Nutrition for Breastfeeding Mothers and Young Children in Ramadan: Tips to Ensure Sufficient and Balanced Nutrition 2024

The month of Ramadan is of great importance to Muslims, as Muslims perform the duty of fasting during this month. The month of Ramadan also represents a great challenge for breastfeeding mothers during this month, due to fear of the effect of fasting on the breast milk that reaches their children. Some also fear that their children who have recently started fasting may not get their proper nutrition and obtain the necessary nutrients to build and strengthen their bodies. Therefore, everyone seeks to make the holy month of Ramadan an opportunity to get proper nutrition that gives them energy and helps them build their bodies, in addition to achieving the correct fasting.

Today, in this article, we give you tips and advice on feeding breastfeeding mothers and young children during Ramadan , the importance of proper nutrition for breastfeeding mothers and young children during the holy month of Ramadan, as well as the best healthy diet for breastfeeding mothers during Ramadan . We also give you a detailed explanation of when a breastfeeding mother can fast, and when she cannot fast, as well as when young children should fast, and when they should not. In this article, we also give you various tips on feeding children during the month of Ramadan , and we give you a balanced diet that helps you reach the best level of nutrition for children during the holy month of Ramadan.

What is the importance of proper nutrition for breastfeeding mothers and the importance of reaching the best healthy diet for the breastfeeding mother during Ramadan during the holy month of Ramadan?

Nutrition for breastfeeding mothers and young children during Ramadan is of great importance in maintaining the health of breastfeeding mothers, and not losing or reducing the production of milk used to feed the infant. In this paragraph, we will talk about the importance of proper balanced nutrition for mothers during the holy month of Ramadan, as the importance of proper nutrition for mothers , and reaching the best healthy diet for breastfeeding mothers during Ramadan lies in the following points:

• Maintaining good milk production throughout the fasting period, and maintaining the health of the infant, and ensuring that he is adequately nourished throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

• Maintaining the mother’s health and preventing her from becoming weak or suffering from anemia or iron deficiency during the holy month of Ramadan.

• Ensure that the child or mother does not become dehydrated during the holy month of Ramadan, as the mother may become dehydrated, or the child may become dehydrated as a result of decreased milk production or being affected by fasting.

• Ensuring that the mother gets the necessary minerals, calcium and iron, which can decrease with breastfeeding, and that the mother does not get the necessary nutrients during the fasting period.

What is the importance of feeding children during the month of Ramadan in a healthy, balanced and proper way?

All mothers care about their children getting proper nutrition at all times, but certainly all children need to get healthy and balanced food during the holy month of Ramadan if the child has already started fasting, as many children neglect Suhoor meals, and many children do not eat breakfast properly, as many of them may drink water and various juices in large quantities at breakfast time, and many children also eat a large amount of sweets at breakfast time, which prevents them from eating breakfast properly, and eating nutritional elements that help build and nourish their bodies, we give you in this paragraph the importance of feeding children during the month of Ramadan in a healthy and sound manner:

• Ensuring that the child gets the energy, protein, and various nutrients he needs during the month of Ramadan, as children neglecting the suhoor meal, or not eating breakfast properly, leads to the child not getting some of the nutrients he needs during fasting periods.

• Ensure that the child gets the necessary amount of water to compensate for the periods of not drinking water during fasting, and ensure that the child does not become dehydrated during fasting periods.

• Ensuring that the child gets the necessary levels of minerals during the month of Ramadan, which may be deficient during fasting periods.

Tips and advice for feeding breastfeeding mothers and young children during Ramadan

After defining the importance of feeding breastfeeding mothers and young children during Ramadan, we will give you in this section some special tips for feeding breastfeeding mothers and young children during Ramadan.

• It is important to ensure that you get enough fluids during the Iftar period, whether for mothers or young children. The amount of water and fluids should be adequately distributed from Iftar until Suhoor. The fluids can be in the form of juices, making sure that these juices are low in sugar, so as not to cause an increase in the feeling of thirst during the fasting periods.

• Pay attention to starting your breakfast by eating dates, as dates help regulate insulin secretion and prevent sudden drops in blood sugar.

