Questions tagged [pregnancy-birth]
laws and customs pertaining to pregnancy, labor, and childbirth
223 questions
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Should Jewish parents-to-be throw a baby shower?
Should Jewish parents-to-be throw a baby shower? Why or why not? What is the origin of the baby shower (amongst Jews specifically) if any? For clarification, I am referring to the party before the ...
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Will editing genome of embryo having Jewish parents diminish Jewish status of later child? [closed]
There's a dreadful genetic illness known as Tay-Sachs requiring two
carriers to activate the fatal effects in a child.
Probably, in reaction to the 20th century eugenics movement and its
terrible ...
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What is a ger's birthday in terms of Jewish astrology? conversion date or birth date?
In terms of Jewish astrological signs and influences on people, per Kabbalah, would a ger use their actual 'birth' date or their date of conversion which is considered a rebirth?
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Pregnant and not recommended to get a get
I recently heard of a case where a couple were planning on getting divorced: the wife was pregnant and they were given a psak (via the Beth Din) that the husband can not give her a get until the baby ...
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Why did Leah give Zilpah to bear children?
I understand that Rochel saw she was not bearing children so she gave her maidservant Bilhah to Yakov but Leah was able to bear children. True the verse says she stopped from bearing children but what ...
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When is there a heter to use a condom?
When, if ever, is there a heter for a married couple to use a condom as a form of birth control?
Question was inspired by this article
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Is there a special status for the offspring of an animal that was dedicated for a Karban?
For example, if someone in the time of the temple dedicated a cow for a Karban, and before they could bring it to be sacrificed it became pregnant (or impregnated another cow), would its calf have any ...
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Hiding pregnancy during the first 3 months
There is a tradition - or whatever you may call it - not to tell people about your pregnancy early on.
First off, is there a Torah basis to it? Or just common sense? (if things go wrong people will ...
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Kaparos for a pregnant woman -- why the extra chicken?
From Sidur Tehilas Hashem, Sidur Rav Amram, and Nitei Gavriel Hilchos Yom Hakipurim 10:20 you take additional chickens for Kaparos for a pregnant lady in order to cover the fetus. What sin (or sins) ...
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Why do we say besha tova instead of mazal tov?
When a person hears that someone is pregnant the traditional response is besha tova, instead of mazal tov. Why is that?
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Tehillim while waiting for medical test results for an unborn baby
The suggestion is made that one recite tehillim #119 "with the letters corresponding to the name and mothers name" of someone awaiting medical test results. What if the sick person is an unborn baby (...
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What is the source for the tradition that the philtrum is formed by an angel before birth?
Physiological context: The philtrum is the dip or groove in the middle of the upper lip below the nose (link). It is a feature of most mammals, thought to draw water from the mouth to the nose to keep ...
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Embryo adoption and status as a Jew
My wife and I we are Gentile, and we will adopt a (frozen) embryo, probably in Israel.
If the ovocyte of the embryo comes from a Jewish woman, and later my wife gives birth to this baby, can the ...
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Can members of Hatzolah learn how to deliver a baby?
This seems like a very simple thing. Is there anything wrong with male members of Hatzolah (a frum Jewish emergency medical organization) learning how to deliver a baby? I recently heard that Rabbonim ...
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Is it a popular notion that a Jew should "have at least three children..."?
I have heard it said, "Every Jew must have at least three children (though more is preferable). Two to replace the parents when they die, and at least one more to make up for those lost in the Shoah."...
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How old was Avraham when he sired children with Keturah, and was that unusual?
After reporting Sarah's death and burial, B'reishit 25:1 tells us that Avraham had several children by Keturah. Avraham was 137 when Sarah died. Earlier (17:17), Avraham had laughed at the idea of ...
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Is it permissible for a single woman to have a baby through artificial insemination by an anonymous sperm donor? Is it moral?
Single women, approaching or past 40, hear their biological clock alarm ringing with tremendous volume. One that I know has decided that her love life is not going to come around soon enough for her ...
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Why don't we salt newborns, per Ezekiel?
If* salting newborns is a good thing, why don't we do it anymore?
This is not a "Why don't we follow the Sages' medical advice?" question. If, in fact, Ezekiel 16:4 is emphasizing how neglected we ...
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Taharas hamishpacha practices during pregnancy
I am basing this question on this quote from the Wikipedia page on Hasidic childbirth customs:
At the beginning of pregnancy, a woman's separation behavior depends
on the regularity of her ...
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Premature birth contradicting science
I am a teacher at a private all-girls Jewish high school. There are two science teachers in the school, and both of us are Christian. I was talking with my fellow science teacher recently, and she ...
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Pidyon HaBen rate
About how many pidyon haben ceremonies are required to be performed per 1000 Jewish births in the past few decades?
The requirements for a pidyon haben are:
Both parents are Israel, not Kohen or ...
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The "Miracle" of Hagar's giving birth
This question, coupled with some math I did today leads me to a question.
Yishmael was born (according to the Jewish Timeline Encyclopedia) in the year 2034 from creation, the same year that Avraham ...
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Bentching Ha-Gommel after a Birth
After a woman gives birth many have the custom of reciting the blessing of "ha-gommel" (a blessing of Thanks.) Until how long after a birth may this blessing by recited? (i.e. can it be said even a ...
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Dedicating a Mitzva to unborn child
Can a Mitzva be done on behalf of an child still in the womb?
I.e can I do a donation to a charity in my name, my wife's and my soon to be +1?
If so, in what name would that mitzva be done in as +1 ...
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Sources on the Halachic status of creating three parent child
See here for the background. The basic idea is that the DNA is taken from the mother and father, but rather than traditional IVF, the nucleus is implanted in a donor egg. So there is no male donor ...
