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Breastfeeding & Ramadan? Part 2 - Got milk?

It's 27 june and we are 3 weeks into Ramadan! It didn't feel like it went quickly (especially in the beginning) but Hari Raya (Eid / Suikerfeest) is just over a week away!

After a few compulsory non-fasting days (hello period), i was full on fasting while breastfeeding. I must admit, although I did the research and science says that milk supply would not be affected, it was still something i thought about a lot during the first days of fasting!

It was all just in my mind though. After 2 days i was sure my milk supply was lesser than usual... but on the 3rd day (as though also a sign from the guy up there) when breast feeding, i was spraying milk from one side and leaking on the other just like the first newborn months!! Ok, so no dip in supply then! :P

Totally what i felt like on day 3 :P


My sleep definitely took a toll though; I already sleep very little since Lennox wakes up (at least) 2 times a night. Now i had my alarm set at 0320am so that i could have my pre-dawn meal (sahur), and after eating it's tough to head back to sleep!

'Fasting life' before baby was definitely much easier! Haha. Since we have the flexibility to work at home, previously we could sleep till late morning and do our work at night. But with a baby that totally doesn't work anymore! He's usually up between 0730-0830... We don't send him to child care so the only 'rest' i get is when he's taking his 2 naps during the day.

I must admit i'm more tired than usual because of lack of sleep. Crossfit has also taken a back seat, i've only been training 3 times the last 3 weeks (usually i train 3 times a week! :XXX)

All in all, it's definitely possible to breastfeed while fasting. Lennox is 1 and he breastfeeds about 4 times a day on average. If my child was 6 months or younger i would definitely have thought twice about fasting during ramadan. Since Lennox already takes in solids, it's definitely doable!

MY TIPS FOR BREASTFEEDING DURING RAMADAN


  • What helped me get through it was to have good meals for dinner and the pre-dawn meal. I realised that if i rushed the pre-dawn meal, or didn't prepare a good and nutritious one, my energy level the next day was really low
  • I drink at least 10 cups of water from dusk to dawn; it's really important to stay hydrated! On days i did not drink enough, i even had headaches :S
  • I had alot of fruits throughout the night. I had the fruit itself, or i blended it into a smoothie. 
  • Some days got really tough and I'm happy i have Jürgen also fasting with me and supporting me. Also, i definitely felt closer to god this month!


We are also so excited to be able to celebrate Hari Raya (Eid / Suikerfeest) in Singapore this year! This will be Lennox and Jürgen's first time celebrating together with my family in Singapore. We will be leaving on Saturday, just a few days before the celebration. I'm hoping Lennox will be a good boy during the 13-hour flight.... Wish us luck!!!


Click here to read Breastfeeding & Ramadan Part 1!



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