• Pay attention to eating sugars and sweets, as well as sweetened drinks in moderation, because high sugars work to draw water from the body and get rid of it through the kidneys, and increase the feeling of thirst.

• Pay attention to reducing the consumption of caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea, as they increase the process of removing water from the body through the kidneys, and increase the feeling of thirst.

• Pay attention to eating fresh fruits and vegetables, whether for a breastfeeding mother or for young children who have started fasting during Ramadan. Fresh fruits and vegetables help provide the body with the vitamins and minerals it needs throughout the day, and they are also a good source of water throughout the fasting period.

• Maintain the Suhoor meal, pay attention to the nutritional elements it contains, and make sure it contains fresh vegetables and a source of calcium such as milk, eggs, and yogurt.

• Be sure to take the nutritional supplements prescribed for breastfeeding mothers and children during the Iftar periods, and do not neglect any type of nutritional supplements prescribed by the doctor during the month of Ramadan.

• Pay attention to eating two meals between breakfast and suhoor, which should preferably be fruits or vegetables, and pay attention to drinking enough water between meals.

• Make sure to start your breakfast with dates and water, then wait for 10 minutes, then eat soup, then salad, proteins, and finally starches.

What is the best diet for breastfeeding mothers and young children during Ramadan?

All mothers, whether breastfeeding mothers or mothers who have children who have just started fasting recently, are looking for the best diet for feeding breastfeeding mothers and young children in Ramadan. Today, we give you a comprehensive explanation of the best diet for feeding breastfeeding mothers and young children in Ramadan.

• The best healthy diet for a breastfeeding mother in Ramadan

• The best healthy diet for a breastfeeding mother in Ramadan should include an additional source of energy, as a breastfeeding mother needs an additional 500 kilocalories to her diet program according to her weight and nutritional needs. The most important sources of energy are carbohydrates of all kinds, but you should rely on complex carbohydrate sources such as wheat, bulgur, oats, barley, and others, as using complex carbohydrates increases the feeling of satiety, and they also help produce energy for longer periods.

• The best healthy diet for a breastfeeding mother during Ramadan should include a source of calcium, as a breastfeeding mother needs 1000 mg of calcium daily, and therefore she should pay attention to eating foods rich in calcium such as eggs, milk and its derivatives of various types, especially cheese and yogurt.

• The best healthy diet for a breastfeeding mother in Ramadan should include a sufficient amount of water, as a breastfeeding mother needs to get 3 liters of water daily, which should be distributed well from breakfast to suhoor, and not drink a lot of water at suhoor only, as it will be disposed of by the kidneys, and the body will not benefit from it.

• The best healthy diet for a breastfeeding mother during Ramadan should contain a good source of protein such as red meat, chicken, and some types of fish (be careful with some types of fish that contain a high content of mercury and are prohibited during the breastfeeding period). Legumes such as peas, lentils, and beans also contain a good content of protein, as a breastfeeding mother needs to get an average of 67 grams of protein per day.

• The best healthy diet for a breastfeeding mother during Ramadan should contain fatty acids that are essential for the vital processes in the human body. Fatty acids are found in nuts and some types of fish, which should be ensured to be free of mercury. Fatty acids are also found in olive oil, corn oil, and other oils.

• The best diet for a breastfeeding mother during Ramadan should contain very little caffeine and simple sugars, and it is preferable to dispense with them, as sugar and caffeine increase the loss of water from the body, and increase the feeling of thirst as we mentioned previously, so the caffeine consumed daily should not exceed one cup of coffee or tea only, not both.

• The best diet for a breastfeeding mother during Ramadan should contain different sources of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, and others. The best diet for a breastfeeding mother should also contain a source of iron in particular, to compensate for anemia resulting from childbirth and others.

• Nutrition for children during the month of Ramadan, and the best diet for feeding children during Ramadan

• The best diet for feeding children during Ramadan should contain the adequate amount of protein appropriate for the child’s age and weight. The best diet for feeding children during Ramadan should contain a source of protein such as red meat, poultry, eggs, beans, lentils, and others.

• The best diet for feeding children during Ramadan should contain the sufficient amount of vitamins that the child needs, and therefore the focus should be on having sufficient quantities of vegetables and fruits in breakfast and suhoor meals and between different meals as well.

