Traditional prayer
Prayer for the Unborn Child
Almighty and all-merciful God, Creator and Preserver of all things, Thou who, according to the counsel of Thy wisdom and goodness, hast blessed my matrimonial union,
how many reasons have I not to thank Thee for having held me worthy to cooperate in the fulfilment of Thy fatherly intentions, according to which Thou hast again given existence to a man, destined to glorify Thy holy name for time and eternity!
Oh, that I may understand well my part now and perform it!
Bless me, O my God, and bless my child, which I consecrate to Thee. Thou hast given it to me, and I give it back to Thee.
Preserve this precious pledge under Thy fatherly protection, and assist me that I may avoid, as much as possible, whatever may have a pernicious influence on it.
Guard me against bad inclinations and inordinate desires; against anger and indignation; against vanity, and against all that is sinful and displeasing in Thy sight.
Inspire my heart with sentiments of true piety, and direct all my inclinations towards what is good and pleasing to Thee, so that already now the growing heart of my child may become inclined to what is truly good and perfect.
Be Thou, O God! my protection and defence, so that nothing hurtful may happen to me.
O Father of men and of my children, mercifully bring Thy work in me to perfection, and grant that I may one day praise Thy holy name in the joy that a man has been born into the world.
Through Jesus Christ. Amen.
About this prayer
This prayer was written for an expectant mother. It comes from The Christian Mother, a book of instruction and prayers for Catholic mothers published by Benziger Brothers in 1880. At its centre is an act of consecration made before the child is ever seen: “Thou hast given it to me, and I give it back to Thee.”
Read “a man” in the old sense of a human being, as in the Gospel the prayer echoes at its close: “A woman, when she is in labour, hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she hath brought forth the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world” (John 16:21, Douay-Rheims).
Scripture speaks of the child in the womb as known and loved by God: “thou hast protected me from my mother’s womb... Thy eyes did see my imperfect being” (Psalm 138:13, 16, Douay-Rheims; Psalm 139 in modern Bibles). When Mary, carrying Christ, greeted Elizabeth, “the infant in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44). The Church teaches that every human life is owed absolute respect and protection from conception onward (CCC 2270).
If this pregnancy was unexpected, or is hard, or frightening, the prayer still asks for exactly what you need: grace, and protection for you both. Its petitions against anger and vanity ask for virtue for your own soul; they do not mean that a mother’s moods, fears or sins decide who her child will become, and nothing in this prayer means that a mother is to blame for a loss. The old translation calls the baby “it,” but the same prayer calls the child “this precious pledge.” If you are carrying this child without a husband, pass over the words about marriage in the first line; the rest is yours entire. And if you have lost a baby before birth, this page may be hard to read. Our companion in sorrow, Mater Dolorosa, was written for you.
When to pray it
- The day you learn you are expecting.
- Each morning of the pregnancy, with a hand on your child.
- Before each appointment and scan.
- When you feel the child move for the first time.
- With your husband at night, praying for the child together.
- If this pregnancy frightens you and you need practical help, call or text Option Line at 1-800-712-4357. If you feel unwell, call your doctor or midwife; in an emergency, call 911.