What was the most challenging time you went to the mikvah?

amother

Daisy

Tue, Jan 07 2025, 9:36 pm

So many times. But the most terrifying was in a terrible storm with downed power lines bursting into flames in front of the car multiple times. We had to keep rerouting and a 10 minute drive took about 30 minutes. I was so upset and depressed in general and the weather and flames just added to the situation. I almost turned back but I thought of all the stories of people going in terrible weather and then getting pregnant so I went. And, drumroll please.... I did not conceive that night or on the many mikvah nights that followed but bh I did get my little miracle a few years later.

amother

↑ Lotus ↓

Tue, Jan 07 2025, 9:36 pm

amother Lotus wrote:

Newly wed. During Covid.
Had to prep at home and the landlords sewer kept backing up into the bathtub DH had do drain the bathtub manually and clean it for me to bathe. Happened th r first few months till I got pregnant bh.

2 days after moving to a new place.

After my miscarriage.

Preparing in horrible water at home for a Friday night.

At my in laws motza pesach OOT Mikvah was closed had to use a Friday night one (men’s in the day) opened for me.
They heard me in the bath and shower motza pesach since the bathrooms above the kitchen.
And it was just DH me 4 month old twins and almost 2 year old. ( a bunch if years ago) his sibling dint come home.

My father’s cousin was my Mikvah lady bh got pregnant that month. And first time going PP the administrator of the school
Work in was my Mikvah lady I went 6 weeks pp to the day and also went back to work that day and she saw me
Many more times.

Forgot to mention: one time the Mikvah lady was one of my bullies mother.

amother

Anemone

Tue, Jan 07 2025, 9:40 pm

In my early years I literally had ocd before the mikvah. Preparations took me very long. The first Friday night I had to go I was a nervous wreck the entire day. As I walked out of the Mikva I realized I never made a bedika. It was in the summer and BP was empty. We went knocking on doors of dayanin/rabbanim. No one was home. We finally found a rav who paskened that I have to dip again on motze shabbos. Wasn’t fun.

amother

Oak ↓

Tue, Jan 07 2025, 9:41 pm

When my baby was sick in the hospital. Pushed it off 2 nights until she was stable (didn’t leave the hospital, Rav said not to leave her). Once she turned a corner, went home, went to mikvah (they had a room waiting for me at summer busy season), ran to say hi to my other kids, ran back to hospital.

Another time, erev pesach covid.

Another time, Friday night (the next month) during covid. And the outdoor minyan was in my backyard. Walked 30 minutes each way with a neighbor.

amother

Yarrow

Tue, Jan 07 2025, 11:35 pm

amother OP wrote:

For me it was the day my grandmother passed away. I cried to the mikvah lady when I came in and she was so kind.

omg. same exact scenario. it was awful. I found out my grandma was nifteres and had to go to mikva within the next couple of hours. hugs

amother

Red

Wed, Jan 08 2025, 1:25 am

1. Yom tov by in laws
3. First time after miscarriage and husband on night shift
2. First time after baby, night of oot relative wedding, Baruch Hashem it was winter zman , success 👌
3. COVID. Enough said.
4. Blizzard
5. Middle of 3 Day Yom tov, Fri night, mikvah lady forgot and almost didn’t show up 😡
6. Questionable last bdika , running to Bodekes and Rav , extremely late at night , minutes before mikvah closing
7. Now. Another night shift. I hate it.

kermit

Wed, Jan 08 2025, 12:40 pm

The night my first husband A"H was put on life support.

I went so I could daven in the waters, and so I could hold his hand.

I'm still hurting from it 5+ years later but I know I did the right thing and I'm proud of myself.

amother

↑ Lotus ↓

Yesterday at 5:35 pm

Most recent time going, my DC Morah was the Mikvah lady. (I work in the same school)
I was having some issues with her and then a few hours later she sees me dipping and she held a towel up, but saw my whole back going down the steps how awkward and now every day it is so uncomfortable for me because I see her daily.

amother

Natural

Yesterday at 5:55 pm

amother Lotus wrote:

Most recent time going, my DC Morah was the Mikvah lady. I was having some issues with her and then a few hours later she sees me dipping and she held a towel up, but saw my whole back going down the steps how awkward and now every day it is so uncomfortable for me because I see her daily.

