Frequently Asked Questions

Hava NaBaby helps expectant parents learn about pregnancy and prepare for childbirth, connect with others traveling the path to (and through!) parenthood at the same time, delight in the richness of Jewish tradition, and engage with big questions about the life you want for yourself and your growing family.

We put the agency back in prEGNAnCY! From our perspective, childbirth education empowers expectant parents to actively partner with medical professionals in making decisions about their pregnancy, labor and delivery. Childbirth education turns the birthing parent from a patient to the protagonist in their birth story.

Bringing a baby into the world is no small thing (well, the baby is a small thing, but you get the idea). Pregnancy and childbirth, while guided by medical professionals, are so much more than medical procedures. They are transformational life events, and thousands of years of Jewish wisdom are waiting for you for just this moment.

Content, community and conversation. In addition to our holistic approach, grafting Jewish wisdom onto a best-practice childbirth education class, Hava NaBaby intentionally creates opportunities to make new friends and build micro-communities that we hope will outlast the class. We also invite you to delve into big questions about the kind of parents and people you want to be. Hava NaBaby offers you what you need to learn about pregnancy and childbirth and gives you much more.

Nope! It’s all here.

Nope! We have a “big tent” philosophy. Whether you know a little or a lot, whether you want to build a Jewish home, whether you’re enthusiastic or skeptical, whether you’re sure about this Judaism thing or just want to check it out—you’re welcome here!

Also, nope! We will introduce you to various possibilities, but what you do with your learning is up to you. Just bring your curiosity, and we’ll explore together.

Absolutely! Hava NaBaby is a class for pregnant people and their partners, and if you're single, Hava NaBaby is for you too! Feel free to invite a friend to join you or come by yourself. We want to share this journey with you, no matter what your family looks like.

No matter how you deliver your baby, you are on a journey pregnant (get it?!) with spiritual possibility—a personal story.

When Rabbi Miriam observed a c-section at a hospital, here are the questions she asked the doctor afterward:

• Could they have been playing music?

• Could they have asked you to stop chit-chatting about your kids’ sporting events?

• Could they have asked you to pause before making the first cut to take a breath, say a prayer, or somehow recognize the moment's significance?

• Could there have been a second support person so that when Dad went to be with the baby and the nurses, Mom didn’t have to be alone on the operating table?

The answer to these questions was “yes,” but they didn’t know to ask.

Adoption and surrogacy are beautiful ways to start a family. We hope to offer relevant Hava NaBaby classes in the future. For now, we welcome your participation in our “Intentional Parenting” workshop.

Rabbi Miriam has been a rabbi and Jewish educator for over two decades and is a certified childbirth educator through the International Childbirth Education Association. She’s been teaching expectant parents some version of this class for 18 years. Questions? Reach out to her directly at RabbiMiriam@HavaNaBaby.org