Sunday, November 27, 2011

Birth coaches (doulas) halachic differential between Chassidic & Litvishe poskim

One of the important considerations in dealing with women's concern about modesty in child birth is the question of pikuach nefesh. While everyone seems to hold that child birth is pikuach nefesh - there is no consensus on what is permitted. Rav Moshe Feinstein permits her husband to go to the hospital with her on Shabbos as well as to travel to a more distant hospital - to avoid upsetting her.

In regard to birth couches (doulas) the Chassidic poskim allow a woman to call her coach on Shabbos and for the coach to take a cab to the hospital to assist and also for the coach to wear a beeper. In other words Chassidic poskim treat birth coaches as they would members of hatzola. It would follow from this fact that the Chassidic poskim should be more willing to permit female emts for child birth than a Litvishe posek. At this point I am only providing conjecture. But it would be ironic if the Chassidic poskim are more sensitive and concerned with female concerns.

5 comments :

  1. "It would follow from this fact that the Chassidic poskim should be more willing to permit female emts for child birth than a Litvishe posek. At this point I am only providing conjecture."

    Not so. You are assuming females want female EMT's rather than a male EMT or that female EMT's are more helpful than male EMT's. Your assumption may be incorrect. (And I posit that it is incorrect for the majority of women.)

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  2. So the same poskim who hold that a doula is helpful in childbirth, can hold that a female EMT is no more helpful than a male EMT. Thus they can reasonably allow the former while disallowing the latter.

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  3. At least in rare cases, a good doula can mean the difference between life and death. Doctors and nurses can be very manipulative and coercive, pressuring women into c-sections or other interventions that aren't necessary. As with any surgery or other interventions, there can be complications that lead to severe pain or even death. At least in some cases, doulas may be able to serve as support for a woman in making the right decision, which could potentially save her life. So I can understand the ruling that allows one to call doulas on Shabbat.

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  4. I do not know where your assumptions emanate from, however, it would be very difficult for me to imagine that R' Chaim of Brisk, for example, would

    a) be anything but supportive of a doula on shabbos
    b) never specify to a woman the gender of the doctor she might prefer

    This, surely, is about state of mind for a major procedure, and I don't see what this has to do with whether one follows the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov or the Gaon

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  5. pitputim said...

    I do not know where your assumptions emanate from, however, it would be very difficult for me to imagine that R' Chaim of Brisk, for example, would
    =============\\

    It isn't an assumption it was the psak of a well known Brooklyn Litvishe posek compared to a Chassidic one.

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