Should pregnant women fast?
Fasting for Christians involves not only abstaining from certain types of food, namely meat and other products obtained from animals, but also abstaining from entertainment. A person who follows the instructions of the church must forget about meat products, and must also behave meekly and mercifully.
The Church does not require the following categories of Christians to abstain from animal food:
- pregnant women;
- nursing mothers;
- children;
- students;
- seriously ill people;
- elderly people;
- travelers.
These believers are allowed to limit themselves in food to the best of their ability, without exhausting their body. Pregnant women are not prohibited from fasting or abstaining from certain foods, but they should be more attentive to spiritual restrictions. A pregnant woman should not use foul language, be rude, or do rash acts.
A pregnant woman during Lent should remain patient and meek, despite hormonal surges
Fasting during pregnancy in Orthodoxy
In Orthodoxy, fasting is primarily a cleansing of the soul. Therefore, it is important to attend church throughout this period, pray, attend confession and receive communion. A pregnant woman should have pure thoughts and not envy other people. She should not judge anyone or show anger.
Important! If disagreements arise between close relatives, the pregnant woman should not show her anger. At such moments, it is better to show strength of character, expressed in humility and patience.
During the period of spiritual and physical cleansing, a pregnant woman cannot have fun, watch TV, read books or go online.
Should pregnant women fast: Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, like the Orthodox Church, requires compliance with all canons. During fasting, you cannot eat animal products or have fun. But the requirements are not as strict as in Orthodoxy. Parishioners can only refuse food that they consider harmful to the body. This could be sweets, drinks or fast food.
Fasting lasts for 40 days; during this period, Catholics do not completely refuse to eat. You just need to reduce the amount of food you eat. One meal should be complete, and during others the portion size is reduced, i.e. its weight is reduced.
Catholics also have a day of abstinence, during which they do not eat animal products. But only a believer can decide whether to adhere to these recommendations or not.
The body of the expectant mother requires sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals
A pregnant woman, limiting her food intake according to the canons of the Catholic Church, will not harm either herself or the child.
“With toxicosis to the Chalice?”
“How can I receive communion now? You can’t really take anything in your mouth, so how can you begin to take the Chalice?” – it was with such a question, far from being highly spiritual, that my “pregnant” spiritual life began, overcome by the notorious toxicosis.
...The emotions that surged after seeing – unexpected, but cherished – two strips of a pregnancy test subsided a little. And life began to throw up many questions related specifically to the spiritual component of pregnancy, and the answers were often little more than “fast, pray more and don’t be nervous”...
But what to do if very often the distance between “how I should” fast and pray and “how I can” increases with each month of pregnancy? I would like to make one reservation, very banal at first glance, but nevertheless significant.
There is no single advice and there cannot be.
The measure of fasting and prayer must be sought based on the current situation, of course, in agreement with the confessor or parish priest
Because the course of pregnancy is very individual for each woman. Some people seem to fly on wings for 9 months and work almost until giving birth, while others don’t have to carry their pregnancy to term, but literally “stay” in hospitals. Therefore, you need to look for the measure of fasting and prayer yourself, based on the current situation, of course, in agreement with your confessor or parish priest.
For a long time I was depressed by the fact that I could not maintain the rhythm of spiritual life that was set before pregnancy and childbirth. But somehow I “suffered” or something, the conclusion that the “feat” of this period consists of enduring one’s ailments, limitations, the inability to fulfill one’s plans and accepting one’s weakness.
Yes, not everything will work out. Not everything will be successful. Most likely, you won’t get to all the services you want to attend (after childbirth for sure). But don't be discouraged! The main thing is to strive forward, at least in small steps. If you won’t be able to stand as before during the entire service, sit on a bench and pray; you won’t be able to get into church at all – try to read the prescribed reading at home.
The slightest deviation from the norm - and the doctor can ask the question head-on: “Well, are we going to save it? Or for an abortion?
What is strongly tested is your trust in God and His Providence. Without this, unfortunately, it’s too often to visit our doctors and ultrasounds, and it’s scary to look in. If in some countries the attitude towards a pregnant woman is like a healthy woman in a special condition, then in our country they are ready to make a problem out of nothing. I remember how during my first pregnancy the doctor made a fuss because my hemoglobin was slightly low (which is normal!). Well, I, being naively frightened, came out crying, convinced that something terrible had happened. The slightest deviation from the norm - and the doctor can ask the question head-on: “Well, are we going to save it? Or for an abortion? I am in no way saying that all doctors do this, but once you encounter something like this, you won’t forget it for a long time. And if the problems are serious, the poor pregnant woman is bombarded with everything and everyone with intimidation, horror stories “about such fools who are going to give birth at any cost,” and so on. There are many cases where women give birth to healthy children despite the most dire medical forecasts. Well, after such an ordeal, I want to write a book about mothers, “How the Steel Was Tempered.”
In one of the hospitals where I happened to be in conservancy, due to the poor quality of the ultrasound machine, the heartbeat of an 8-week-old baby could not be heard, and the mother was sent for an abortion. Despite the fact that the woman barely became pregnant after several years of married life. Thank God, she sent these doctors “to hell,” went to a normal hospital, and then safely carried and gave birth to a baby, and more than one. What if I had listened to “good” advisers?!
Now about “preservation,” which now rarely anyone manages to avoid. A huge advantage of some perinatal centers is the presence of a temple on their territory. No one will stop you from coming to church and praying quietly between procedures, quiet time and dinner. Many take prayer books and their favorite icons with them to the hospital.
