Pregnancy is a time when every one of your actions has a powerful impact on your baby. Prayers for your baby’s health and fulfilling a segulah for a healthy pregnancy to gain merits can play a role in having an easy pregnancy and birth.
Jewish Pregnancy Customs and Perspectives
Pregnancy is a wonderfully exciting time as you anticipate the birth of your adorable baby. But as you quickly find out, it’s also a very high-impact time. Everything you eat and do affects your fetus. During this foundational time of a baby’s development, there is so much you can do to benefit your baby’s future.
There’s the physical health of the baby, which is affected by the foods you eat, the vitamins you take, and any toxins you are exposed to. As a starting point, giving your baby the highest-quality diet includes being careful to eat only kosher food, laying the groundwork for your baby to have a pure and holy life.
But Jewish pregnancy customs take this idea a step further. Aside from watching your food intake, Jewish tradition instructs pregnant moms to be careful of what they say and dol. Your moods, conversations, and actions at this time will have an impact on your baby’s health as well.
Modern scientific literature supports this idea. Being in a positive, upbeat, and loving atmosphere can have a good effect on the fetus’s health. When the mother is stressed and anxious, that can have a detrimental effect. In fact, there is a tradition in Jewish pregnancy customs not to go to the cemetery during pregnancy. Some suggest that this is because going to the cemetery can distress the expectant mother.
That’s the physical and emotional impact that you have on your child. But even more, you can also influence your child’s spiritual future at this time, through your actions during pregnancy. Where you go and what you see can have an impact on the neshama (soul) of the child you are carrying as well.
Going to shul (synagogue) or looking at the faces of holy people are spiritually beneficial acts you can do. A specific practice according to Jewish pregnancy customs is to avoid looking at impure animals, so, for example, some are careful not to go to the zoo.
When it comes to spiritual actions, one of the most potent things you can do during your pregnancy is to pray for your child. You can pray for your child’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as for his or her success in life. A mother’s prayers for a child are extra-powerful, and it’s never too early to start.
In fact, prayers for a child’s health before a child is born may be even more effective. Jewish sources state that everything hidden, as the health of an unborn child is, is more likely to be affected positively by prayers. Even with the advent of sonograms, fetal testing still doesn’t have 100% accuracy. Because the child’s health is still a hidden matter, prayers for health during pregnancy have an extra power.
There are other spiritually beneficial acts you can do during pregnancy, which are called segulos. Segulos for healthy pregnancy have proven extremely powerful for many people, helping them to carry successfully to full-term, to have an easier labor and delivery, and to merit a healthy child.
The following is a partial list of segulos for a healthy pregnancy.
What is a Segulah for Healthy Pregnancy?
As an expectant mom, you are constantly nurturing your child, even when you’re unaware of it. Most likely, you are also diligently taking your vitamins and carefully following doctor’s orders so that you can carry this pregnancy to full-term successfully and have a healthy baby.
There’s even more you can consciously do to protect your pregnancy, through gaining merits for your baby’s health. Fulfilling a segulah for healthy pregnancy is a positive spiritual action done in your baby’s merit, which can influence the outcome of the pregnancy.
The following segulos are recommended for women who want to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Some of these segulos are practiced specifically to prevent miscarriage, as noted.
- Pray for Health
Praying for your pregnancy’s health is a powerful segulah all on its own. When you pray, you acknowledge that Hashem is the One Who is keeping your pregnancy going, and that is a tremendous merit. In fact, there is a tradition that praying with emotion and especially with tears can prevent miscarriages.
To ask for special prayers for a healthy pregnancy at Rabbi Meir Baal Haness’s kever, see here.
- Check your Mezuzos
The mitzvah (commandment) of mezuzah (placing a parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah on one’s doorpost) is a spiritual protection for us. A segulah for healthy pregnancy is to have your mezuzos checked by a scribe to ensure that they are kosher. This way, you know that your spiritual protection is up to par.
