Prayer for Nursing Mothers

A nursing mother’s tefillah asking Hashem for strength, milk, and the bracha to nourish her baby in body and soul.

When Nursing Feels Like More Than You Can Carry

Feeding your baby from your own body is one of the most intimate things a mother can do. It is also one of the most exhausting. The soreness, the worry about whether the baby is getting enough, the nights that blur together. You are giving everything you have, and some days it feels like you have nothing left to give.

You are not alone in this. Hashem sees every feeding, every sleepless night, every quiet moment when you hold your baby close and wonder if you are doing enough. You are.

Kapitel 22 of Tehillim contains a passuk that reaches into the heart of a nursing mother. Dovid HaMelech says to Hashem: “You made me secure at my mother’s breast.” In the middle of a kapitel about calling out to Hashem from the depths, Dovid stops and remembers the earliest moment of trust he ever knew: being held and nursed by his mother. When you say this breastfeeding prayer, you are bringing that same trust before Hashem and asking Him to sustain you as you sustain your child.

Before You Say This Kapitel

You might be sitting right now with your baby in your arms. Or maybe the baby is finally asleep and you have a quiet moment to breathe. Either way, just turn your heart to Hashem. He already knows what you need.

Master of the Universe, You who cast me upon my mother’s breast, now I am the one nursing. Give me enough milk, enough strength, enough patience. Bless this nursing, that the baby may grow healthy and strong from milk of faith. God of Meir, answer me.

If giving tzedakah, add:

In the merit of the tzedakah I give in the Zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, may You nourish me to nourish my baby. Ribbono Shel Olam, I care for Your children, please care for me and my baby.

Kapitel 22: The Full Prayer

ch — a soft sound from the throat, as in “Bach.” ei as in “hey.” ai as in “eye.” oi (Ashkenazi) rhymes with “boy.” a (Sephardi) as in “father.”

Prayer Hebrew Prayer Ashkenazi Prayer Sephardi Prayer English

לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד׃ אֵלִי אֵלִי לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי רָחוֹק מִישׁוּעָתִי דִּבְרֵי שַׁאֲגָתִי׃ אֱלֹהַי אֶקְרָא יוֹמָם וְלֹא תַעֲנֶה וְלַיְלָה וְלֹא־דֻמִיָּה לִי׃ וְאַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ בְּךָ בָּטְחוּ אֲבֹתֵינוּ בָּטְחוּ וַתְּפַלְּטֵמוֹ׃ אֵלֶיךָ זָעֲקוּ וְנִמְלָטוּ בְּךָ בָטְחוּ וְלֹא־בוֹשׁוּ׃ וְאָנֹכִי תוֹלַעַת וְלֹא־אִישׁ חֶרְפַּת אָדָם וּבְזוּי עָם׃ כׇּל־רֹאַי יַלְעִגוּ לִי יַפְטִירוּ בְשָׂפָה יָנִיעוּ רֹאשׁ׃ גֹּל אֶל־יְהֹוָה יְפַלְּטֵהוּ יַצִּילֵהוּ כִּי־חָפֵץ־בּוֹ׃ כִּי־אַתָּה גֹחִי מִבָּטֶן מַבְטִיחִי עַל־שְׁדֵי אִמִּי׃ עָלֶיךָ הׇשְׁלַכְתִּי מֵרָחֶם מִבֶּטֶן אִמִּי אֵלִי אָתָּה׃ אַל־תִּרְחַק מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־צָרָה קְרוֹבָה כִּי־אֵין עוֹזֵר׃ סְבָבוּנִי פָּרִים רַבִּים אַבִּירֵי בָשָׁן כִּתְּרוּנִי׃ פָּצוּ עָלַי פִּיהֶם אַרְיֵה טֹרֵף וְשֹׁאֵג׃ כַּמַּיִם נִשְׁפַּכְתִּי וְהִתְפָּרְדוּ כׇּל־עַצְמוֹתָי הָיָה לִבִּי כַּדּוֹנָג נָמֵס בְּתוֹךְ מֵעָי׃ יָבֵשׁ כַּחֶרֶשׂ כֹּחִי וּלְשׁוֹנִי מֻדְבָּק מַלְקוֹחָי וְלַעֲפַר־מָוֶת תִּשְׁפְּתֵנִי׃ כִּי סְבָבוּנִי כְּלָבִים עֲדַת מְרֵעִים הִקִּיפוּנִי כָּאֲרִי יָדַי וְרַגְלָי׃ אֲסַפֵּר כׇּל־עַצְמוֹתָי הֵמָּה יַבִּיטוּ יִרְאוּ־בִי׃ יְחַלְּקוּ בְגָדַי לָהֶם וְעַל־לְבוּשִׁי יַפִּילוּ גוֹרָל׃ וְאַתָּה יְהֹוָה אַל־תִּרְחָק אֱיָלוּתִי לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה׃ הַצִּילָה מֵחֶרֶב נַפְשִׁי מִיַּד־כֶּלֶב יְחִידָתִי׃ הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי מִפִּי אַרְיֵה וּמִקַּרְנֵי רֵמִים עֲנִיתָנִי׃ אֲסַפְּרָה שִׁמְךָ לְאֶחָי בְּתוֹךְ קָהָל אֲהַלְלֶךָּ׃ יִרְאֵי יְהֹוָה הַלְלוּהוּ כׇּל־זֶרַע יַעֲקֹב כַּבְּדוּהוּ וְגוּרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ כׇּל־זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ כִּי לֹא־בָזָה וְלֹא שִׁקַּץ עֱנוּת עָנִי וְלֹא־הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו מִמֶּנּוּ וּבְשַׁוְּעוֹ אֵלָיו שָׁמֵעַ׃ מֵאִתְּךָ תְּהִלָּתִי בְּקָהָל רָב נְדָרַי אֲשַׁלֵּם נֶגֶד יְרֵאָיו׃ יֹאכְלוּ עֲנָוִים וְיִשְׂבָּעוּ יְהַלְלוּ יְהֹוָה דֹּרְשָׁיו יְחִי לְבַבְכֶם לָעַד׃ יִזְכְּרוּ וְיָשֻׁבוּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְפָנֶיךָ כׇּל־מִשְׁפְּחוֹת גּוֹיִם׃ כִּי לַיהֹוָה הַמְּלוּכָה וּמֹשֵׁל בַּגּוֹיִם׃ אָכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ כׇּל־דִּשְׁנֵי־אֶרֶץ לְפָנָיו יִכְרְעוּ כׇּל־יוֹרְדֵי עָפָר וְנַפְשׁוֹ לֹא חִיָּה׃ זֶרַע יַעַבְדֶנּוּ יְסֻפַּר לַאדֹנָי לַדּוֹר׃ יָבֹאוּ וְיַגִּידוּ צִדְקָתוֹ לְעַם נוֹלָד כִּי עָשָׂה׃

