671. Going into Labor on Shabbos

Please consult with your own rabbi regarding the practical application of laws in this area.

93:1 As soon as a woman starts to show signs of giving birth, even if she isn’t sure, we call a midwife for her, even from very far away.

93:2 A woman who has given birth is in the same category as a seriously ill person, and we disregard Shabbos for whatever she may require. However, if it is possible to perform a normally-prohibited act in an unusual manner or through a non-Jew, one should do so (so long as it will not delay performing the act – Mishnah Brurah 330:5). A woman is considered a yoledes (in childbirth) from the onset of labor, from the time when blood flows, or as soon as she cannot walk unaided. The same laws apply to a woman who has a miscarriage forty days after conception as to a woman who gave birth.