Woe to the Pregnant

Vae praegnantibus et nutrientibus... Simpliciter quidem istud propter moram potest: quia ventris onere impeditas, imminentem temporum ruinam effugere sit molestum. Sed quid conditio, sexus et generationis ordo commeruit? Nisi forte aetas illa mulierum, quae in illa tempora inciderint, proprie sit futura maledicta. Sed absit istud, ut quidquam sit, quod homini nisi sua culpa malum fiat. Non igitur de fetarum onere Dominum admonuisse credendum est, cum dicit: Vae praegnantibus: sed animarum peccatis repletarum ostendisse gravitatem, quae neque in tecto positae, neque in agro manentes repositae irae tempestatem vitare possint. Dolor enim praegnantes ex natura consequitur: et partus sine totius corporis vexatione non funditur. Quae  ergo tales animae reperientur, in suo et onere et dolore continebuntur. Illis quoque vae erit quae nutrientur. Est infantia lacte depulsa non minus ad fugam inutilis, quam ea quae etiamnum lacte alatur. Et quomodo vae illi quae nutriatur; cum nihil intersit aetatis ac temporis, nutriri lacte, et decessisse de lacte? Sed perinde hic etiam infirmatatm animarum, quae ad cognitionem Dei tamquam lacte adhuc alantur ostendit: quae perfecti cibi  virtute indigentes, tenui divinae cognitionis infirmoque gustatu imbuantur. Et idcirco vae ipsis erit: quia et ad effugiendum antichristum graves, et ad sustinendum imperitae, nec peccata effugerint, nec cibum veri panis acceperint. Sanctus Hilarius Pictaviensis, In Evangelium Matthaei Commentarius, Cap XXV

Woe to the pregnant and those at the breast... 1   Taken simply this can be understood as a matter of delay, because the impediment of a heavy womb makes flight from the imminent moment of ruin difficult. But why should the condition, pertaining to sex and the process of generation deserve it? Unless perhaps the women of that age, those who then happen to exist, are especially the target of a future curse. But let it not be that there may be something evil of man unless by it is by his own fault. It should not be thought, then, that the Lord gave warning on account of the weight of the unborn child when he said, 'Woe to the pregnant'  but that He was speaking of a soul full with the weight of its own sin, which may neither on the roof, nor remaining in the field, avoid the coming storm. For the pains of pregnancy follow from nature and birth without the suffering of the whole body is not possible. Those, then, who have such souls, are hindered by burdens and pain. And woe, it is also said, to those at the breast. The weaned infant is no less useless for flight than those who are still taking milk, and so how may there be woe to those who are still at breast, when there is no difference between the one fed with milk and the one weaned? But here is shown the infirmity of the souls, whom concerning the knowledge of God, are like those still taking milk, 2 who lacking the strength of perfect food are imbued with the faint and weak taste of the Divine knowledge. And therefore woe is proclaimed to these two types, because either they are too burdened to escape the Antichrist, or too ignorant to resist, having not fled from sin, having not yet taken the true bread. Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25 1 Mt 24.19 2 cf 1 Cor 3.2