From the day you decide to have a child to the day Allah blesses you with one, every experience related to pregnancy and childbirth is a life altering one. Allah speaks of the struggles in Surah Al-Ahqaf, Ayah 15: “We have commanded people to honour their parents. Their mothers bore them in hardship and delivered them in hardship.” This is also acknowledged in Surah Maryam, Ayah 23 when Maryam (A.S.) is in labour with Isa (A.S.), “And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date-palm. She said: “Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!”

However, the struggles of pregnancy and childbirth are not left unseen by Allah who rewards mothers for their perseverance and raises them in ranks in this world and the next: 

“A man once consulted the Prophet Muhammad about taking part in a military campaign. The Prophet asked the man if his mother was still living. When told that she was alive, the Prophet said: “(Then) stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet.”

So whether it is the heartburn and nausea or the anxieties of raising a child in the current climate that keeps you up at night, remember that you are not alone and that Allah sees you and knows what is in your heart. In this compilation of duas, you will find what you can read to ease your worries and your physical pain, asking Allah to bless you with righteous children and to make your struggles a way to erase your sins and for Him to reward you tenfold. 

Related: 

In Maryam’s Footsteps: Preparing for Natural Childbirth

“I Am Not Determined by My Ability to Get Pregnant”

Reflections on Going Through a Miscarriage; the Unspoken Journey

Duas for pregnancy

1. O my Lord! Do not leave me alone, while You are the best of inheritors. (The dua of Zakariya (A.S.) Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayah 89)

رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ

Rabbi Laa Tad’arnee Fardaw wa Anta Khayrul Waaritheen

2. My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous. (The dua of Ibrahim (A.S.) Surah Safaat, Ayah 100)

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ

Rabbi hab lee minas saaliheen

3. Oh Allah bestow onto me from You, pure children. Verily you are the listener of du’aas (Dua of Zakariya (A.S.) Surah Al Imran, Ayah 38)

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ

Rabbi Hab Lee Mil Ladunka D’urriyyatan T’ayyibah Innaka Samee-u’d Du’aa

4. Our Lord! Grant unto us wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous. (Dua of Ibrahim (A.S. Surah Al Furqan, Ayah 74)

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامً

Rabbana hab lana min ‘azwajina wathurriyyatina qurrata aAAyunin waijAAalna lilmuttaqeena imama

Duas for the difficulties of pregnancy

5. None has the right to be worshipped except You. How perfect You are. Verily, I was among the wrong-doers. (The dua of Yusuf (A.S.) Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayah 87)

لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّيْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِيْنَ

La illaha illa anta subhanak ‘inny kuntu min aldhaalimeen

Of this dua, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is reported to have said: “No Muslim supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allah responds to him.” (Tirmidhi)

6. My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise. (The dua of Asiya (R.A.) Surah Al Tahrim, Ayah 11)

رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ

Rabbib ni lee ‘indaka baytan fil Jannah

Duas to read during childbirth

7. O Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blinking of an eye (i.e. a moment). Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You.

اللّهُـمَّ رَحْمَتَـكَ أَرْجـوفَلا تَكِلـني إِلى نَفْـسي طَـرْفَةَ عَـيْن، وَأَصْلِـحْ لي شَأْنـي كُلَّـه لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أنْـت

Allahumma rahmataka arju, fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘ayn, wa as-lih li sha’ni kul-lahu, la illaha il-la anta

8. O Allah! Nothing is easy except what You have made easy. If You wish, You can make the difficult easy.

اللهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلا مَا جَعَلتَهُ سَهْلا وَ أنتَ تَجْعَلُ الحزْنَ إذا شِئْتَ سَهْلا

Allahumma la sahla illama ja-‘altahu sahla wa anta taj ‘alu al hazana etha shi’ta sahla

9. There is no might and no power except with Allah.

لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is reported to have said: “‘There is no might and no power except with Allah’” is a remedy for ninety-nine diseases, the lightest of which is anxiety.” – (Mishkat Al Masabih)

10. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say when in distress, “There is no God but Allah, the Knowing, the Clement. There is no God but Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. There is no God but Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth and Lord of the Noble Throne.” [Bukhari]

لا إلهَ إلا اللهُ العَليمُ الحَليم لا إلهَ إلا اللهُ ربُّ العَرْشِ العَظِيْم لا إلهَ إلا اللهُ ربُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الأَرْضِ ربُّ العَرْشِ الكَرِيْم

La ilaha illa Allahu l-Alimu l-Halim. La ilaha illa Allahu Rabbu l-Arshi l-Azim. La ilaha illa Allahu Rabbu s-samawati wa Rabbu l-ardi wa Rabbu l-Arshi l-Karim.

11. Allah is sufficient for me. There is none worthy of worship but Him. I have placed my trust in Him, He is Lord of the Majestic Throne.

حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَآ إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ

Hasbiyallaahu laa ‘ilaaha ‘illaa Huwa ‘alayhi tawakkaltu wa Huwa Rabbul- ‘Arshil -‘Adheem

12. O Living and Eternal Sustainer! By Your mercy I seek relief! (Tirmidhi)

يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّوْمُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيْث

Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum! Bi rahmatika astagheeth!