Giving Birth on Shabbat: Difference between revisions

# It is halachically preferable to have a non-Jew drive to the hospital. <ref>Be'er Moshe 6:51</ref>

# Anyone who will help the expectant mother in both the physiological and/or psychological realms is permitted to be picked up and driven along with the woman. Included in this may be a husband, mother, mother-in-law, dula, birthing coach etc. assuming that they will provide physical and/or mental support to the woman in question.<ref>Igros Moshe O.C. 1:132g</ref>

# The hospital may have electric doors, therefore only manual doors should be used unless this causes her undue hardship (as she may be in no condition to find a manual door).<ref>Chazon Ish O.C. 50:9 says to walk right behind a non-Jew, see Yalkot Yosef 4:28, 29, Rivevos Ephraim 5:268</ref> In fact, if she has a strong need to have her husband walk in with her he may do so as well.<ref>Minchas Shlomo:1, Hilchos [[Refuah]] 1 pg. 36</ref>

==Actual labor==

# In the event that a woman feels any contractions, even if she is not certain if it is true labor, she may make any phone calls necessary.<ref> [[Shevet Halevi]] 8:88</ref> There are three other signs however that would allow a woman to do any melacha, even acts that are usually biblically prohibited (i.e. turning on lights, driving etc.). These signs are:

## she sees a flow of blood<ref>S.A. 330:3</ref>

## if she is on the birthing table <ref>Rabbi Heshy Kahn (What's Doing, Greater Connecticut, 3/3/11) </ref>

==Post partum halachic leniencies ==

# For the first 7 days following the delivery of the placenta she is considered a ''choleh sha'yaish bo sakana<ref>[[Shabbos]] 129a, S.A. 330:4</ref>'' (dangerously ill). In days 1-3 post partum, if she<ref>M.B. 330:14</ref> or her doctor<ref>Bach 330:7</ref> feels that desecrating the [[Shabbat]] is not necessary, anyone may violate [[Shabbat]] (despite her wishes not to) if they even think she might be in danger.  The laws of  days 4-7 are more stringent, in that if she feels there is no need to desecrate the [[shabbos]], then one may not do so for her, providing that the doctor agrees with her. From day eight and on she has the status of ''choleh sha'ein bo sakana ''and my only ask a non-Jew to do anything that she needs.<ref>S.A. 328:17</ref>

==Credits==

# Special thanks to Rabbi Heshy Kahn for this article.

==Sources==

<references/>

[[Category:Shabbat]]

[[Category:Niddah|Lifecycles|Shabbat]]