You do know that halachically she doesn’t have to see that and shouldn’t be looking right? So sorry for your experience Hug

amother

↑ Lotus

Yesterday at 6:08 pm

amother Natural wrote:

You do know that halachically she doesn’t have to see that and shouldn’t be looking right? So sorry for your experience Hug

Yes I knew that. I only realized once I was all the way down. It’s the first time it happened to me. All the other times the ML turned around fully until I was in the water.

amother

Wisteria

Yesterday at 6:18 pm

Day of multiple close simchas, out of town bar mitzvas etc,
In another country, traveled for a simcha, turned out mikva was night of the simcha, couldn't push it off cuz were leaving the next day spending a few days traveling,
Multiple seder nights including covid
Friday night in my community that doesnt have a walkable mikva
Lots more in my many years of going every month with no breaks
Chasdei Hashem I got to a point that mostly it doesn't stress me, we just look at it like this will be a funny story in the future

amother

IndianRed

Yesterday at 6:53 pm

The night of my husbands best friends wedding. Winter wedding started around 3 and type we were expected to be there til the end of the night.
I was so close to pushing off Mikvah night. My entire family& in laws were invited to the wedding I didn’t want to make a whole thing to leave.
Ended up leaving right before second dance saying I wasn’t feeling well. Got to Mikvah right before closing. Got pregnant with my first that cycle. Smile

amother

Myrtle

Yesterday at 11:52 pm

Friday night in the rain, very far walk, while away for the summer.
My sibling's Shabbos sheva b Friday night not in my home town.
Seder night.
Purim.
Rosh Hashana.
First night sukkos.

amother

Blushpink

Today at 12:10 am

amother Orange wrote:

Long story... my wedding night (after wedding)

ME TOO!!

Also a long story. The worst part was fleeing the scene immediately after the party in a friend's car, giving nonsense excuses to my relatives who were waiting to see me, watched me leave incredulously and didn't hear from me again all that night.

This thread is so inspirational! I cried that night, but now reading what some of you have been through, it feels so small. May Hashem give all of you strength and brachas and nachas from all your children!

amother

Amethyst

Today at 12:16 am

I had just moved to a new town and the only house we could afford was a 25 minute walk to the mikvah. There were no Jews around us then, and I was bitter about it, (B”H now it’s a great block).
Anyways, I was new to town, and didn’t have a rav here yet. I was 15 minutes late on my hefsek on Thursday and asked a rav who was known for nidda and he told me it’s not good and I had to wait until Friday. I was so so upset that I had to go Friday in the pouring November rain and walk instead of being able to go Thursday night and drive. I was so so upset at myself and at the Rav.

(Later I asked my regular rabbi from NY how he would have paskened and he said he would have said something like that is fine).

amother

Jasmine

Today at 12:23 am

I had a surgery to remove a mrsa abscess and then had stitches for a week and the doctor said absolutely can’t bath or go to mikva with stitches so I had push off mikva till I got the stitches out and then I had residue to wash off from the bandages that were covering the stitches so I got to the mikva late that day

amother

↑ Oak

Today at 1:14 am

Mikvah night coming up this Friday night and I have no idea how to work it! 2 teenage boys in shul. DD isn’t old enough to babysit the littles while DH is in shul.

I haven’t gone to mikvah in 18 months due to nursing clean BH. In last 5 years, I went 5 times. Twice postpartum with my 4 year old. Once after I finished nursing him, got pregnant that cycle: and then twice after my baby now. So not used to mikvah altogether. Add to this, Friday night experience 😩. I really have no idea how I’ll do it. Mikvah is 15 min walk each way.