Techinot- Traditional Women's Prayers for Pregnancy
Traditional Women’s Prayers for Pregnancy
The following techinot are for women to recite during pregnancy
(Appeared Originally in the Yiddish Zultsbach prayer book from 1825):
“May it be your will G-d, my L-rd and the L-rd of my ancestors, that you will ease for me the difficulty of pregnancy, and that You will increase my strength, and the strength of my fetus, so that my strength and the strength of my fetus will not be weakened by any weakness or loss of strength. And that you will save me from the slip of Eve, who was punished, “I will increase your suffering and distress, with suffering you will give birth to children.” When my time to give birth will arrive, I will give birth easily, and without any pain, and the baby will go out into the air of the world easily, and without any harm to me or to the baby. And the baby will be born with good luck [mazal tov], into life, peace, health, wealth, and honor, and will find grace in Your eyes and in the eyes of all your creations, and through this child will be fulfilled the verse: “There will not be a mourner or a barren woman in your land, I will give you a full life,” so you will complete my days and years, and my husband and I will be able to raise this child to serve You and we will merit to teach this child your holy Torah, and we will merit to have peace and wealth, honor and rest. And guard us, my fetus and me, that we will not be harmed, not physically, and not in any of our limbs, and not in any of our nerves, and not in our skin and not in our flesh, and not on the inside of our bodies or on the outside. And you will strengthen my courage, my strength, and my might, as it says: “There will be healing for your flesh, and refreshment for your bones.”
My eyes are raised up to You, so that You will answer me, G-d, my L-rd, and I will rejoice in G-d, Who helps me and saves me, G-d my savior, who rushes to assist me. I am looking forward to your salvation, G-d, at every moment. G-d, hear my voice, have mercy upon me and answer me. Do this for the sake of the holy Patriarchs, who resided in dust, and in the merit of their good deeds. You will remember their love and you will keep alive their seed, and you will save me from all bad sicknesses and painful things, and you will bless me, as You promised in your holy Torah through Moses, the loyal one of Your house, “I will love you, and bless you, and increase you, and I will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land: your wheat, your wine, your pure oil, the increase of your cattle and the flocks of your sheep, in the land which G-d swore to your ancestors to give to you. You will be blessed above all the nations, and there will be no barren men or women among you or among your cattle.” So too you should bless me, and have mercy upon me, and answer me, and lengthen our days with goodness and pleasantness, as it is written, “I will satisfy him with long days, and I will show him my salvation,” Amen.
Traditional Prayer (Techina) for the Husband to recite during Wife’s Pregnancy:
Master of the Universe! I thank You for your graciousness to me in granting your maidservant, my wife, pregnancy. May the Name of G-d be blessed and uplifted above all blessing and praise. Therefore, may it be Your will, Hashem our G-d, and G-d of our ancestors, to have mercy on all the pregnant women of Your nation Israel. Ease their suffering in pregnancy, and save them from miscarrying an unborn child. Spare those that are in labor from all evil with Your abundant compassion, and let them give birth to (children that will have) good lives. Among them, may Your compassion come forth on behalf of my wife, Your maidservant (fill in wife’s name) daughter of (fill in mother-in-law’s name) and ease the pains of her pregnancy, and when the term of her pregnancy is complete, may she give birth easily, and let the child be born into the world at an appropriate time with good fortune for us and for the child. Let no sickness or blemish affect the mother or the child. May the child be whole in all its limbs and senses. May goodness be decreed upon this child, so that it will have good fortune. May I rejoice in my offspring and may my wife be happy with her children in this world and in the world to come, so that we may not be ashamed or discomfited, and not stumble forever and ever. In Your great, mighty and awesome holy Name we trust. Oh G-d, full of mercy, be abundantly merciful with us, and seal the mouth of the accuser that he not harm my wife at the time she gives birth, and may all those that rise up against us to do harm fall with terror and dread, and be silent as if struck by a stone before Your mighty right hand. Bring Your compassion swiftly to assist us, for we are brought very low.