Fasting while Risking Early Labor

Fast of 9th av

Question

A 39-year-old woman is pregnant with her tenth child, currently in her 33rd week of pregnancy. In past pregnancies, she has sometimes experienced early labor. At present, she is also under stress due to a medical situation in her family where her 17-year-old daughter is hospitalized for a long period due to kidney dysfunction. The woman fears that the stress she is currently under may cause her to go into early labor if she fasts. Should she fast?

Answer

Shalom!
If there are currently no contractions, she should begin to fast. However, if contractions indeed start during the fast, she should immediately drink a large amount of liquid.

Source

Shulchan Aruch, Section Orach Chayim, Chapter 554, Paragraph

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