By burying the placenta, we honor the closure of this period of transformation. Together, we embark on the new stage of our holy journey to raise a child with boundless love and care.
[Baby’s name], may you know our family’s love and support for the rest of your days.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh haolam borei pri ha’adamah
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe
who creates the fruit of the earth.
Our sages instruct parents to bury the preserved placenta as “a pledge to the earth.” [4]
We promise to return to the earth that which is made of the earth. [5]
This placenta has nourished [baby’s name], and now it will return to nourish the earth.
[Baby’s name] will forever be rooted here, on the ancestral lands of the [indigenous] peoples, where our family has made a loving home. [6]
[Baby’s name], may you grow to become a steward of the earth, never losing sight of your innate connection to the land, its creatures, and all human beings.
כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן
Kein yehi ratzon
May it be so.
Footnotes
[1] Niddah 27a
[2] Genesis 4:1
[3] Niddah 30b
[4] Shabbat 18:16
[5] The Jewish Pregnancy Book by Sandy Falk, M.D. and Rabbi Daniel Judson
[6] Placenta Burial Ritual by Sarah Glassman
