Pregnant Woman
28. Pregnant and nursing women fast on Tishah B’Av as they do on Yom Kippur (שו"ע תקנ"ד ס"ה ). Due to the weakness of the current generation, many poskim in Eretz Yisroel rule that in very hot places, a pregnant woman, whether in the beginning of her term [after 40 days] or the end [even at the end of the ninth month], may eat and drink. Even so, if she can fast until the morning, it is proper to do so. If she is parched and needs to drink in the middle of the night, she may. Each woman should ask her own shailah.
Nursing Woman
29. Nursing women fast on Tishah B’Av (שו"ע שם ). If they feel weak or dizzy or that they are not producing enough milk, they do not need to continue fasting (שע"ת סק"ו ).
30. If a nursing woman’s baby sometimes takes formula, she can nurse him less and supplement with some formula. If her baby does not take formula, she is not obligated to try to give it to him in order to fast since mother’s milk is better for a baby’s health. Thus, in such a case, if she is weak or the like, she may eat (בשם החזו"א ).
Yoledes
31. The Mechaber (שו"ע תקנ"ד ס"ו ) holds that a yoledes within thirty days of giving birth does not need to fast. The Rama says only a yoledes within seven days does not fast, but after that she must fast even if she feels she needs to eat. However, if she is in great pain or somewhat ill, fasting is potentially dangerous (מ"ב י"ד ). On the other hand, the Aruch Hashulchan (ס"ח ) writes that the Rama’s words were for his day, but in today’s weaker generation, a woman within thirty days of giving birth should not fast at all. Each woman should ask her own shailah.
32. A woman who miscarried, lo aleinu, at least forty days after conception has the status of a woman who gave birth for these purposes (ביאה"ל תרי"ז ).
Pills
33. One who has to take pills daily for physical or mental health reasons may take his pills with some bitter water, e.g., strong tea (באה"ט תקנ"ז סק"ז בשם הלכות קטנות ), and is still considered to be fasting, so he can say Aneinu and get an aliyah.
Washing
34. One may not wash himself on Tishah B’Av, even with cold water. But only washing for pleasure is forbidden; if one’s body or hands are dirty, he may wash them to get rid of the dirt (שו"ע תקנ"ד ס"ט ). If necessary, he may use soap.
35. Netilas yodayim after waking up or using the bathroom is done until the knuckles (שו"ע תקנ"ד ס"י ).
36. Someone ill who is washing to eat may wash his entire hand since he is not doing so for pleasure (שו"ת שבה"ל ח"ח קל"ט ). The same is true for a Kohen washing for Birkas Kohanim (מ"ב תרי"ג סק"ז ). The poskim explain the difference between these instances and netilas yodayim in the morning (שו"ת שרגא המאיר ח"ה סי' מ"ד, שו"ת רבבות אפרים ח"א שפ"ד ).
37. When cooking on Tishah B’Av, one may wash vegetables or utensils as needed even if his hands will get wet since that is not washing for pleasure (מ"ב שם י"ט ). Some are careful to wear gloves, but that is just a chumra.
38. One may not go to the mikveh on Tishah B’Av even if he goes every day.
Smearing
39. On Tishah B’Av, one may not rub onto his body any substances that are normal to rub on. Thus, one may not use perfume. Some poskim allow unscented deodorant since it is only used to prevent perspiration (הגר"מ פיינשטיין והגרש"ז אויערבאך ); others forbid it (הגרי"ש אלישיב ).
40. Creams may be used for medical purposes but creams for moisturizing or softening the skin are included in the issur.
41. One should not use makeup or lipstick, with the exception of a kallah within thirty days of her wedding [i.e., a woman who got married after 8 Tammuz] who may wash her face and put on makeup so as not to look unpleasant to her chosson (מ"ב שם סקכ"ט ).
