Can A Pregnant Woman Pray While Sitting Or With Symbolic Gestures?

May a pregnant woman establish her prayers by sitting or doing symbolic moves if she has difficulty in establishing prayer in a regular mode?

If performing ruku or sajdah will harm a pregnant woman or her baby, she may establish her prayers by choosing one of the practices given below:

A person who cannot perform ruku and sajdah due to his sickness establishes prayer by sitting in a way he is comfortable, for example, by sitting cross-legged or extending his legs by sides or forward. A person who is unable to sit on the ground even by extending his legs by sides or to the direction of the qiblah may establish his prayer on his feet or by sitting on places such as a stool, sofa, etc. and doing symbolic moves.

Because the Prophet Muhammad (saw) told a person who had hemorrhoids when he asked how to establish prayer, “Establish it on your feet if you can do, by sitting if you cannot do it, or by lying on your side if you cannot do it either.” (Abu Dawud, Salat, 181). Such person may establish his prayer by doing symbolic moves according to its rules. A person who establishes prayer by symbolic moves bows his head a bit for ruku, and a bit more than ruku for sajdah. However, he is deemed to have performed by bowing down whole body along with head. If a person is able to stand on his feet but cannot perform ruku and prostration, then he may do symbolic moves on his feet or by sitting; however, it is more appropriate to do it by sitting. According to Hanafis, a person who cannot perform by head moves establishes qada prayer later; he cannot establish prayer by moving his eyes, eyebrows, or by heart (Mawsili, al-Ikhtiyar, I, 260).

Source: Presidency Of Religious Affairs The Turkey, High Board of Religious Affairs FATWA