Since there is plenty of free time in the hospital, you can stock up on interesting and useful literature. I will give you a few books that were useful to me. Firstly, this is a book by Orthodox psychologist and mother of many children, Ekaterina Burmistrova, “Pregnancy. Childbirth. Motherhood". Great read. Especially for those who are preparing to become mothers for the first time. Interesting and colorfully designed, it can also be a wonderful gift for a sister or friend who is expecting a child. It touches on all the main problems that a woman and her family face during pregnancy and after childbirth.
Secondly, the book “Your Baby from Birth to Two” by William and Martha Sears. This is a treasure trove of practical tips for caring for your baby. A wide variety of issues are considered in great detail, starting with what things need to be prepared for the birth of a baby, and ending with a consideration of the reasons for the baby’s restless sleep and the main stages of its development.
When most of the pregnancy is over, the thought of the upcoming birth appears more and more often in your head. Often the lion's share of these thoughts is occupied by fear. Fear of the unknown, pain, unpredictability... And all sorts of stories about difficult births or inattentive doctors, heard in the ward or read on the Internet, do their job.
In the letters of Ambrose of Optina, the elder gives advice to a woman who is afraid of difficulties in childbirth to turn to the “Feodorovskaya” icon of the Mother of God.
In the letters of Ambrose of Optina, presented in the book “Advice to Spouses and Parents,” the elder gives advice to a woman who is afraid of difficulties in childbirth to turn to the “Feodorovskaya” Icon of the Mother of God (celebrated on March 27 and August 29 in the new style). He also writes: “You can pray to the Queen of Heaven every day, reading “Hail to the Virgin Mary” to Her at least twelve times a day, even with bows from the waist. Read the kontakion to Her the same number of times: “The imams have no other help.”
Priest in the maternity hospital
It is very advisable to receive communion and unction closer to the expected date of birth. You feel calmer and more confident, and anxious moods disappear. I speak from personal experience: my first labor began the night after Communion, and the second - the next day after the unction.
There is also a good tradition of taking a blessing from a priest for childbirth. You can also ask him to read a special prayer before childbirth.
As for the birth itself. Some people take a prayer book with them to the birthing unit, and while the pain is not very severe, they read the akathist to the icon of the Mother of God “Helper in Childbirth,” while others prefer to pray short prayers throughout the birth. It’s good if your loved ones and friends pray for you during this difficult time.
A lot of difficulties, a lot of worries, a lot of pain... But what is all this compared to the first movements of the baby in the stomach? Or the beat of his heart, which the doctor lets you listen to on an ultrasound, forgetting that overly sentimental pregnant women immediately start to cry?
Probably, it is precisely in these far from simple times that the call of the Apostle Paul to “rejoice always” will be fulfilled as never before.
Recommendations for nutrition for pregnant women during fasting
For the normal development of the fetus, the mother's body must receive protein, calcium, and vitamin B. If these substances are not present in the diet, there is a risk of miscarriage or premature birth.
Protein can be obtained from the following foods: buckwheat, beans or soy. But it is poorly absorbed by the body. In addition, vegetables will not be able to enrich the body with a sufficient amount of iron, unlike meat and products made from it.
A pregnant woman during strict fasting can include fish, eggs and dairy products in her diet if her body needs it. But all food is prepared simply, without any frills, so that the food plays the role of medicine and does not bring pleasure.
How to prepare a child for Communion?
Children should prepare for Communion starting at age 7. Until this time, they are considered infants and receive communion without preparation.
Infants are brought to church just before Communion. It is advisable that by the beginning of the Sacrament more than two hours have passed after feeding, and the child has not vomited the Holy Gifts. If this happens, clothes stained with drops of the Blood of Christ must be left in the temple and then burned. To avoid such a situation, it is recommended to have a handkerchief or baby bib with you.
Small children 4-5 years old can be taught to take Communion on an empty stomach gradually: leaving the house for church before breakfast, and after Communion feeding the child in the refectory with pies, cottage cheese or another type of snack that you brought with you. So, by the age of seven, the child will get used to taking part in the Sacrament and will calmly fast and learn to confess. In this case, personal example is required - the mother prepares and receives communion together with the child.
Is it possible for pregnant women to receive communion without fasting?
Communion is a sacrament during which a believer receives God's blessing and eats bread and wine. To receive communion, a believer needs to undergo special training, which consists of the following activities:
- in a three-day food intake restriction;
- in attending evening service;
- in reading prayers.
Pregnant women are not prohibited from confessing and receiving communion
According to the church, pregnancy during Lent is not a reason for refusal of the sacrament of communion.
Preparing for confession and communion for a pregnant woman
A pregnant woman is given a slight relaxation before confession and communion. She may not deny herself the consumption of meat and dairy products, especially if the expectant mother is constantly unwell. It is enough to attend the evening service, fast for just one day and read prayers for three days.
It is advisable to consult with a priest about how a pregnant woman should prepare for confession and communion. To do this, you need to come to church a week before the sacrament and after the service discuss all issues with the Holy Father.
How to prepare for Communion for a nursing mother?
After 40 days after the birth of the child, a cleansing prayer is read over the woman, and she can again participate in church services and the Sacraments. But most often, the appearance of a baby in the house makes it difficult for a young mother to attend church, as does the ability to observe strict fasting in the days of preparation for Communion.
It is important that the newborn receives all the necessary nutrients and beneficial substances with mother’s milk, so the nursing mother’s diet should include meat, eggs, and dairy products. In this case, the woman’s preparation for communion consists of intense prayer when time permits. It is believed that the period of caring for a newborn, its feeding and Christian upbringing is service to God and the Church.
