Fathwa, - Nifas – Postnatal Bleeding

Question:
In the first link below this email [1], it says that the labouring
women should pray until most of the baby is out. How is this possible
when she would be bleeding at the time of her child's birth? That is,
women bleed for about 40 days after the birth of the baby, and I did
not think that salat was possible at this time since it's similar
to/same as menstruating? I believe we would make up these salats, but
we obviously cant pray when we are bleeding?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
Assalamu alaykum
A woman in post natal bleeding (nifas) is under the same restrictions
as amenstruating woman, namely she is not to pray, fast or have sexual
relations with her husband. This period of nifas commences once half
of the baby exits. Before this, any bleedingseen is to be considered
abnormal uterine bleeding (istihada) and does not prevent one from
prayer and fasting; rather this bleeding has the same rules as
bleeding from anywhereelse on the body, namely that it is impure and
nullifies ablution. Shouldthe bleeding persist to the end of a prayer
time, however, then one is to perform ablution and pray even if one
continues bleeding as one is excused due to ones difficult
circumstances.
One may therefore pray in the period prior to childbirth even if one
has continuous bleeding as one is excused during continuous bleeding
from the normal rules of purification. One's ablution would not be
nullified by the bleeding and nor would one be obliged to wash the
blood from one's clothing if the clothing would just become bloodied
again after washing. One's ablution would, however, be nullified by
the entry of the next prayer time, andone would have to renew one's
ablution to be able to pray in the new prayer time.
As mentioned in the link provided in the question,if one is unable to
perform the ritual ablution one may perform tayammum.
And Allah knows best.