Breastfeeding and Fasting During Ramadan: A Complete Guide for Nursing Mums

Can you fast for Ramadan while breastfeeding? How long should I fast while breastfeeding? Does fasting affect your milk quality? Here’s what nursing mums need to know about breastfeeding and fasting. 

Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and prayer for Muslims worldwide, has now started. During this month, Muslims around the world abstain from food, drink and other physical needs during the daylight hours.

But what about Muslim mums who are breastfeeding their little ones? Can they still continue to nurse?

According to Kelly Bonyata, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant  (ICBLC) who writes about breastfeeding on Kelly Mom, “Muslim women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may be exempt from fasting if they feel that their health or the baby’s health would be negatively affected by the fasting.”

However, the mother may be expected to compensate for the missed fasting at a later time or once breastfeeding has stopped. Bonyata advises mums to consult a scholar or a book of Fiqh to determine the appropriate guidelines.

If you are a Muslim mum considering breastfeeding and fasting this Ramadan, you may have some questions of your own.

Will Fasting Affect Me or My Baby

Fasting will not harm your baby if you are breastfeeding. However, it may affect you in one way or another if you don’t plan ahead in terms of your diet, nutrition and pumping schedules.

Jophia Bok, a lactation nurse based in Singapore, explains that some mums who breastfeed while fasting may experience signs and symptoms of low blood sugar, low blood pressure, dehydration or gastritis. They may also experience a reduction in milk supply.

Fasting and Breastfeeding Your Baby Across Different Age Groups

Jophia provides the following comprehensive guide for nursing Muslim mums who decide to fast, depending on their baby’s age range.

1. For mums who exclusively breastfeed their newborn to six-month-old babies

Your milk supply may drop and you may feel thirstier and hungrier as your baby’s demand for breastmilk at this age is high. However, the quality of breastmilk will not be affected even if you are fasting. But due to your reduced intake of fluid and food, your milk supply may dip and your baby may cry for more frequent feeding.

Medical experts encourage women with babies in this age range to consider not fasting. This is because your body needs consistent fluid and calories from food to keep your production of breastmilk going for your baby’s high feeding demand.

Some of the potential health risks mums of high-demand babies may face if they decide to fast are low blood sugar and possibly low blood pressure due to dehydration. You might even experience gastritis as your metabolism is naturally higher due to breastfeeding.

2. For mums who breastfeed their six to 15-month-old babies

Younger babies in this age group are starting to eat solids and older babies should already have well-established solids routines. With this in mind, mums should naturally be dropping one breastfeeding session as their babies start eating more in quantity and frequency.

Because of this, breastfeeding mums of babies in this age group will find fasting much easier as the demand for producing breastmilk is not as great. However, some mums breastfeeding their older babies might feel unwell as their bodies continue to need slightly more calories than usual.

3. For mums who breastfeed their 15 to 24-month-old toddlers

For this group of mums, fasting should not be a problem as their babies should be relying more on natural food for growth and development rather than on breastmilk alone.

These mums could even give their toddlers an extra snack or increase the portion size of their meals to reduce or even cut out one breastfeeding session. However, some fasting mums with breastfeeding toddlers may still feel unwell as their bodies are used to having food and fluids to help in the production of breastmilk.

4. For mums who breastfeed their 24 months and above toddlers

Fasting should not be a problem for this group of mums. Their babies should be eating full-table food and relying mainly on natural food for growth and development rather than breastmilk.

Does Fasting Affect the Nutrients in Breastmilk

Research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that fasting usually doesn’t change the main nutrients in breast milk, but it can affect smaller nutrients like zinc, magnesium, and potassium. This was only noticed in women who fasted for over 24 hours. The study also found that the amount of milk produced did not really change.

Even if you’re fasting, the fat in your breast milk won’t change, so your baby can still grow well. Your body will use your fat stores if you’re not eating enough food, so your baby will still get what they need.

Jophia explains that even if you do not have a consistent well-balanced diet, your body is still able to produce quality milk by adjusting the nutrients in it to suit the growth and needs of your baby. That’s why it’s really important for breastfeeding moms who choose to fast to eat “sahur,” the morning meal Muslims have during Ramadan before the sun comes up.

How to Look After Yourself While Breastfeeding and Fasting

Ask yourself the following questions before you start fasting, advises Jophia. How long are you going to fast for? Will you have regrets if the fasting affects your milk supply? Are you open to alternative methods of feeding your baby if your breastmilk supply dwindles due to fasting? Are you open to even stop fasting if you feel unwell?

