Every pregnancy is a time of joy, hope and often worry, and the Church has always surrounded expectant mothers and their children with prayer. Mary herself, carrying Jesus, hurried to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy. Below are a traditional Catholic prayer of a pregnant woman, prayers for the baby in the womb, for a safe delivery and for a father-to-be, the patron saints of expectant mothers, and the Church’s blessing of a child in the womb.
A traditional prayer of a pregnant woman
This prayer is from William Gahan’s Complete Manual of Catholic Piety, a much-loved nineteenth-century prayer book (opening petition):
O Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, who hath made us out of nothing, and redeemed us by the precious blood of thine only Son, look down upon thy poor handmaid here prostrate before thee, humbly imploring thy mercy, and begging thy blessing for herself and her child, which thou hast given her to conceive. Preserve, I beseech thee, the work of thy hands, and defend both me and the tender fruit of my womb, from all perils and evils; grant me, in due time a happy delivery, and bring my child safe to the font of baptism, that it may there be happily dedicated to thee, to love and serve thee for ever. Amen.
A prayer for my baby in the womb
Written for this page:
Heavenly Father, you knew this child before you formed him (her) in my womb.
Thank you for the gift of this little life.
Keep my baby safe and healthy as he (she) grows,
protect us both from every danger,
and prepare our hearts and our home to welcome him (her) with love.
Mary, Mother of Jesus, hold this child in your care. Amen.
A prayer for a safe delivery
Lord Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary,
be with me as the day of birth draws near.
Give me courage and peace in labor,
guide the hands of the doctors, nurses and midwives,
and bring my baby safely into the world.
St. Gerard and St. Anne, pray for us. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
A prayer for a difficult or high-risk pregnancy
Lord, you are the giver and lover of life.
You know my fear and the dangers we face.
Hold my child and me in your hands,
give wisdom to those who care for us,
and grant us the grace to trust you in every outcome.
Our Lady of Sorrows, stay close to me. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. If you have suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth, our prayers for deceased loved ones and the Church’s funeral rites are for you too: every child, however small, can be named, mourned and commended to God.
A prayer for the father-to-be
St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and Mary,
help me to love and protect my wife and our child.
Make me patient, strong and gentle,
and teach me to be a good father, as you were. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
Scripture for expectant mothers
The Visitation: Elizabeth’s child leaps for joy:
And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.
God knows every child from the womb:
Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast protected me from my mother’s womb.
I will praise thee, for thou art fearfully magnified: wonderful are thy works, and my soul knoweth right well.
My bone is not hidden from thee, which thou hast made in secret: and my substance in the lower parts of the earth.
Thy eyes did see my imperfect being, and in thy book all shall be written: days shall be formed, and no one in them.
Patron saints of pregnancy and childbirth
| Saint | Invoked for | Feast day |
|---|---|---|
| St. Gerard Majella | Expectant mothers, safe delivery | October 16 |
| Sts. Joachim and Anne | Parents, mothers, grandparents | July 26 |
| St. Raymond Nonnatus | Childbirth, midwives | August 31 |
| St. Gianna Beretta Molla | Mothers, doctors, unborn children | April 28 |
| St. Elizabeth | Expectant mothers (with the Visitation, May 31) | November 5 |
St. Gerard Majella (1726–1755), a Redemptorist lay brother, is the best-known patron of expectant mothers: shortly before his death he left his handkerchief with a family, and it later helped a young mother in a dangerous labor. St. Gianna Beretta Molla (1922–1962), an Italian pediatrician, refused treatment that would have ended her unborn daughter’s life, and died a week after her birth. See also patron saints of the family.
The blessing of a child in the womb
The Church’s Book of Blessings includes a blessing of parents before childbirth, and in the United States the bishops have approved a Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb (2012). Ask your parish priest or deacon: the blessing can be given after Mass or at home, and many parishes offer it to all expectant mothers on Mother’s Day or near the feast of the Visitation.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of pregnancy?
St. Gerard Majella is the patron most often invoked by expectant mothers, together with St. Anne, the mother of Mary.
Is there a novena for a safe pregnancy?
Yes. Many mothers pray to St. Gerard Majella for nine days, especially in the last weeks of pregnancy, or pray the prayers above daily with a Hail Mary.
Can my unborn baby be blessed?
Yes. Ask a priest or deacon for the blessing of a child in the womb, and pray over your child yourself every day: parents bless their children by their prayer.
More prayers for families
- St. Gianna Beretta Molla
- Patron saint of mothers
- Catholic prayer for fertility
- Catholic prayer for a newborn baby
- Psalm 139 (You have searched me and known me)
- Catholic prayer after a miscarriage
- Prayer for a baby in the NICU
- St. Gerard prayer for mothers
- Catholic prayer for children
- Catholic prayer for family
- Catholic baptism guide
- St. Anne prayer
- Prayers of the Faithful for mothers
Texts and sources
- Prayer for a pregnant woman: William Gahan, The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety (nineteenth-century edition, Project Gutenberg #62988), opening petition, public domain.
- Scripture: Luke 1:41–45; Jeremias (Jeremiah) 1:5; Psalm 138:13–16 (Psalm 139 in modern Bibles), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The other prayers were written for this page.