Feeling an unborn child move and kick and seeing her on a sonogram are two of the most incredible experiences a woman can encounter. Pregnancy is an exciting time, but it’s also a huge responsibility—one that often comes with worry and trepidation—as every single moment moms must be aware of what they eat and drink, how much exercise they do, and even what they use to clean the bathroom. The well-being of this new and vulnerable person stays always on their mind.
Human Life International proudly supports moms across the globe, offering training, education, help through pregnancy care centers, and articles such as this spiritual resource to guide moms on the path to healthy motherhood. We want moms to know that they don’t have to go through this alone. Practical help on earth is available, and there is help from heaven as well. There is a patron saint of pregnancy! A few actually. Our saintly friends—the canonized men and women who intercede on our behalf—offer the spiritual help that soothes moms’ souls and fosters courage along this new journey.
Why Do Catholics Turn to Patron Saints During Pregnancy?
The Church’s long-standing tradition of praying with saints teaches us that the saints in heaven love us and want what’s best for us. Because of this immense love, they listen when we pray and talk to them, and they in turn pray unceasingly for our needs. We can approach them with all our concerns, and that includes asking for their prayers for the developing preborn baby. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:
Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness. . . . They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus. . . . So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped.
The saints take our prayers to God. As Catholics, we do not ever believe that the saints are taking the place of God or that we don’t need God. On the contrary, we are simply asking our friends in heaven to pray for us and our needs, just as we would ask the same of a friend here on earth.
Patron Saints of Pregnant Women, Childbirth, and Motherhood
Most of the canonized saints in heaven have a patronage. That means that they are the patron of something specific, though we can certainly pray with any saint for any reason. The Church often assigns this patronage based on the life the person lived or events that occurred during his or her life. For example, St. Gerard is the patron of fertility, motherhood, pregnant moms, childbirth, and more because his intercession helped protect a pregnant mother whom he had known.
In addition to St. Gerard, many other saints loved and protected children, gave their lives to protect them, or have interceded on their behalf after their death. Just as we choose our friends in life based on personality and similarities to our own likes and dislikes, so we choose our friends in heaven. Some stories may resonate more with our lives than others. That’s why, when choosing a saint to pray with, we should learn details about them.
As we learn about their lives, we develop a relationship and a closeness with them. We allow their actions to form our own and their faith to strengthen ours. The holiness they model becomes the holiness we too should exhibit. The saints offer us hope, and they bring us immense graces. We may not always get what we pray for, but they assure us of their love and prayers on our behalf.
Each of the saints below is known for his or her patronage of pregnant women, children, childbirth, or even fertility. We encourage you to read these brief descriptions of why each is special and to determine whose lives touch your heart.
St. Gerard Majella—Safe Delivery
Just before his death, St. Gerard ate a meal with a local family. He left a handkerchief at their house, and the daughter was sent to take it back to him. When she attempted to return it, he told her to keep it, saying she might need it in the future. Several years later, this woman experienced a difficult pregnancy and labor, and the doctor thought both she and the baby would die. During labor, she remembered the handkerchief and pressed it to her stomach. Her pain stopped, and she and the baby survived.
Throughout the history of the Church, we can find countless stories like this one, where miracles have occurred because of a saint’s intercession. They not only draw people closer to God, but they give the faithful here on earth tangible proof of God’s love and mercy.
St. Gerard has always been a favorite of my parents, and when they struggled with conceiving a child, they remembered the story of the handkerchief and asked him for help. My mom soon became pregnant and had a healthy baby girl. Hers is certainly not the only story of saints interceding on a mother’s behalf.
St. Anthony of Padua—Expectant Mothers
Born in Portugal in 1195, St. Anthony first joined the Augustinian order but later became a Franciscan. Anthony was known for his intelligence and his ability to preach. While most people ask St. Anthony to help them find lost items, many also know that he is the patron saint of pregnancy and expectant mothers. This is most likely because he had such a great devotion to Mary and Baby Jesus. Stories tell us that a visitor to his home once saw him holding the Christ child. Because of this, many women have even prayed for his intercession to overcome infertility.
