Reproductive Experiences

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In contemporary homes, starting a family is often a deliberate choice. The experience of pregnancy, the drama of giving birth, and the miracle of adoption are occasions for joy and wonder. These are also experiences that can be fraught with pain and struggle, reflecting the full spectrum of life and death. We offer prayers for those who are trying to conceive, prayers for pregnancy and childbirth, rituals for parents preparing to adopt, mourning ceremonies for miscarriages, blessings for those struggling with infertility, rituals to prepare for or acknowledge an abortion, and much more.

Latest Rituals

A ceremony that a pregnant woman or couple can perform with a close group of friends or family after the decision to have a therapeutic abortion has been made

A contemporary prayer asking for God’s sustenance and “holding” through this difficult period

Description by a mother of her six-year-old son’s response to the death of his stillborn brother

These prayers are meant to be recited in synagogue as an introduction to birkat hagomel (a prayer said during the Torah service by one who has survived a dangerous situation) by someone who has suffered a miscarriage

A ritual divided into three parts: Mourning the Loss, Choosing Life Again, and Communal Support and Blessings

This ceremony uses the occasion of havdalah, the service separating Shabbat from the week, to mourn a miscarriage

A poem expressing the deep emotions of a miscarriage

A personal account describing the author’s experience of losing a baby before rituals were developed to encourage mourning

A new psalm for a woman terminating her pregnancy

A mourning ceremony for twins who died before birth

The Reconstructionist Network

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