- Take Challah
There are 3 mitzvos that are unique to a woman, (although of course she is obligated in all positive commandments). These are: hadlakas neiros (lighting the Shabbat candles), taharas hamishpachah (family purity), and hafrashas challah (separating a piece of dough).
Being careful with these 3 mitzvos is a zechus (merit) for a pregnant woman. A woman is only obligated in the mitzvah of challah with a bracha if she bakes a dough made of 5 lbs of flour. Making a batch of this size in order to be able to perform the mitzvah with a bracha shows that you are going the extra mile for your special mitzvah, and it serves as a merit for your pregnancy.
The time immediately after you separate the piece of dough for the mitzvah of challah is considered an auspicious time to daven for everything you need. These prayers for your unborn baby, accompanied by the mitzvah of challah, are extremely powerful.
There is also a formal prayer to recite during this time. The text is as follows:
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁהַמִּצְוָה שֶׁל הַפְרָשַׁת חַלָּה תֵּחָשֵׁב כְּאִלּוּ קִיַּמְתִּיהָ בְּכָל פְּרָטֶיהָ וְדִקְדוּקֶיהָ, וְתֵחָשֵׁב הֲרָמַת הַחַלָּה שֶׁאֲנִי מְרִימָה, כְּמוֹ הַקָּרְבָּן שֶׁהֻקְרַב עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, שֶׁנִּתְקַבֵּל בְּרָצוֹן. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁלְּפָנִים הָיְתָה הַחַלָּה נְתוּנָה לַכֹּהֵן וְהָיְתָה זוֹ לְכַפָּרַת עֲוֹנוֹת, כָּךְ תִּהְיֶה לְכַפָּרָה לַעֲוֹנוֹתַי, וְאָז אֶהְיֶה כְּאִלּוּ נוֹלַדְתִּי מֵחָדָשׁ, נְקִיָּה מֵחֵטְא וְעָוֹן. וְאוּכַל לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת שַׁבַּת קֹדֶשׁ וְהַיָּמִים הַטּוֹבִים עִם בַּעֲלִי (וִילָדֵינוּ), לִהְיוֹת נִזּוֹנִים מִקְּדֻשַּׁת הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה. וּמֵהַשְׁפָּעָתָהּ שֶׁל מִצְוַת חַלָּה, יִהְיוּ יְלָדֵינוּ נִזּוֹנִים תָּמִיד מִיָּדָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בְּרֹב רַחֲמָיו וַחֲסָדָיו, וּבְרֹב אַהֲבָה, וְשֶׁתִּתְקַבֵּל מִצְוַת חַלָּה כְּאִלּוּ נָתַתִּי מַעֲשֵׂר. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁהִנְנִי מְקַיֶּמֶת מִצְוַת חַלָּה בְּכָל לֵב, כָּךְ יִתְעוֹרְרוּ רַחֲמָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְשָׁמְרֵנִי מִצַּעַר :וּמִמַּכְאוֹבִים כָּל הַיָּמִים, אָמֵן
The English translation is as follows:
May it be Your Will, Eternal, our G-d, that the commandment of separating challah be considered as if I had performed it with all its details and ramifications. May my elevation of the challah be comparable to the sacrifice that was offered on the altar, which was acceptable and pleasing. Just as giving the challah to the Kohein in former times served to atone for sins, so may it atone for mine, and make me like a person reborn without sins. May it enable me to observe the holy Sabbath (or Festival of…) with my husband (and our children) and to become imbued with its holiness. May the spiritual influence of the mitzvah of challah enable our children to be constantly sustained by the hands of the Holy One, blessed is He, with His abundant mercy, loving-kindness, and love. Consider the mitzvah of challah as if I have given the tithe. And just as I am fulfilling this mitzvah with all my heart, so may Your compassion be aroused to keep me from sorrow and pain, always. Amen.