• The best diet for feeding children in Ramadan should contain a sufficient amount of iron, as children often suffer from anemia due to a lack of iron stores, so attention should be paid to providing foods rich in iron such as red meat, animal liver, dates, and others in sufficient quantities, to prevent the occurrence of anemia problems.

• The best diet for feeding children during Ramadan should contain a sufficient amount of foods that contain calcium, such as dairy products, cheese, eggs and leafy vegetables, as children need to maintain their calcium levels well to form bones and teeth properly.

When can a breastfeeding mother fast? And when is she prohibited from fasting?

Certainly, not all mothers can fast during Ramadan while breastfeeding , as in many cases, the lack of water and food during fasting periods can lead to a decrease in the milk produced, and thus many problems may occur for the child, such as dehydration, constipation, and others. The possibility of the mother fasting or not is determined by consulting a specialist in breastfeeding medicine, and evaluating the condition of the mother and child. In general, the breastfeeding mother can fast in the following cases:

• If the child is not completely dependent on breast milk, such as cases where the child is eating formula meals in addition to breast milk, or the child is also eating outside food in addition to breast milk.

• If the mother does not suffer from any health problems, especially those health problems that cause severe bleeding, or those health problems that cause dehydration such as vomiting, diarrhea, etc.

• The child should not suffer from health problems, especially those that cause dehydration such as diarrhea and severe vomiting, or any other problems that hinder breastfeeding.

• A breastfeeding mother should stop fasting if she shows signs that she is unable to fast, or if her milk is affected.

Below we also give you the most important reasons that prevent breastfeeding mothers from fasting during the month of Ramadan:

• A breastfeeding mother who breastfeeds a child under six months of age or whose child is completely dependent on breast milk without receiving meals of formula or external food.

• The mother suffers from other health problems, especially health problems that cause bleeding in the mother.

• The child suffers from health problems, especially health problems that cause diarrhea, which may cause dehydration in the child.

• The mother suffers from health problems that may cause dehydration, such as diarrhea, vomiting, etc.

What are the ideal conditions for fasting for young children?

Certainly, all mothers wonder about the ideal conditions for fasting for young children , which make fasting easy for children, and make it pass without problems such as dehydration, fatigue, and others. Today, we give you the ideal conditions for fasting for young children, which help you achieve the best fasting experience for children.

• The child must be at least 10 years old, which is the appropriate age for children to fast, as estimated by some scholars at 12 to 15 years old or the age of puberty in children. However, it is best to start gradually accustoming the child to fasting from an early age, depending on the child’s condition.

• The child should not have any health problems, especially those that may cause dehydration, such as vomiting, diarrhea, etc.

• The child does not suffer from any chronic health problems.

• It is preferable for the child to stay at home on the first days of fasting to ensure that there is no dizziness as a result of low blood sugar levels or low blood pressure.

Different tips on feeding children during Ramadan?

• A child should start fasting only when he reaches the appropriate age for fasting, which is 10 years old, and not before this age.

• The child should be accustomed to fasting gradually, as the child begins fasting until the noon call to prayer, then until the afternoon call to prayer, then until the sunset call to prayer.

• The child should not suffer from any diseases during the fasting period, especially those diseases that can cause dehydration in children.

• The child must get the amount of water he needs, and distribute it appropriately from breakfast to suhoor. Water can also be replaced with natural juices free of sugar.

• Pay attention to proteins in the appropriate amount for the child’s age and weight, as proteins are one of the most important materials that a child needs to build his body properly.

• Attention must be paid to providing the child with appropriate healthy food in the event of metabolic diseases such as lactose intolerance, favism, etc.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding mothers and young children who have just started fasting need to have a healthy and balanced diet that ensures good growth for children and avoids problems during fasting such as dehydration, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, etc. A healthy and balanced diet also ensures that mothers do not have health problems for them, as well as for the infant, through a decrease in the mother’s milk levels. The breastfeeding mother must take care to notice signs of dehydration and lack of satiety in the infant, such as dry diapers from urine, inability to suck the mother’s breast, crying and constant anxiety, etc. The mother must break the fast immediately upon the appearance of these signs.