(Novena and prayers for gestation)
Initial prayer for pregnancy:
“God the Father Almighty, I am your daughter and at this moment I am expecting your child and carrying it in my womb. Each child is yours first and then of the parents. Take care of this child and your parents too. Take care of me, I am the mother of this child at this time of pregnancy. Enlighten me about the grace of motherhood and the gift of each life that you bring to this world. Each child has infinite value for You. You are the Creator and you love your creature infinitely. Guide me with the Holy Spirit through your Word and the Eucharist to feed my soul. Take away all worry and fear. I know you are with all your children and pregnant women. Help me to bear all the sacrifices of pregnancy and childbirth. Rescue pregnant women and newborns from all ills during childbirth. Stay with me at all times until the birth of this child, who I already consecrate to You, my Heavenly Father, through the intercession of Our Lady of Childbirth. Amen."
“God the Father Almighty, I am your daughter and at this moment I am expecting your child and carrying it in my womb. Each child is yours first and then of the parents. Take care of this child and your parents too. Take care of me, I am the mother of this child at this time of pregnancy. Enlighten me about the grace of motherhood and the gift of each life that you bring to this world. Each child has infinite value for You. You are the Creator and you love your creature infinitely. Guide me with the Holy Spirit through your Word and the Eucharist to feed my soul. Take away all worry and fear. I know you are with all your children and pregnant women. Help me to bear all the sacrifices of pregnancy and childbirth. Rescue pregnant women and newborns from all ills during childbirth. Stay with me at all times until the birth of this child, who I already consecrate to You, my Heavenly Father, through the intercession of Our Lady of Childbirth. Amen."
Final prayer to Our Lady of Childbirth:
“Dear Mother, Our Lady of Good Birth, right now, I expect your child. I want to wait with the same love with which you waited for the Baby Jesus in your womb. Help me at all times. Take away all my fear, for you are beside all of us who beseech You. Give me patience, strength and courage in the difficulties in my way, just as You had a long and hard journey to Bethlehem. But in the end, Jesus was born and your Heart was filled with joy. My heart will also rejoice with this child who I hope. This is your child too, my dear Mother. After the birth, help me and the father to raise this child throughout the life. Livelihood is not always easy, as your life in Nazareth with Saint Joseph was poor to raise the Child Jesus. But the providence of the Heavenly Father will help us. Illuminate my doctor and every nurse who will help me during childbirth. Protect pregnant women and babies of whole world with your sacred mantle. Deliver us from all dangers, diseases and fear. Give us the grace of good births. Help me during my childbirth and my pains. From now on, I also consecrate this child to You, Our Mother. Our Lady of Childbirth, pray for us and for all pregnant women and babies! Amen."
“Dear Mother, Our Lady of Good Birth, right now, I expect your child. I want to wait with the same love with which you waited for the Baby Jesus in your womb. Help me at all times. Take away all my fear, for you are beside all of us who beseech You. Give me patience, strength and courage in the difficulties in my way, just as You had a long and hard journey to Bethlehem. But in the end, Jesus was born and your Heart was filled with joy. My heart will also rejoice with this child who I hope. This is your child too, my dear Mother. After the birth, help me and the father to raise this child throughout the life. Livelihood is not always easy, as your life in Nazareth with Saint Joseph was poor to raise the Child Jesus. But the providence of the Heavenly Father will help us. Illuminate my doctor and every nurse who will help me during childbirth. Protect pregnant women and babies of whole world with your sacred mantle. Deliver us from all dangers, diseases and fear. Give us the grace of good births. Help me during my childbirth and my pains. From now on, I also consecrate this child to You, Our Mother. Our Lady of Childbirth, pray for us and for all pregnant women and babies! Amen."
First day: (Ecclesiasticus 2, 1-13) "Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation. Humble thy heart, and endure: incline thy ear, and receive the words of understanding: and make not haste in the time of clouds. Wait on God with patience: join thyself to God, and endure, that thy life may be increased in the latter end. Take all that shall be brought upon thee: and in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience. For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation. "Believe God, and he will recover thee: and direct thy way, and trust in him. Keep his fear, and grow old therein. Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy: and go not aside from him, lest ye fall. Ye that fear the Lord, believe him: and your reward shall not be made void. Ye that fear the Lord, hope in him: and mercy shall come to you for your delight. Ye that fear the Lord, love him, and your hearts shall be enlightened. My children behold the generations of men: and know ye that no one hath hoped in the Lord, and hath been confounded. For who hath continued in his commandment, and hath been forsaken? or who hath called upon him, and he despised him? For God is compassionate and merciful, and will forgive sins in the day of tribulation: and he is a protector to all that seek him in truth."
