I am twenty two years old and am breastfeeding. My baby is only a couple of weeks old; if I fast, will it affect the quantity of my milk?
Answer
Dear Sister. Fasting is not required for breastfeeding mothers as it is known to decrease the amount of breast milk and affect the quality of its constituents, so you don't have to fast and you are doing a great job breastfeeding your baby.
I am pregnant in my eighth month and I take iron supplements and calcium supplements, is it ok if I fast? Will that affect the health of the fetus?
Answer
Dear sister. If you are not suffering from any diseases you are required to attempt to fast. You have to have the intention to fast, you have to prove your intention by having 'sohoor' on the first night of Ramadan; and then observe your health during fasting, if you feel weak or very thirsty or you begin feeling confused, or if you feel that your baby is not kicking in the way it used to then you have to break your fasting immediately as it is negatively affecting your pregnancy.
On the other hand, if fasting goes smoothly, with no ill effects then you are lucky to fast Ramadan, and of course Happy Ramadan to you.
Name
amal
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Profession
Question
Salam alaikum doctor:
I would liketo ask u about measures taken by the mother to insure both her baby as well as her own nuitrition in ramdan?also some people stated that fasting can lead to decreased amount of milk available for the baby is that true?
Answer
Dear Sister..
If you are breastfeeding, you are not required to fast. On the other hand, if you are not breastfeeding, then you have to fast and you don't have to worry about your health as fasting has a lot of positive effects on health.
Now if you are pregnant, fasting is required but you have to eat well during the 'iftar' and 'sohoor' and have a snack inbetween. Your meals should provide you with about 2250 calories a day mostly from carbohydrates as bread, rice and macaroni together with fresh fruits and vegetables. The famous dried fruits that are consumed during Ramadan are a rich source of sugars and carbohydrates that can help you feel energetic but you must not take too much so that you won't gain excess weight.
Your meals should provide you with about 150 grams of proteins and about 1 litre of milk or milk products so you may consume a lot of yoghurt and sour milk during Ramadan. Drink a lot of water or fresh fruit juices to avoid dehydration specially with 'sohoor' and enjoy Ramadan and may Allah bless you.
Is it unhealthy to fast during the last few weeks of pregnancy? And if I were to fast, is there anything i should be aware of??
Answer
Dear Amatullah. If you are healthy and not suffering from any diseases, you are required to intend to fast and you have to prove your attention by having 'sohoor' which is rich in carbohydrates, fluids, vegetables and fruits. During fasting if you feel weak, or very thirsty or you notice that your baby is not kicking properly then you will have to break your fasting as it might be harmful to you or your baby. It really depends upon a lot of factors, how hot the weather is, how long the fasting is, how much effort you are expending everyday and these all add together in the decision wether or not to fast.
Name
Salwa
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Profession
Question
Salam Doctor..
I, InshaAllah, have decided to fast although i am breastfeeding. I would like to know what foods I should eat inorder to keep my milk flow good and compensate for the fasting.
Answer
Dear Salwa, I have to remind you that you are not required to fast, but if you choose then I would emphasize the importance of milk and fluids which are the major contributors to breast milk. You have to take about 1 - 1.5 litres of milk daily and 3 - 4 litres of water or fresh fruit juices daily. You will be needing about 2500 calories daily majorly from carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables. Don't forget proteins which can be either animal or plant proteins and good luck.
What are the effects of breast feeding a child by pregnant mother - to the Child Medically or Islamically?
Wa alaykum salam..
Answer
Abu Zainab, Happy Ramadan. Thank you for your question it is a nice one. When a breastfeeding woman gets pregnant the hormones of pregnancy will negatively effect the quality and quantity of breast milk which becomes less nutritious to the baby and it would be much better to shift to artificial milk than to continue breastfeeding.
On the other hand, a breastfeeding pregnant woman can suffer from a lot of deficiencies as the requirements of both the pregnancy and the breastfeeding will deplete the mother's stores of nutrients and this will definitely negatively affect her pregnancy.
So, in any case, a woman shouldn't breastfeed while she is pregnant. As for the Islamic point of view to the Fatwa Section.
Name
beth
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Profession
Question
Assalam Alykum..
I am a breastfeeding mother, and I was wondering should I try to fast this Ramadan and see how my milk supply will be or should I just wait until my daughter starts eating solids or stops eating from me?
I appreciate all the help you can give me..
Answer
Dear Beth, Al salam alaikum. You are not required to fast while you are breastfeeding especially if your daughter is dependent upon your breast milk.
Fasting will definitely decrease the amount of breastmilk and might affect its quality so it's not really recommended to experiment in this issue.
On the other hand, if a baby is not dependent on breastfeeding the mother might try fasting as she is probably not producing a lot of milk and the baby will not be negatively affected as it is already dependent upon other nutritional sources.
I am three months pregnant and take an antibiotic because i have toxoplasmosis. Is it ok if i fast? and what are the chances that i have a still birth?
Answer
Dear Iman..
Toxoplasmosis is a disease that causes problems to the baby in a small number of cases the probability of toxoplasmosis affecting your baby at three months pregnancy is very small, so you don't have to worry especially that you have discovered the disease and you are taking the treatment.
If you are receiving Spiramycin in a dose of 3 MIU then you can take 2 tablets once at the time of 'sohoor' with a big cup of water daily for the rest of the twenty-one day course without having to stop fasting.
Again, I have to remind you to have a well balanced 'iftar' and 'sohoor' and a snack in between with ample amounts of fluids, milk vegetables and fruits. If you feel dizzy, drowzy or tired then you can stop fasting and feed a fasting being for every day you don't fast.
