Ramadan: can we fast if we breastfeed exclusively or mixed?

If it is possible in Muslim religious practices to dispense a breastfeeding woman – like a pregnant woman or a sick person – to follow the fast during the period of Ramadan, some mothers may want to both breastfeed and fast. Is it possible to continue breastfeeding if we follow a fast like the one instituted by Ramadan? Could this pose risks for the baby or for the mother? Update with the pediatrician Edwige Antier.

Ramadan: how to fast when breastfeeding?

Parents.fr: Should a young mother wishing to continue breastfeeding during Ramadan seek the advice of her or her doctor? What are the main contraindications?

Edwige antier : The mother must indeed absolutely have a medical opinion. And this especially if the baby is born prematurely, is having difficulty growing, suffers from an iron deficiency, or is prone to digestive disorders. The mother’s fast could in these cases have harmful consequences on her health.

Parents.fr: In the event of mixed or exclusive breastfeeding, what are the risks for the baby during the period of Ramadan?

AND THE: A baby from 0 to 6 months, completely breastfed by his mother, is in full development and needs all the good nutrients of breast milk to grow well and ensure that his brain, his blood cells… develop normally. If the mother only fasts during the day and if she eats well at night, her body will make the breast milk that the child asks for. However, sometimes the infant’s needs for iron or calcium, for example, are not met. This is why the advice of a doctor is essential.

If the baby is a little older and the food diversification has started or if you practice mixed breastfeeding by alternating feedings and bottles, you must be vigilant about the balance of baby’s meals next to breastfeeding and check that the baby is not shows no signs of deficiency.

Parents.fr: Are there any risks for a mother who breastfeeds during the fast of Ramadan?

AND THE: She can weaken, weaken her bones, her teeth, her hair… A baby pumps everything he can! In case of mixed breastfeeding or diversified food (feedings + balanced meals), the risk of deficiencies is lower, but it remains real for the child as for the mother.

Lactation: what impact on breast milk?

Parents.fr: Is breast milk less nourishing during the mother’s fasting period? Does it meet the baby’s daily needs?

AND THE: Fasting does not alter, according to studies conducted to date, the quality of breast milk. Milk will be made to the detriment of the health of the mother, more than of the infant. But this can only work for a short time, and if the mother makes up for exactly what she should have eaten during the day at night.

Parents.fr: What signs can show that our child is not full?

AND THE: He will ask for more, he will cry and will want to stay on the breast, because it is his sucking that makes more milk manufactured. If we do not let him suck as much as he wants, if we do not stop the fast in the face of these signs, or if we do not supplement the feedings with infant milk, the baby can be exhausted, s’ wither, lose weight, become pale and end up not complaining. His health is then seriously in danger. On the mother’s side, breastfeeding is gradually drying up and cannot be resumed at the end of the fast.

Parents.fr: What if our newborn is a “big eater”?

AND THE: If dietary diversification has started, then breastfeeding will be supplemented with diversified meals. If it is a toddler, whose food diversification has not started, we must supplement with bottles, while taking care that breastfeeding does not dry up.

Islam: what diet for the breastfeeding woman?

Parents.fr: What foods should a mother who breastfeeds during Ramadan favor?

AND THE: Water, milk and dairy products, for calcium and protein. Meat, for iron.

Parents.fr: Should she eat or drink more than usual during Ramadan?

AND THE: If she eats or drinks as much at night as she would normally have eaten or drunk during the day, she will have as much milk for her baby, and of just as good quality. With the need for sleep, she must not forget or not have the strength to eat enough.

Testimonial: “I breastfeed and I do Ramadan! “

An anonymous mother explains how her first fast went while breastfeeding her 3 and a half month old daughter: “I decided to fast despite breastfeeding since my 3 month old baby and I are in perfect shape. health. For Muslims, this period of Ramadan is a blessed month. Although, in Islam, breastfeeding women (like expectant mothers, the sick, the elderly and travelers) have the right not to fast, I wanted to try. I said to myself, if I can’t do it, I will abstain.

At the beginning of the fast, there was two days when I had to eat because I felt tired. In addition, my milk flows have become very weak. My daughter tended to get angry at the breast, whereas this had never happened since birth.

To remedy this, in the morning, I eat dates, dried fruits and, in the evening, before sleeping, I drink fennel and fenugreek herbal tea. Since then, I have been holding on all day! I do not wish to give complementary bottles and I continue to breastfeed on demand.

The most difficult to manage is to force myself not to exert myself too much, me who is usually active. I won’t hold on otherwise. Right now my body still has energy, but if I feel any change in myself or Mayssa, I will not hesitate at all to break the fast, that being allowed. I will not put my health or that of my daughter in danger. Finally, it must be said that in France, we do not suffer from malnutrition, our body therefore has reserves to draw from. “