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Aneni prayer for pregnancy best practice
What is best practice with regards to saying the Aneni prayer by a husband whose wife is in her 3rd month of pregnancy?
Should the prayer be said only once, or daily?
If daily, then is this only for ...
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sperm donation and p'ru ur'vu
Does donating sperm to a woman who is not your wife (who then goes on to bear children from it) fulfill the mitzvah of p'ru ur'vu?
Alternatively, is it a violation of halakha? Does it matter whose ...
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Having children when both parents are Tay-Sachs carriers
This is an obvious CYLOR question, but I am interested in whatever halachic information is available out there.
Suppose a couple got married without ever getting genetically tested for Tay-Sachs. ...
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What can a pregnant woman do if she already stepped on nails?
A pregnant women is advised by the gemara (Nidda 17a) to avoid stepping on cut human nails out of fear of miscarriage. What can she do if she has already stepped on them? Is there a way to "fix" ...
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Are marriages on yom tov recognized if all other halacha is observed?
I attended a reform Jewish wedding on Shavuot and was wondering if the marriage is acknowledged and what the status of the children of that union are?
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If a convert's parents convert to Judaism, do they become his halachic parents?
If a convert's parents convert to Judaism, do they become his halachic parents? I understand that a ger is thought to be "reborn" upon conversion to Judaism; therefore, his birth parents are not ...
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Must a woman cover her hair during childbirth?
Does a woman need to cover her hair during childbirth or other major medical procedures?
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Is Sex Outside Marriage Still a Sin After the Invention of Paternity Tests?
I asked something like this. The reasoning if I can remember:
You should not sell your daughter as prostitute.
Rambam said that all sex outside marriage is prostitution.
Therefore sex outside ...
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Prenatal testing
I've been hearing that some people are discouraging prenatal testing for halachic reasons but it seems pretty important to me.
Does anyone know if there's actually something halachicly wrong about ...
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Time-frame for naming a newborn girl
I have heard many differing Minhagim as to the time-frame for naming a newborn girl. There are those that name at the first possible opportunity and some that wait till the second Shabbos. Many others ...
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May a non-Jew have an abortion?
Are non-Jews permitted to have abortions? (Consider the gemara in Sanhedrin 57b where "a baraita brings in the name of Rabbi Yishmael that a Ben Noach gets capital punishment if he intentionally ...
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Is it permissible to be mechalel shabbos to save a fetus?
Is it muttar to set aside the rules of shabbos to save a fetus? If so, how is it possible to reconcile that with the permissibility of killing a fetus (abortion)?
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Halachic permissibility of a vasectomy
What are the halachic concerns surrounding vasectomies? Are vasectomies permitted by halacha under any circumstances?
The issues that I could see as possibly being connected would be chavala (...
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If a woman converts to Judaism while pregnant, will her child be eligible to marry a Kohen?
If a woman converts to Judaism while pregnant, will her child be eligible to marry a Kohen?
Case #1 -- Assume her husband is a Jew by birth.
Case #2 -- Assume her husband converted to Judaism prior ...
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If a woman converts to Judaism while pregnant, will her child be a Jew?
If a woman converts to Judaism while pregnant, will her child be a Jew once born?
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Is there a source for not buying things for a baby before it is born?
Is there any source for the custom to not buy things for a baby before it is born? I have heard that the reason is due to averting ayin hara, but I would like to know if there is any recorded source ...
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When was Moshe conceived?
We know that Amram and Yocheved (Moshe and Miriam's parents) divorced so as not to give birth to baby boys and Miriam explained to them that they should get remarried because not only are they killing ...
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Source for a Vacht Nacht
There is an event the night before a Bris. It's called Vacht Nacht in Yiddish and called Zohar amongst certain Sefardim; I am aware that people of German decent have a third name for it, which I can't ...
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Does the colouring of animals depend on what the mother sees before conception?
What is the meaning of the strategies (hishtadlus) that Yaakov made with the conception of the animals starting at 30 (37)?
Is it or was it a natural thing that the colouring of animals depends on ...
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Does someone who dies very young have a soulmate?
As discussed in this question, the Talmud tells us that 40 days before someone is born, a heavenly voice calls out "This person is destined for so-and-so".
Not sure if anyone can answer this, but I'...
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Why "new-mother bat her-father" for a woman who gives birth?
When we pray for the healing (refuah) of a woman or girl, we refer to her as "(patient's name) bat (patient's mother's name)", for example "Shoshana bat Michal" or "Rivka bat Shifra Aviva". This is ...
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Good inclination or evil inclination in the womb?
The Posuk says:
ויתרוצצו הבנים בקרבה (בראשית כה, כב)
To which Rashi comments:
כשהיתה עוברת על פתחי תורה של שם ועבר יעקב רץ ומפרכס לצאת, וכשהיתה עוברת על פתחי עבודה זרה עשיו מפרכס לצאת
...
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Why does the Talmud assume a woman cannot get pregnant on the first act of intercourse?
There is a rule in the Gemara (Yevamot 34a) that אין אשה מתעברת בביאה ראשונה. The question is why the Talmud assumes that a virgin cannot conceive on her first act of sexual intercourse if the hymen ...
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What does biting off the Pitum have to do with Pregnancy?
I recently read that it's a Segulah (others put it as a minhag) for a pregnant woman to bite off the Pitum of the esrog on Hoshana Rabbah for an easy labor.
(please correct me if I misunderstood it)
...
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At what point is a child considered living
Does life begin at conception, or does Judaism take a different view? At what point does life begin?
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