Second day: (Psalm 144) "I will extol thee, O God my king: and I will bless thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever. Every day I will bless thee: and I will praise thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and of his greatness there is no end. Generation and generation shall praise thy works: and they shall declare thy power. They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of thy holiness: and shall tell thy wondrous works. And they shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and shall declare thy greatness. They shall publish the memory of the abundance of thy sweetness: and shall rejoice in thy justice. The Lord is gracious and merciful: patient and plenteous in mercy. The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Let all thy works, O lord, praise thee: and let thy saints bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom: and shall tell of thy power: To make thy might known to the sons of men: and the glory of the magnificence of thy kingdom. Thy kingdom is a kingdom of all ages: and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. The Lord lifteth up all that fall: and setteth up all that are cast down. The eyes of all hope in thee, O Lord: and thou givest them meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand, and fillest with blessing every living creature. The Lord is just in all his ways: and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him: to all that call upon him in truth. He will do the will of them that fear him: and he will hear their prayer, and save them. The Lord keepeth all them that love him; but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless thy holy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever."
Third day: (II Coríntios 5, 17-21. 6,2) "If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new. But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ; and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. For God indeed was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their sins; and he hath placed in us the word of reconciliation. For Christ therefore we are ambassadors, God as it were exhorting by us. For Christ, we beseech you, be reconciled to God. Him, who knew no sin, he hath made sin for us, that we might be made the justice of God in him. And we helping do exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith: In an accepted time have I heard thee; and in the day of salvation have I helped thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
Fourth day: (Colossenses 3, 12-17) "Put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection: And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."
Fifth day: (Filipenses 4, 4-9) "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice. Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh. Be nothing solicitous; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever modest, whatsoever just, whatsoever holy, whatsoever lovely, whatsoever of good fame, if there be any virtue, if any praise of discipline, think on these things. The things which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, these do ye, and the God of peace shall be with you."
Sixth day: (Galatians 6, 2-10) "Bear ye one another's burdens; and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ. For if any man think himself to be some thing, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every one prove his own work, and so he shall have glory in himself only, and not in another. For every one shall bear his own burden. And let him that is instructed in the word, communicate to him that instructeth him, in all good things. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting. And in doing good, let us not fail. For in due time we shall reap, not failing. Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith."
Seventh day: (Psalm 26, 1-4.7-9.11-14) "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh. My enemies that trouble me, have themselves been weakened, and have fallen. If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident. One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple. Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee: have mercy on me and hear me. My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek. Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not; do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour. Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way, and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies. Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself. I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord."
Eighth day: (Psalm 118, 105-120) "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths. 106. I have sworn and am determined to keep the judgments of thy justice. I have been humbled, O Lord, exceedingly: quicken thou me according to thy word. The free offerings of my mouth make acceptable, O Lord: and teach me thy judgments. My soul is continually in my hands: and I have not forgotten thy law. Sinners have laid a snare for me: but I have not erred from thy precepts. I have purchased thy testimonies for an inheritance for ever: because they are a joy to my heart. I have inclined my heart to do thy justifications for ever, for the reward. I have hated the unjust: and have loved thy law. Thou art my helper and my protector: and in thy word I have greatly hoped. Depart from me, ye malignant: and I will search the commandments of my God. Uphold me according to thy word, and I shall live: and let me not be confounded in my expectation. Help me, and I shall be saved: and I will meditate always on thy justifications. Thou hast despised all them that fall off from thy judgments; for their thought is unjust. I have accounted all the sinners of the earth prevaricators: therefore have I loved thy testimonies. Pierce thou my flesh with thy fear: for I am afraid of thy judgments."
Ninth day: (Psalm 32) "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just: praise becometh the upright. Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings. Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness. He loveth mercy and judgment. The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth: Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the depths in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him. For he spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created. The Lord bringeth to naught the counsels of nations; and he rejecteth the devices of people, and casteth away the counsels of princes. But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance. The Lord hath looked from heaven: he hath beheld all the sons of men. From his habitation which he hath prepared, he hath looked upon all that dwell on the earth. He who hath made the hearts of every one of them: who understandeth all their works. The king is not saved by a great army: nor shall the giant be saved by his own great strength. Vain is the horse for safety: neither shall he be saved by the abundance of his strength. Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy. To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector. For in him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in thee."
