Is it permissible for a pregnant woman to join two prayers if she is facing hardship due to pregnancy?
Question

                What is the ruling on joining and shortening prayers for a pregnant woman in the last months of pregnancy?.
Praise be to Allah.
      It is obligatory for the Muslim to offer every prayer at 
      the time stipulated by sharee‘ah, because Allah, may He be exalted, says 
      (interpretation of the meaning):

    “Verily, As‑Salaah (the prayer) is enjoined on the 
    believers at fixed hours”

    [al-Nisa’ 4:103]. 

    The Sunnah indicates that it is permissible to join two 
    prayers for a sick person for whom it is too difficult to offer every prayer 
    at its own time. This is the view of the Maalikis and Hanbalis. 

    Al-Nawawi said: This view is very strong. End quote. 

    Al-Majmoo‘, 4/263 

    See: al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 15/288 

    Al-Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his 
    Sunan (1/259): Some of the Taabi‘i scholars granted a concession 
    allowing a sick person to join two prayers. This is the view of Ahmad and 
    Ishaaq. End quote. 

    If it is too difficult for a pregnant woman to offer every 
    prayer at its own time, it is permissible for her to join Zuhr and ‘Asr, and 
    Maghrib and ‘Isha’. She comes under the same rulings as one who is sick in 
    that case. 

    With regard to shortening the prayers, that is only 
    permissible for one who is travelling. So if a pregnant woman is travelling, 
    it is permissible for her to join and shorten the prayers. But if she is at 
    home, it is permissible for her to join the prayers, but she must offer the 
    four-rak‘ah prayers in full, and not shorten them. 

    Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    Every time there is hardship or difficulty, it is permissible 
    to join the prayers, whether one is at home or travelling, because of 
    sickness, rain, a strong cold wind, and so on. So if it is too difficult for 
    a pregnant woman to offer every prayer at its own time, she may join the 
    prayers. And if it is too difficult for a breastfeeding woman to offer each 
    prayer at its own time, because her baby urinates on her and the like, then 
    she may put the prayers together. End quote. 

    Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, 201/4 

    He also said: 

    The reason for putting prayers together is difficulty; if 
    hardship results from not putting prayers together, then it is permissible 
    to put the prayers together for whatever reason. The scholars (may Allah 
    have mercy on them) even said that it is permissible for a pregnant woman to 
    put two prayers together if it is too difficult for her to offer each prayer 
    at its own time. So to sum up, there is only one reason for putting prayers 
    together and that is hardship, but there are many kinds of hardship. As for 
    shortening the prayers, that is only allowed in the case of travel. If we 
    assume that a person is sick in the hospital, he may put two prayers 
    together if it is too difficult for him to offer each one at its own time, 
    but he is not allowed to shorten them because he is in his own city. But if 
    he is in a hospital in another city, then it is permissible for him to join 
    and shorten the prayers, because he is a traveller. End quote. 

    Fataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darb, 
    185/16 

    Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) 
    said: 

    The reason for shortening prayers is travel in particular, 
    and it is not permissible to shorten prayers when not travelling. As for 
    joining prayers together, the reason for that is need and reasons. If he 
    needs to he may put prayers together when travelling, whether long or short 
    distances. You may also put prayers together because of rain and the like, 
    or because of sickness and the like, and for other reasons. The aim behind 
    it is to spare the ummah from hardship. End quote. 

    Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 22/293 

    And Allah knows best.