Starting a Family

A prayer to be said immediately following the birth of a child

A prayer to be said in synagogue for a mother who has newly given birth

On the absence of ritual at the birth of daughters, with suggestions for new rituals for conception, pregnancy, and childbirth

A ceremony that a woman who has had an abortion can perform with a group of women. This ceremony uses the symbols of tashlich (casting out) and mikveh; the woman mourns the loss, renews herself, and attempts to bring closure to the abortion.

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