What role did Laima play in Baltic birth rites?

In Baltic religion, Laima serves as the goddess of fate and is a central figure during childbirth. Her role in birth rites includes the following:

• Pronouncing Destiny: Laima appears at the time of birth to determine an infant’s unchangeable destiny, which sets the course for their life.12
• Protection: She is responsible for the protection and well-being of both the mother and the newborn child.13
• Sacral Observances: Births typically occurred in quiet locations, such as a bathhouse. A specific birth rite known as pirtīžas involved a special sacral meal in which only women participated to honor the occasion.3

While Laima is the primary figure associated with these events, other demigoddesses in Latvian mythology, such as Dēkla (protector of babies) and Māra (goddess of fertility), also hold analogous functions related to the welfare of the mother and child.1