Once you have thought through these questions, you can move in the direction that you want without guilt.

Here are some more tips to consider:

• Plan one month before you fast and start stocking up on your supply of expressed breastmilk. This stock can be your backup during the month of fasting in case you find it hard to latch directly.

• Your Suhoor or pre-dawn meal needs to be wholesome enough to give you enough energy to last the whole day. Include plenty of fruits and vegetables (e.g. green smoothies, fruit salad), high-fibre carbohydrate foods like brown rice and multigrain bread, foods that contain protein (chicken, fish, beef, eggs) and dairy products for calcium.

• When it’s time for you to break your fast (Iftar), avoid suddenly gorging yourself with food. Start with three or four dates. They are considered to have almost complete minerals and are high in simple sugars that are easily absorbed into the body, thereby helping to bring your blood sugar levels back to normal, slowly.

• Other than dates, bananas are also good to break fast with. Then slowly move on to having some warm water or warm fluid. Slowly progress to soft soupy foods (e.g. lentil soup) with less oil and salt.

• Drink plenty of warm water through the night to rehydrate your body.
• You may want to take supplements containing vitamin D with your pre-dawn meal.

• Express during the night at least once or twice to maintain your milk supply and also to stock up in case you need it.

• If you are considering breastfeeding and fasting, medical professionals suggest that you start increasing your fluid intake as early as two days before you start fasting. This will put you on a good start.
• Lactation experts recommend that you avoid heat exposure and wind down your activities as much as possible.

Breastfeeding Mums Who Fasted for Ramadan

Two Muslim mums who breastfed and engaged in fasting for Ramadan in the past share some of the things they ate during both Suhoor and Iftar that helped them keep their energy and nutrition levels up through the day.

This coming Ramadhan will be my second time fasting. Last year, I had managed to fast the whole of Ramadhan and nursed my then three month old son fully when I was home. I also had three pump sessions daily at work. Before dawn, I had seven pieces of dates before starting my meal. I had rice every morning and drank Milo, followed by three glasses of water. When breaking fast, I drank Milo and had three pieces of dates before my meal. I also ate rice with veggies and meat as sides. During the night, I drank water frequently. – Mariah Dasuki

Hassy Rizzy, another breastfeeding mum who decided to fast last Ramadan, found that eating two slices of oats and honey bread with cheese and drinking two cups of chocolate milk for her pre-dawn meal enabled her to express much more milk than usual.

Other Sahur Foods for the Breastfeeding Mum

Here are some more great Suhoor foods for breastfeeding mums as recommended on the breastfeeding website Suckled Sunnah:

• Boiled eggs: A great source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids

• Oatmeal: A really good breastmilk booster and a good source of proteins, vitamins and minerals

• Hummus: Chickpeas are considered to be a good milk booster and contain proteins, while tahini (sesame seed butter) has calcium

• Baked yams: Prepare the previous night and eat warm or cold with a little butter and brown sugar

• Nuts: Try macadamia nuts and cashews to boost your milk supply

Signs That Your Should Stop Fasting While Breastfeeding

Jophia recommends you seek medical attention if you have the following signs and symptoms while breastfeeding and fasting:

• Blurring of vision: a possible indication of low blood pressure
• Giddiness: a possible indication of low blood pressure
• Fainting spell: could indicate low blood sugar levels
• Nausea and vomiting: a possible indication of dehydration
• Vomiting with presence of blood stains: could indicate stomach ulcers in severe gastritis cases
• Pain in the epigastric region (which is one palm size above your belly button): possible indication of gastritis
• Reduced urine production and presence of blood stains in the urine: could indicate severe dehydration

Moreover, here are some signs that your child is not getting enough nutrients from your breast milk:

• fussiness or constant crying
• fewer wet diapers
• greenish stools
• lethargy
• weight loss

If you see these signs in your baby while you’re fasting, it’s important to talk to your child’s doctor immediately. They might advise you to stop fasting to make sure your baby stays healthy.

Fasting while breastfeeding during Ramadan is definitely a personal choice, and it can be done with careful planning. Remember, your baby’s health and safety come first, always.

If you’re considering fasting, make sure to monitor both your health and your baby’s very closely. Eating nutritious meals when you can and staying hydrated are key. But, if you notice any changes in your baby or feel unwell yourself, don’t hesitate to seek advice from a doctor.

This special time is about spiritual growth and reflection, but making sure you and your little one are healthy allows you to embrace it fully.

Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.