- Wear an Even Tekuma
The Talmud mentions a certain type of ruby-like precious stone, called an even tekuma, which a pregnant woman can wear to prevent miscarriage. Some Jewish sources claim that in today’s day, we don’t know exactly which precious stone is truly the even tekuma. However, there are gemachim (goodwill societies) who do offer an even tekuma for pregnant women to wear, as well as those who sell them. Before taking advantage of this segulah, you can check with your rabbi that it is something you should do.
- Donate to Charity
Donating to charity is a powerful segulah for healthy pregnancy. Practicing lovingkindness and giving to others arouses Hashem’s desire to be kind to us and give us, too, all that we need.
Therefore, there are those that advise a pregnant woman to give charity every day of her pregnancy, especially in the first 40 days of pregnancy. This is a segulah for healthy pregnancy as well as a segulah to avoid miscarriage.
What is Segula for Easy Birth?
Once you reach the latter half of your pregnancy, you may start thinking about your upcoming big day: your baby’s birth. Giving birth is a unique and special experience, which most pregnant moms plan and prepare for as much as possible. Still, there is no way to predict what will happen during your birth until it actually happens.
Every pregnant woman hopes for an easy labor and delivery, and prepares as much as possible on a practical level. Another very effective way to prepare is through fulfilling segulos for easy labor and delivery.
Segulos for childbirth also add a spiritual dimension to your birth, which you may view as a challenging physical experience. Through segulos for easy labor and delivery, you acknowledge that Hashem is in charge of your birth. This thought allows you to relinquish control and can alleviate stress, as well as serve as a way to make the birth a time of spiritual growth.
The following segulos are listed as a segulah for easy labor and delivery:
- Perform the Pesichah
When a pregnant woman reaches her ninth month, her husband should be called up to open the aron kodesh (the ark for the Torah scrolls) to take out the Torah for its reading. This is called pesichah.
This Jewish pregnancy custom has been passed down for many generations, and it has a deeper significance. As the woman’s husband performs pesichah, opening up for the Torah, the action serves as a wordless prayer to Hashem to open up for the baby, so that it can enter the world painlessly.
- Eat Etrog Jam
Eating etrog (citron) jam is a famous segulah for easy labor and delivery. To prepare the etrog jam, you take an etrog over which a bracha (blessing) was recited upon it on Sukkot. This etrog is cut up and cooked with sugar to create the jam, which a pregnant woman can then eat.
- Recite Nishmas (a prayer of gratitude that is part of the Shabbat prayers)
All prayers are considered a segulah for easy labor and delivery. But the prayer of Nishmas, which is full of Hashem’s praise, is especially auspicious. Many pregnant women are advised to recite Nishmas every day during their pregnancy. This is a segulah both for a healthy pregnancy and for easy labor and delivery.
- Eat the meal of Melava Malka
After Shabbat is over, the fourth meal of Shabbat is eaten, called Melava Malka. The meaning of this name is “accompanying the queen,” and that is the purpose of this meal, to bid goodbye to the Shabbat upon its departure.
Many people neglect to eat this meal, because they are so full from eating the other three meals on Shabbat! But Jewish sources state that being careful to eat this meal throughout pregnancy is a special segulah for easy labor and delivery. When you eat the food, state that you are eating this to fulfill the mitzvah of Melava Malka.
- Donate to Charity
As mentioned above in segulos for healthy pregnancy, giving charity arouses Hashem’s mercy toward us. A woman in labor is especially in need of Hashem’s mercy to give birth painlessly, which is why charity is an answer to what is segula for easy birth.
Giving charity to Torah scholars is an especially great merit to bring to labor and delivery. Donating a small amount every day of the pregnancy is the best way to fulfill this segulah for easy labor and delivery. You can accompany your charitable donation with a prayer, as well.
Rabbi Meir Baal Haness offers you the opportunity to donate charity to Torah scholars as a segulah for easy labor and delivery, which is a wonderful merit for your baby. You can also donate to have special prayers recited to merit an easy birth, at the holy kever of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness.
Segulos for Health and Long Life 
A Guide to Jewish Care
for the Ill
Perspectives on Jewish Health Maintenance 
Jewish Guidance for the Sick
