“ I went off the pill and wanted to get pregnant-- nothing happened for a year. I noticed that my cycle was now much shorter that it had been. Without much internet research I noticed that I had what some called “Halachic Infertility” – ovulating before I got to the Mikveh and suddenly I realized that as long as I kept Halacha, I wasn’t going to get pregnant. I went to the doctor--he quickly gave me a prescription that he said would solve everything. I mentioned the situation to my Yoetzet Halacha Fertility Counslor and she immediately realized I needed a more in-depth discussion than a phone conversation. We met together to go over what was happening in my cycle. She explained how to notice when I was ovulating, how to make sure that I was counting the 7 clean days correctly and no less important we talked about how I felt about what had been going on. She explained to me the different solutions that lay before me in this journey and at this important stage of my life I did not feel alone. “

“When we got married, we knew we were going to have to do PGD because we were both carriers of the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) gene. But we didn’t know what IVF entailed and how a religious couple was supposed to deal with the instructions the doctors gave. I met with a Yoatzot Halacha Fertility Counselor who explained the medical procedures and the halachic ramifications as well. After the first meeting, I called her a few times with more specific questions. She was always available with an answer to my query as well as a conversation as to how I and my husband were dealing with the process. When we gave birth to a gorgeous boy, of course, the Yoetzet Halacha was one of the first people on our guest list for the brit. “

Every question we had was addressed, even details about how to get appointments, where to go, etc. Of course, anything halacha-related was carefully answered or referred to the next level. I felt that I had someone holding my hand through a long and otherwise stressful process, ready to pick me up and listen while also giving me the information I needed. I would definitely come first to a fertility counselor from Nishmat in the future.

Dear --. You may not know, but you were an integral part of our journey toward bringing a child into the world. During this journey we met angels in the form of people who were ready to help at any time anywhere, ready to be there whenever needed. You were absolutely an angel to us. The fertility journey is a challenging one, medically and emotionally, and when the halachic challenge was added to the story, the difficulty only increased. And you were there for us –even when you were on vacation, even right before Shabbat, even when you were abroad. You were always available and wanted to help with infinite sensitivity, which we needed. Hope you know how significant these moments were for us. Nishmat is amazing, giving accurate answers, with a female voice that is so important and necessary. We wish you all the best in the world. May G-d reward you and may you continue to spread good in the world.