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Expecting Miracles: Finding Meaning and Spirituality in Pregnancy
Posted 3/16/2005
By Dr. Hava-Yael Schreiber

Title: Expecting Miracles: Finding Meaning and Spirituality in Pregnancy
Author: Chana Weisberg
Publisher: Urim Publications
Reviewed by Dr. Hava-Yael Schreiber

I am a gynecologist who got pregnant for the first time late in my life, so I was as knowledgeable as one can be when it came to the medical aspects of pregnancy and birth, but when a friend of mine who is a labor coach told me about a lecture being given by Chana Weisberg about her new book Expecting Miracles: Finding Meaning and Spirituality in Pregnancy I jumped at the opportunity.

I bought the book.... and loved it! I "devoured it" over Shabbos. It filled the great thirst I had to gain an understanding of the deeper meaning of this unique experience. I was then in my eighth month and because of the book, I decided to start a notebook to put down my thoughts: the verses I wanted to read and repeat during labor as well as the names of all the ladies for whom I wanted to pray. I also photocopied a full chapter of the book (the Kabbalistic birth meditation) with quotes and verses... This notebook was ready in my bag for when the big moment arrived.... And when it did, I feel that it gave me an extra level of consciousness, and a superior level of awareness, of all that`s going on in Shamayim (Heaven) at that special time.

I chose this profession because I love women in general, and I am genuinely interested in what they feel or experience. This book gave me a profound perspective on something very intimate, about feelings that women rarely discuss in detail. I related so much to the book — it has truth — emes, in it, and portrays the mothers in it with so much dignity.

Despite my medical background, it turned out that I had idealized the whole process of birth a bit too much, as things did not turn out the way I had hoped for. I had a failed induction, a failed epidural, and a Cesarean under general anesthesia after close to 20 hours of labor. I then thought of the lady described in Expecting Miracles who delivered sick babies and accepted everything that happened as the will of G-d. The book helped me to remember that Hashem is the Boss and I was able to put my difficult but ultimately successful childbirth experience into the proper perspective. In general, Expecting Miracles helps a pregnant woman to make the proper mental and spiritual preparation in order to make her ready to accept G-d`s plan for each of us ... and to realize that the result is so worth it!

In summary, this book fills a very big need in our Jewish religious community, and it is definitely sitting in my office waiting room.

Dr. Hava-Yael Schreiber is a senior Jerusalem-based OB/GYN, who is the medical director of Zir Chemed- Halachic Medical Center as well as an attending physician in Bikur Cholim hospital.