The law of Ramadan fasting is obligatory For Muslim including men and women. It is different with another sunnah fasting like Arafah fasting, fasting on Monday and Thursday, Rajab fasting, or Daud fasting. Is someone left Ramadan fasting without an excuse, then he sins except some class that are allowed to do not fasting such as traveler, sick people, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and old age.
Breastfeeding mom is allowed to leave fast if fasting make her body weak and endangers her baby. In accordance with the word of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 184 which reads :
فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ
“So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] – then an equal numbers of days [are to be made up].” (Al-Baqarah : 184)
The hadith of Rasulullah SAW that was narrated by Anan bin Malik Al-Ka’biz which reads :
إنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَضَعَ عَنِ الْمُسَافِرِ نِصْفَ الصَّلاَةِ وَالصَّوْمَ وَعَنِ الْحُبْلَى وَالْمُرْضِع
“Indeed Allah has put a half of prayer and fasting for a traveler and [Likewise] for breastfeeding and pregnant women.” (Narrated by An-Nasai, 4/180-181, Ibn Khuzaimah, 3/268, Al-Baihaqi, 3/154 and it is saheeh according to Asy-Syaikh Al-Alban)
However, breastfeeding mom are fine if they are strong to fast. Based on several researches said that Ramadan fasting has no effect on the health of mothers, babies and their breast milk production. If breastfeeding mom want to fast, then she has consider Tips Ramadan Fasting for Breastfeeding Mom. So she will keep healthy in running the fast.
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- Consult Your Doctor
Infants who are growing need nutrition from breast milk, especially babies under the age of six months. Breastfeeding mom should consult first to her doctor before do fasting. If doctor advise her to do not fast because it can disturb baby’s healthy, she should be not done.
If a breastfeeding mom has a baby more than six years and the baby has eaten other foods, then the mother may fast. Besides that, a breastfeeding mom who suffer diabetes or hypertension, she should not fast when she is breastfeeding because it can endanger the health of her body.
- Consume healthy foods when sahur and break fast
Breastfeeding mothers need nutrition not only for their bodies, but for their baby who need breast milk. Eating fiber foods and vitamin can make the condition of mothers better and fresh and they can support breast milk productions.
Eat in enough portions during sahur and eat more during breaking fast because breast milk is more produced at night. This is caused the production of oxytocin (the hormone triggers of breast milk production) is more produced at night. [AdSense-B]
- Get enough rest
Rest is very important to take care the condition when fasting. Breastfeeding mothers should get enough rest especially during fasting.
The body that is too weak can affect to breast milk productions. Breastfeeding mothers should avoid to do heavy activities. During fasting breastfeeding mothers are recommended to take a nap for an hour or more.
- Consume vegetables and fruits
Vegetables and fruits are very important to take care the health of body. The fiber in vegetables and fruits will be slower to be digested. This makes your fasting lighter. Breastfeeding mothers need a lot of vitamins and minerals to take care their health and breast milk productions.
If breastfeeding mothers fast in Ramadan, they should consume fruits and vegetables that can be done at sahur and break fast.
- Drink Milk before sleep and sahur
[AdSense-A] Breastfeeding mothers need many calcium and protein for producing breast milk. Calcium and protein can be get with consuming foods and drink that have high protein and calcium like milk. Drink milk at sahur and before sleep. This can take care the condition of body and breast milk production that is needed by the little one.
- Not consume excessive sugar at sahur
Consuming too much sugar when fasting can cause weak and dehydration especially breastfeeding mothers. Excess sugar levels that is consumed during sahur can rise insulin and make body more faster to be hungry during the day.
Moreover the body continues to produce breast milk for the little one. Because of that, breastfeeding mothers should avoid the consumption of excessive sweet foods and replace with healthier foods. Nevertheless, breastfeeding mothers can still enjoy takjil when breaking the fast.
- Eat more often at night
Breastfeeding mothers need a lot of nutrition to produce breast milk, because of that, they are recommended to eat more often at night if they want to fast. After breaking fast, eat in larger portion is highly recommended and they should eat foods that have a balanced nutritional value. So breast milk productions will be always maintained. Do not your fasting disturb the nutritional intake of the baby.
- Drink a lot of fluids
Breastfeeding mothers will feel thirsty quickly because their bodies continue to produce breast milk especially when fasting. Drinking a lot of fluids during sahur and break fast will restore the fluids of body and prevent dehydration. Water is highly recommended to be consumed for breastfeeding mothers during at night and before fasting.
- Avoid heavy activities
Breastfeeding mothers should not do heavy activities because it can drain energy. Do light activities and multiply rest is highly recommended especially if breastfeeding mothers are fasting.
- Ask for family help
If there is a breastfeeding mother and she hesitate to fast, she should ask to family and friends who have been fasting while breastfeeding. Family support and help will alleviate your condition while fasting and she can still breastfeed her baby without any problems.
- Pay attention to baby’s condition
When fasting and breastfeeding, a breastfeeding mother should pay attention the condition of baby. If the baby did not have problems, then the mother may continue her fasting. But if the baby has a problem, such as weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, cry or other problems, the mother should visit the doctor immediately and stop fasting if it is needed.
- Still milking breast milk
Sometimes breast milk mothers must still work during Ramadan, so they should still milking breast milk before going to work or while working. Breast milk that is not issued can reduce breast milk productions and this can disturb the nutritional of the baby.
- Pray calmly
A breastfeeding mother can calm down herself with doing prayers and multiplying sunnah prayers such as virtues of Dhuha prayer. This can make her body more relax and rest from the routine for a moment.
- Read Quran and Dhikr
A breastfeeding mother can leave heavy activities during fasting. To fill the time, she can do another things such as reading Quran and virtues of dhikr. It can bring a reward and make her heart and mind calm. It can also avoid her from stress that can affect her breast milk production.
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Thus Tips Ramadan Fasting for Breastfeeding Mom. Hopefully this article can be useful for breastfeeding mothers, so there is no doubt for them if they want to do Ramadan fasting or not. Amen.