Can I do pūjā during pregnancy?

yes — gentle prayer, japa and listening to sacred music are encouraged; avoid strain, long fasts and smoke, and follow your doctor.

Hindu tradition treats pregnancy as a sacred time and surrounds it with blessings. Two saṁskāras, puṁsavana and sīmantonnayana (known in many regions as godh-bharāī, valaikāppu or ḍohāḷe jevaṇ), are performed for the mother and child. The well-known story of Prahlāda hearing Nārada’s teaching in his mother’s womb is often told to encourage good thoughts and sacred sounds during pregnancy.

So daily prayer, lighting the lamp, chanting, reading the Gītā or Rāmāyaṇa and listening to bhajans are all good. Do pūjā sitting comfortably on a chair if needed. Avoid long fasts and nirjalā vratas, heavy lifting, long hours of sitting on the floor and the smoke of havans and incense in closed rooms.

Some families also follow customs such as not attending funerals or not breaking coconuts during pregnancy; these vary and can be followed as your family wishes.

Saṁskāras: puṁsavana, sīmantonnayana · Source: Gṛhyasūtras; Bhāgavata Purāṇa (Prahlāda)

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