St. Gianna Beretta Molla—Mothers
St. Gianna, a patroness of preborn children and mothers, gave her life for her daughter. When she was pregnant with her fourth child, Gianna’s doctors discovered a tumor in her uterus and advised its removal. Knowing this would kill her baby, Gianna refused; she died not too long after delivering a healthy baby girl.
The Catholic Church canonizes a saint after She has confirmed two miracles attributed to them. The second miracle attributed to Gianna’s intercession involved a pregnant mother who had a blood clot in her uterus, a dangerously small amount of amniotic fluid, and other problems. Doctors told her that her baby would die and that her life was also in jeopardy. As the mother lay in pain in the hospital, a bishop gave her a prayer card of then Blessed Gianna, and they prayed for her intercession. The mother’s health improved, and she was able to carry the baby to 32 weeks, at which point they delivered her early. The baby and her mother both survived.
St. Anne—Women in Labor
St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the patron of mothers and women in labor. For many years, Anne and her husband tried unsuccessfully to conceive, and she felt incredibly distraught over her inability to have a baby. When she did finally conceive Mary, Anne dedicated her to God. Women today seek St. Anne’s intercession to watch over them during pregnancy, to protect their preborn babies, and to help them through labor.
Our Lady of Guadalupe—Patron Saint of Pregnancy and Preborn Children
In 1531, Mary appeared to a man named Juan Diego in Mexico. She instructed him to talk to the bishop and ask him to build a church on the spot where she appeared. When Juan Diego conveyed this message to the bishop, he said he needed a sign. Juan Diego told Mary this. She then directed him to an area where some roses had bloomed. This was miraculous for two reasons: It was December, a time when roses were out of season, and these types of roses were not indigenous to the area. Juan Diego picked them, and Mary arranged them in his tilma. He took them to the bishop, thinking they were the miracle that the bishop had asked for. Only when he unfolded the tilma did he find a beautiful image of our Blessed Mother impressed on it. This image, known as Our Lady of Guadalupe, depicted Mary as pregnant. And today, Our Lady of Guadalupe is known as the patron of expectant mothers.
St. Elizabeth—Overcoming Infertility
St. Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin and the mother of John the Baptist, had been unable to conceive. She and her husband Zachariah prayed faithfully for many years to have a child. One day the angel Gabriel appeared to Zachariah and told him he would have a son, whom they should name John. Elizabeth soon became pregnant, and today she is known as the patroness of pregnant mothers.
St. Colette—Sick Children
St. Colette was a French nun born in the late 1300s. Stories tell us that her prayers for a mother going through a difficult labor resulted in a healthy and safe delivery for the woman. And on another occasion, St. Colette prayed for a stillborn baby boy, who soon started breathing. Today she is known as a patron saint of pregnancy and sick children, and we can also pray to her for a safe delivery.
Our Lady of La Leche—Nursing Mothers
This devotion to Mary as a nursing mother (leche means milk) reminds us of the motherhood of Mary and that we can go to her for her intercession for a safe pregnancy and healthy delivery.
St. Catherine of Sweden—Protection from Miscarriage
Though St. Catherine never had a miscarriage, she is often invoked for protection against miscarriage because she ministered to women experiencing difficult pregnancies and women who had had a miscarriage.
St. Philomena—Infants and Babies
St. Philomena was just 13 years old when she was martyred. Philomena had consecrated herself to God and refused the proposal of Emperor Diocletian. He became so angry at her refusal that he had her tortured and killed. Today, the Church considers her a patron saint of infants and babies.
St. Raymond Nonnatus—Newborns
Because his mother died in childbirth, St. Raymond is a patron saint of pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn infants. From the time Raymond was a young boy, he felt drawn to serve God as a priest. He spent a lot of time in prayer and in serving the poor, and he had a strong devotion to our Blessed Mother.
Prayers for a Safe and Healthy Pregnancy
Anytime you talk to God or to a saint, you are praying. Knowing this, many feel comforted that they aren’t praying “wrong,” as you can never pray wrong if you approach God and the saints with a sincere and loving heart. But formal prayer sometimes comforts people, especially during times of stress or anxiety. So if you would rather say something standard, read through the prayers below and determine which fits well into your daily prayer routine.