Kapitel 22 was written by Dovid HaMelech. It begins with a cry of abandonment and moves through suffering to a declaration of trust. The pesukim that speak most directly to a nursing mother are 10-11: “You drew me from the womb, made me secure at my mother’s breast. I became Your charge at birth.” Dovid remembers the moment of total dependence on Hashem, and that memory begins with nursing.

When saying this kapitel for yourself and your baby, hold both of your Hebrew names in your heart: your own name, [Your Name] bas, and the baby’s name, [Baby’s Name] ben/bas.

What These Words Mean for You

Mavtichi al sh’dei imi

“Made me secure at my mother’s breast.”
This is the heart of the breastfeeding prayer. Dovid is saying: Hashem, the very first security I ever knew was at my mother’s breast.
Ki Atoh goichi miboten

“You drew me from the womb.”
Before the nursing comes the birth. Dovid places them together because they are one continuous act of Hashem bringing life into the world and sustaining it.

B’cho bot’chu avoiseinu bot’chu vat’fal’teimoi
“In You our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and You rescued them.”

Dovid reaches back to the mothers and fathers before him. Sarah nursed Yitzchak.
Ki loi-vozo v’loi shikatz enus oni

“For Hashem did not scorn, and did not spurn, the plea of anyone lowly.”
The kapitel ends with this promise. Hashem does not dismiss the cry of a person who feels small.

How to Say This Breastfeeding Prayer

There is no wrong time to say Kapitel 22. Many nursing mothers say it during a feeding, holding the siddur or their phone with one hand and the baby with the other. Some say it after putting the baby down, when the house is finally quiet and they can breathe. Some say it first thing in the morning, before the day begins and the exhaustion sets in.

You do not need to stand. You do not need to have a siddur open. If all you can manage is the passuk “mavtichi al sh’dei imi” whispered over your baby’s head, that is a complete tefillah.

Before you begin, set your kavanah. You might say quietly: “Hashem, I am doing everything I can for this baby. Please give me what I need to keep going. More milk, more strength, more patience.”

Tefillah and tzedakah are connected. When you daven for your baby’s nourishment and also give tzedakah to help feed other families, you are combining your tefillah with your ma’asim tovim. Give in the zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, and let your chesed rise together with your words. After the kapitel, you may add: Elokah d’Meir aneni!
Give Tzedakah in the Zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness

The Gemara (Avodah Zarah 18a-18b) tells the story of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness. Bruria’s sister was condemned by the Romans to a house of shame. Rabbi Meir went to rescue her with a sum of money to bribe the guard, and taught the guard to say “Elaha d’Meir aneni!”, God of Meir, answer me. To prove the words would work, Rabbi Meir threw a clod of earth at man-eating dogs that lunged at him, called out the phrase, and the dogs retreated — and the guard, convinced, released her. The guard ultimately was caught and used these words to save his life.

Giving tzedakah in the zechus of Rabbi Meir is not davening to Rabbi Meir. It is asking Hashem to hear your tefillah in the combined merit of this great tzaddik and your own act of chesed. A mother who gives to feed other families while asking Hashem to feed hers is doing something very powerful.

Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities was founded in 1799. It supports talmidei chachamim and families in need in Eretz Yisrael. The scholars in Tiberias daven for those who reach out to them. When you give, your name is brought before Hashem by people who spend their days immersed in Torah and tefillah.

Questions Nursing Mothers Ask

A Brachah for Your Nursing

Maybe the pain, maybe the supply, maybe the sheer exhaustion of giving your body to another person around the clock. Hashem sees all of it.

May Hashem give you enough milk, enough strength, enough patience to feed your baby with menuchas hanefesh. May the nursing go smoothly, the baby latch easily, and your body heal and recover as it needs to. May you feel, even in the hardest moments, that you are doing exactly what Hashem created you to do. And may this little one grow healthy and strong, b’ezras Hashem, from the nourishment only you can give.

You can submit a name to the talmidei chachamim in Tiberias at no cost. They will daven for you and your baby by name. And if you would like to give tzedakah in Rabbi Meir’s zechus as well, your chesed will rise together with your tefillah.