๐Ÿ”น๏ธPregnancy &  Birth ๐Ÿ”น๏ธ

Being pregnant is a happy time but also a very precious time, whether it is a easy pregnancy or less easy, it should always be surrounded by postivity, as this has great influence on the wellbeing of the unborn baby. What can fathers do to enhance health and how his unborn baby developing, to get a better start in life, as children are so precious we want to get this right. Spiritual deveolpement of the unborn baby are also very important and this giving by the mother through Mitzvahs and good deeds, also the unborn baby could benefit from Kosher food, but most importantly is a happy home, surrounding by postivity and calm environment.

Pregnant women often sew a Sash during pregnancy, and when the baby is a boy the Sash can be used on the Torah for his Bar Mitzvah and also the aliyah on Shabbos before his own wedding.

During pregnancy I do believe studying the Torah is important as the unborn baby could benefit from it, doing good deeds, having a Tzedaka box and performing Mitzvahs has a positive influence, and attending Shul more often, towards the end of the pregnancy to visit the Mikveh, during pregnancy the parents to be, could recite the Tehillim, the father can take it upon him to recite Tehillim 20 before going to bed,it not what you must do, but it could be beneficial to the unborn baby and not in the least for yourself. 

Ashkenazi Jews traditionally name their children after relatives who past away, to keep the memory alive of our loved ones and the Hebrew name a baby boy receives after the Bris , before the bris a baby boy has to not yet received his soul and that is the reason he cannot be named till after the bris.

When a girl is to be named, is just like with a boy, the father names his daughter, this happens as soon as possible after birth, preferable on the first Shabbos and he is called up to the Torah, the naming ceremony is when the Torah is being read with a Minyan.

When the birth starts, we hang Shir Lamaalot in the room of the hospital or at home of the mother and the newborn, it is a safeguard for the mother during giving birth but also the fallowing days after the baby is born, for at least three days, this is to safeguard the mother when giving birth, which can been seen as dangerous, as still many things can go wrong and not to violate Shabbos laws, this can be found in Shulchan Aruch, Rambam and Shabbos 129a.

The father should not be in the room during the birth of his child.

Blessings after the birth of the baby by the father as he has to say thanks to HaShem, by reciting the blessing of HaTov VeHametiv for a boy. For a girl the father recites Shehecheyanu, this blessing can only been done by seeing the baby girl.

Another custom is to hang after the birth the prayer of Tehillim 121 in the room of the mother and baby.

 

   Bris Milah๐Ÿ”น๏ธThe Covenant of Circumcision

This is My Covenant which you shall keep, every male among you shall be circumcised, that shall be the sign of the Covenant between Me and you. At the age of eight days every male among you shall be circumcised throughout the generations, and the un-circumcised male shall be cut of from his people, he has broken My Covenant.

                                       ๐Ÿ”น๏ธBereishis 17: 10~ 14๐Ÿ”น๏ธ 

Every father has to fulfill HaShem's Covenant to circumcise his son on the eighth day, someone qualified repesentative to do this on his behalf. This ritual is known as the Brit, which means Covenant and the word for circumcision is Milah.

The Bris Milah means Covenant of circumcision and  this ritual must been done by a Mohel who is qualifiedto perform the circumcision and also is trained in techniques of surgical hygienes, from a religious point of view it is not justified having a surgeon perform the circumcision whil a Rabbi recites the blessing.

As said before the Bris has to take place on the eighth day , even when it is Shabbat or Yom Kippur, of course it depends on the day the child is born, lets say a child is born after nightfall on a tuesday then the Bris will the Bris will take place on the following wednesday, always during daytime and preferable in the morning.

When a child is sick or born prematurely, only then and from a medical point of view it will be dangerous, then the bris will be postponed till a later date, Shluchan Aruch orders caution and says the Brit should be delayed.

The father of the child recited the blessing during the circumcision

The guests will answer ' Amen ' after the blessing and in respons they will recite their own prayer

During the Bris the child will be officially named, the person holding the child during the circumcision is a Sandek, and it is a honor. At the bris a Minyan is in favor, this is including the father and the Mohel, this is to intensify the observance of this Mitzvah and it will bring more joy, but it is not necessary, there could circumstaces where a Minyan can't be presence, then the Bris will be performed by the Mohel only in presence of the father.

The Bris as a religious ceremony, will be a happy time and celebrated with a festive meal as a Seudat Mitzvah.