Prayer to The Blessed Mother, Our Lady of La Leche
O Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Your tender Mother, Our Lady of La Leche, who bore You close to her heart during those long months before Your birth, I place my baby and myself entirely in Your Hands. Free me, I beseech You, from useless and consuming worry. Accept the sacrifice of my aches and pains, which I unite to Your sufferings on the Cross. Above all, most merciful and loving Jesus, protect this child You have given to me from all harm, bestowing the health and vigor every baby needs. Implant in my heart and on my lips the words and prayers of Your Mother and mine, our Lovely Lady of La Leche. All this I ask that my child and I may live to praise forever Your Holy Name. Amen.
Prayer to St. Gerard Majella
Great St. Gerard, beloved servant of Jesus Christ, perfect imitator of Jesus, and devoted child of the Mother of God, kindle within my heart one spark of that Heavenly fire of charity which glowed in yours. Because you bore, without murmur or complaint, the calumnies of wicked men when falsely accused of crime, you have been raised up by God as the patron and protector of expectant mothers. Preserve me/her in the dangers of motherhood, and shield the child I/she now bear(s), that [this child] may be brought safely to the light of day, and receive the sacrament of baptism.
We also offer a beautiful novena to St. Gerard on our website. This nine-day prayer allows us to reflect on the life of St. Gerard as we ask him to pray for a safe and healthy pregnancy.
Stories of Hope from around the World
Every day, through HLI missions, our generous donors serve as the hands and feet of God here on earth as we protect moms, teach them about our faith, and provide them with the practical things they need to care for their children. In that sense, we act as these saints did and prove through our work that we care about both babies and moms.
In 2023, a young Nigerian mom named Chekwube planned to take the abortion pill until a nurse who had received training from HLI helped her see the humanity of her preborn baby and understand the sanctity of life. Now Chekwube and her husband cherish their beautiful child with no regrets.
With the pro-life training she got from HLI Nigeria, Nurse Perpetua convinced Chekwube to throw out the abortion pill and choose life.
Yvette was a young mom living in Rwanda when she became pregnant as a result of rape. Though counseled by friends and family to get an abortion, she refused and sought the help of HLI. After reaching out to supporters, we were able to provide her with a sewing machine so that she could work and support her daughter.
When Yvette prayed for help, she found it at HLI Rwanda. Our donors gave her a sewing machine so she could support her daughter, Leila.
Our missionaries share story after story of ways we help moms, teens, and families across the world learn the evils of abortion and contraception and the beauty of human beings at all stages. The teachings of Christ and the examples of the saints motivate us to emulate them as we care for our fellow man.
Final Thoughts
The saints in heaven want us all to see motherhood and children as gifts. They want only good for us and our babies, and they rejoice when we reach out to them for their intercession. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “All, indeed, who are of Christ and who have his Spirit form one Church and in Christ cleave together.”
We cleave to the saints, and they pray for us. They want us to understand that we do not have to walk this world or experience pregnancy alone.
There is not just one patron saint of pregnancy, but a whole team of them ready to support you. So let us ask for their intercession. Let us go to them when we need their prayers. And let us strive to grow in faith as we do so, for only as we learn to focus our lives on God’s teachings will we become holier and better parents.
FAQs about Patron Saints and Pregnancy
Who is the Catholic patron saint of pregnancy?
St. Gianna Molla and St. Gerard. But you can also pray to any of the saints we mentioned above or to any saint whose life resonates with you. All the saints in heaven are our friends and will pray for you, if you ask.
Is there a patron saint for safe delivery?
Sts. Gerard and Colette
Can I pray with multiple saints during pregnancy?
Of course!
What novena can I say during pregnancy?
You can pray the novenas and prayers mentioned above, or you can pray this Novena for Safe Pregnancy and Delivery.
Is it okay to ask saints for help in difficult pregnancies?
Absolutely! The saints love and care for us, and they are happy to intercede when we need their help.
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Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. Since 2003, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials, and website content. Fourteen of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the editor of its Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program, an educational nonprofit program for k-12 students.