9 Tips for Breastfeeding Mothers to Ensure Smooth Breastfeeding During Ramadan Fasting

Kapanlagi.com - Ramadan is a sacred month where all Muslims are obligated to observe fasting. However, Allah SWT provides leniency to certain groups, including breastfeeding mothers, to not fast and make up for it on other days or pay fidyah.

Thus, there are still some breastfeeding mothers who want to observe fasting. This is allowed because the mother is strong enough to fast. However, during fasting, the body is generally not nourished with food and drink for 14 hours. During this period, the mother's body can experience dehydration.

However, the mother still needs to provide breast milk to her baby. Therefore, here are some tips for breastfeeding mothers to ensure that their babies still receive a balanced nutritional intake from the mother.

1. Avoid Eating Coconut Milk and Spicy Foods

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Breastfeeding mothers who are fasting are strongly advised to avoid consuming coconut milk and spicy foods. Coconut milk and spicy foods can cause the mother to easily become tired. This is because both of these foods easily absorb minerals in the body, causing the breastfeeding mother to lose more fluids.

2. Pay Attention to Nutritional Intake During Sahur and Iftar

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The next tip for breastfeeding mothers is to pay attention to their nutritional intake during sahur and iftar. A sufficient nutritional intake will become a reserve of nutrients and calories for the breastfeeding mother during fasting. The following are good food choices for breastfeeding mothers during fasting, such as eggs, broccoli, spinach, salmon, lean meat, and red beans.

3. Breast Pump at Night

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One tip to ensure that your baby gets balanced nutrition is by pumping milk at night. This is done to anticipate a possible decrease in breast milk production during the day. Therefore, take advantage of the night to pump breast milk and breastfeed as much as possible. So, mothers don't have to worry about breast milk production while fasting.

4. Fulfill Fiber Needs

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Fulfilling the fiber needs for pregnant women who are fasting is very important. During fasting, the stomach condition tends to be easily upset, causing discomfort. In addition to stomach problems, other possible impacts are a bitter or sour taste in the mouth. Therefore, choosing foods that are rich in fiber will certainly fulfill the healthy food intake for breastfeeding mothers.

5. Prevent Dehydration

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Fasting all day will certainly make the body experience dehydration. If dehydration occurs while breastfeeding, it can be dangerous. Symptoms experienced by breastfeeding mothers when experiencing dehydration include feeling thirsty, dizzy, weak, tired, dry mouth, and others. Therefore, it is important to consume enough fluids during suhoor and iftar to replace the lost fluids during fasting.

6. Eat 3 Times a Day

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Even though fasting, mothers should still eat three times a day, this is done to support the production of breast milk during fasting. These three meals can be done during suhoor, before bedtime, and when breaking the fast. By eating three times a day, it will help the body in producing breast milk smoothly. Include vegetables and fruits in every meal menu.

7. Pay Attention to Maternal Health Conditions

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It is important to always pay attention to health conditions when fasting, especially for breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding mothers who have health problems such as diabetes, hypertension, and hormonal disorders can certainly affect breast milk production. If you feel that your body is no longer able to fast, do not force yourself and it is better to break your fast.

8. Avoid Stress

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Furthermore, tips for breastfeeding mothers to avoid include stress levels. When you are free from stress, it will be good for supporting the health condition of the mother so that breast milk production remains smooth. On the contrary, if you experience stress, it can affect the production of certain hormones that are related to breast milk production.

9. Sufficient Rest

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Sufficient rest is highly necessary for breastfeeding mothers who are fasting. This is done to ensure that the mother maintains better stamina and energy to breastfeed the little one. One of the steps that can be taken is to take a nap. In addition, reduce heavy activities and exercise, and avoid going outside when the weather is hot.

Those are some tips for breastfeeding mothers during fasting. To ensure a smooth fasting experience, it is advisable to pay attention to the above tips. Hopefully, it will be beneficial.

(kpl/dtm)