Name
heleen
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Profession
Question
Dear sir..
I have heard that a high caloric diet is not good so a person should eat carbohydrates like rice and macaroni but not food high in sugar. Is that the same for pregnant women? Especially in ramadan?
Answer
Dear Heleen, you heard correctly. Pregnant women require calories that are from complex carbohydrates like rice and bread rather than simple sugars which are more harmful to the pregnant woman.
In Ramadan, the situation is the same but we would like to include a sugary fruit juice with 'iftar' to supply a good amount of calories that will help revive the fasting mother and her baby, not so much so as not to cause her to be overweight.
Name
molly
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Profession
Question
Salam there:
In ur practise have u encountered many cases of congenital AIDS Syndrome? and what is the state of AIDS in arab countries?
Thanks a lot..
Answer
Dear Molly, al salam alaikum. Even though your question is out of the scope of this live dialogue, I would like to breifly tell you that in Egypt, where I practice medicine, we don't encounter cases with congenital AIDS syndrome. The state of AIDS in Egypt does not represent an epidemic as it is in other african countries, the official count of AIDS cases is around the 10 thousand figure.
All AIDS cases are counted for and are treated under the supervision of the Ministry of Health. So, again we don't see a congenital AIDS syndrome in Egypt.
As regards the Arab world, I would like to refer you to the WHO site where you can find statistics about AIDS in the Arab world. Happy Ramadan.
Name
Reham
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Profession
Question
Is it ok for a girl to take contraceptive pills so that her menstrual cycle is delayed so she can fast the whole of ramadan, would there be any detrimental effect to her health??
Answer
Dear Reham, Happy Ramadan. You are not required to fast the whole month. But if you are in good health, your cycles are regular, your body weight is suitable and you don't have any risk factors(obesity, high blood pressure, increased blood clotting, any hormonal disturbance etc...) for receiving oral contraceptive pills then it would be ok for you to postpone the period in order to fast the whole of Ramadan.
I would like you to ask your physician about wether or not the pills are safe for you as he will have the best knowledge about your specific health problems.
Name
Fatma
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Profession
Question
My question is about my nutrition while i am pregnant in ramadan. What nutritional system do you suggest I follow while fasting? considering that the iftar is around 6.30 pm and the sohoor is around 5 am?
Answer
Dear Fatma, al salam alaikum. If you go back to the beginning of this dialogue you will find a lot of useful information. But again to sumarize,ample amount of fluids (4 - 6 litres of water, milk, fresh fruit juices), a good amount of complex carbohydrates (bread, rice and macaroni)fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, milk and milk products and 150 - 200 grams of proteins. Three meals 'iftar', 'sohoor' and a snack in between, keep your cooking simple with minimal amounts of fats and oils and enjoy Ramadan.
Name
nour
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Profession
Question
Salamu alikom,
I have a one month baby and i want to fast in Ramadan, is`it possible that if i ate very well during the iftar period and that i preserve some of my milk in bottles to give to my baby during the day, is it possible that my baby will not be affected negatively??
Answer
Dear Nour, al salam alaikum. You are not required to fast Ramadan. As I answered before, fasting will affect not only the quantity but also the quality of your breastmilk especially very early in milk production during the first six weeks after delivery where the baby is dependent upon your breastmilk and you are dependent upon your baby's suckling inorder to produce milk so I think that you focus on feeding your baby which is a great job praised by Allah and providing you and your baby with a lot of benifits next year you may fast the whole month, InshAllah.
I want to fast with my 6 weeks baby but I have been told not to.
I need to know if I could fast with a new baby.
Answer
Dear Sister. If you are breastfeeding, then it's wiser not to fast as that will negatively affect the breast milk and will prevent your baby from feeding properly. Our religion allows breastfeeding women not to fast and if you would like to feed a fasting person for everyday you don't fast that would be appreciated.
I have a 6 weeks baby and i really want to fast in Ramadan, i want to give it a try and see if it will affect my baby (i am breast feeding him), can i di that or is it absolutely harmful to the baby or is it haram even to try?
Answer
Dear Injy, we have just answered that question. I will refer you to the beginning of the dialogue. Thank you.
If i didn't fast during Ramadan because i am breastfeeding, how should i make up for these days, should i fast them later on when my baby is older or what??
Answer
Dear Amina, al salam alaikum. You will not be required to make up for the days you did not fast while breastfeeding. But, you are required to feed a fasting muslim for each of the days you didn't fast. Now, if you would like to fast some 'nawafel'after you stop breastfeedfing, that would be a great idea that would not just give you rewards (hasanat) but also will help you regain your form and help you get rid of any extra kilos you gained during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Editor's note:
See IslamOnline's fatwa on this issue:
Assalamu Alaykom, I am not pregnant yet, but trying In Shaa Allah, my problem is that i've always had trouble when drinking milk, having yoghurt, or anything with milk.... so, i don't have enough calcuim in my body. Recently my doctor told me that I have to drink milk, as calcuim tablets cause me problems, so I did and this made me vomit all the time, and i had heart burn all the time. What can I do? Jazakom Allah Khayran..
Answer
Dear Thoraya, al salam alaikum. You seem to be suffering from a condition called 'milk intolerance' which is a form of allergy towards milk proteins, I wouldn't recommend you getting calcium from any dairy product and you have to depend upon other sources of calcium as nuts (almonds are very rich in calcium, four almonds a day will give you calcium equivalent to two cups of milk). You can also depend upon food supplements rich in calcium which are sold in pharmacies and supermarkets and contain no milk products.
