This is one of two prayers for a difficult moment, the loss of pregnancy. This is for the once-pregnant woman. The other is for her husband/partner. They have a parallel structure, with similar themes and cadence moving throughout, with slightly different emotions and points-of-view reflected in the wording. Optional lines appear in [brackets]. Gender choices are identified with a slash, “/”. These prayers appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Loss of a Pregnancy
G-d of Old,
This pain has no breath,
This pain has no light,
This pain has no bottom,
An emptiness in the core of my being.
My heart, my breath, my womb,
Once full, once vital,
Once pulsing in service to creation,
Are vacant and hollow,
And I have touched a new sorrow,
A new loneliness,
A new grief.

[Rock of Ages,
Why have You raised my hope only to take it away?
Why have you abandoned my prayers and my dreams?
What comfort remains?]

Source and Shelter,
See me through the hours and days ahead with compassion and grace.
Help me to treat myself [and my husband/partner/spouse]
With kindness, patience and understanding.
Lead me out of this darkness,
Back to awe and wonder,
So I may know,
Once again,
Hope and joy,
Gratitude and peace.

© 2013 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here are links to two mourner’s prayers: “After Shiva” and “For the Bereaved.”

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Photo Credit: A Daddy Blog

Tags: grief, prayer after miscarriage, prayer at spontaneous end of pregnancy, trauma