a North Dakotan girl through and through, wife, mother and die hard Catholic.

A few of favorite simple prayers during pregnancy beyond the rosary and lectio divina!

Pregnancy is such a sacred, tender time—a season of hidden growth, quiet anticipation, and deep interior transformation. With each flutter and kick, I’m reminded that I am not just carrying a child—I am carrying a soul loved infinitely by God and He entrusted me to be this child’s mother. In this time of waiting and growth (both in the spiritual and the physical), I’ve found such comfort in prayer surrendering all my desires to Him and offering up any of the undesirables. These simple, beautiful words have become like breath to me, grounding me when I’m weary, lifting me when I’m uncertain, and wrapping me in peace when I’m overwhelmed.

Here are a few of the prayers that have become dear companions during these months of expectancy:

“Lord, continue me to be a sanctuary.”

This prayer is whispered often that reminds me of a quote I heard over a decade ago by Venerable Fulton Sheen that ” A mother when pregnant is a walking tabernacle of life”—sometimes through tears of joy or grief, sometimes in awe. As my body becomes a living tabernacle, I ask the Lord to make me a sanctuary not only physically, but spiritually. A dwelling place of peace. A haven for His presence. A mother not just in body, but in soul.

“Jesus, I trust in You.”

These five words have become my anchor. When anxiety creeps in, when the unknown looms large, —I return to this simple act of surrender. Trust is a daily decision, and this prayer helps me to lay down fear and receive the grace of the present moment.

“Mary, lend me your heart.”

There are days when I feel my limits so clearly—when patience runs thin or exhaustion takes hold with three little boys and a husband with a long and ever changing schedule in medicine. It’s then I turn to Mary, asking her to lend me her heart. Her quiet strength. Her tenderness. Her unwavering yes. In her Immaculate Heart, I find a model of motherhood I long to imitate.

“Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.”

A prayer I was inspired to pray since my freshman year of high school by Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. This prayer has been a balm in moments of loneliness and longing. Being away from our community in ND during this season can feel isolating at times, and there’s something deeply comforting about asking Mary to draw near—to mother me as I mother and prepare to mother this new child. Her nearness reminds me that I am never alone and look to her in time of need and guidance and she always brings me back to her Son, Jesus.

“Mary, I give you the right to distribute the graces of my prayers as you see fit.”

In pregnancy, I’ve realized how many things are outside of my control—but grace is never wasted. I pray and offer everything: the aches, the joys, the waiting. And then I entrust it all to her, confident that she will place each prayer exactly where it is most needed to those in my life!

Morning Glory Consecration Prayer

This beautiful act of surrender has been a milestone in my spiritual life during pregnancy. Each line is a letting-go, a giving-over to the one who knows me and loves me best. I speak these words slowly, offering my body, my soul, and every part of my motherhood to Mary. Her hands are gentle. Her heart is on fire with love. And through this prayer, I find the courage to keep saying yes.

“I, ________________ , a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before. In the presence of all the heavenly court I choose thee this day for my Mother and Mistress. I deliver and consecrate to thee, as thy slave, my body and soul, my goods, both interior and exterior, and even the value of all my good actions, past, present and future; leaving to thee the entire and full right of disposing of me, and all that belongs to me, without exception, according to thy good pleasure, for the greater glory of God in time and in eternity.”

I hold these words close, especially in moments when I feel small or unsure. They remind me that even my littlest offerings can be instruments of great grace. Remember the phrase “To Jesus Through Mary.”

Consecration of a Child to Mary

Before I’ve even held my baby in my arms, I’ve placed this child in the arms of the Blessed Mother. This prayer has become part of our daily rhythm—spoken over my belly, whispered in the quiet hours of the night. It’s a way of entrusting not only the pregnancy, but my child’s whole life, to her care.

“Holy Mary, mother of God and mother of all the faithful, I place my little child under your motherly protection.  To you I completely consecrate my child, body and soul.  Take it under your care and keep it always.  Protect it in its infancy and keep it sound in body and mind. Guard its youth and keep its heart pure, it’s thoughts ever holy and directed to God and the things of God.  Protect it always throughout life- in it’s joys and sorrows, in its successes and failures, in its dealings with others.  Always and in all things be a true mother to it, Mary, and preserve it. I commend it entirely to you.  Remembered Mother Mary, that through this act of consecration it becomes in a special way your child as well as mine; guard it and keep it as your very own. Amen.”

I pray this often, always with trust that Our Blessed Mother will take care of my Child as she has me. There is no safer place than in the heart of our Blessed Mother.

These prayers have helped shape not only my pregnancy, but my heart. They are soft whispers of surrender, fierce acts of trust, and steady reminders that I am not walking this journey alone. With Jesus by my side and Mary gently guiding me, I am learning to carry both the beauty and the sacrifices of motherhood with grace.

Whether you are expecting your first child or your fifth, I hope you find peace in these prayers as I have. May they wrap around you like a soft mantle—gentle, maternal, and filled with the love of the One who is forming something miraculous within you.

What are your favorite prayers to pray during pregnancy.