Do you fast while nursing?

[SomethingAnonymous]

For those of you who fast- I was just curious how you all felt about fasting and nursing?

[PPK]

I didn't fast while nursing. I don't think its a good idea. Personally, my milk would've slowed down way to much. I think I read something about toxins released could come though your breastmilk from fasting...you would want to google that though..don't know where I heard it.

[adoremybabe]

I'm Roman Catholic and I did fast on Ash Wednesday. My babe is 6 months old so I thought it would be perfectly "safe" for my milk supply to take on less calories for one day.

I ate a small meal for lunch and then a normal sized meal for dinner. I would have eaten a small meal for breakfast but time got away on me.

I am also fasting from after dinner until breakfast the next morning. This is my something extra but if I do start to get low blood sugar or something like that, I will have a small snack. So far I've been okay.

If I had a newborn however, I wouldn't have done any fasting.

[MommyChani]

fasting

BH

If you're Jewish, nursing women are not required to fast minor fasts such as the upcoming fast of Esther, we do fast 9 av and yom kippur, I've been able to fast successfully while nursing without a problem.

[hrsmom]

When my dd was about 5 months old, our pastor asked us to fast as a church body. I chose to give up something besides food. I think it was computer time, actually! I was attending an evangelical Christian church, if that makes a difference!

[z2akids]

2 of my babies were born right before/during Lent and I did not fast. I did abstain from meat on Fridays. However, I believe that establishing a successful nursing relationship was more important than a specific fast. I was aware of what I was eating and didn't just splurge, but I was eating not just for my own nourishment, but for a newborn who was not required to fast. My middle baby was 6 months and 18 month old during the Lents that I nursed him and I did fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday those years. At that point we had a well established nursing relationship and the fasting was not likely to affect it.

[Tradd]

Originally Posted by SomethingAnonymous

For those of you who fast- I was just curious how you all felt about fasting and nursing?

In the Orthodox Church, pregnant and nursing mothers are *forbidden* from fasting. Their growing child "is* their fast, as I've heard it described.

[Fay]

The Catholic Church does not require pregnant or nursing mothers to fast. I become dizzy and get chills when I attempt to fast, and that makes it difficult for me to take care of my children.

[Tuesday]

I did fast ... I didn't really have much of an appetite anyway. I wouldn't go without food all day long but I think eating smaller meals and not snacking is not too much of an imposition. I think you should go with your own religion's restrictions and your own health and appetite needs.

[tmwmommy]

I don't fast while nursing (Roman Catholic) but do try not to eat unless I'm truly hungry.

[JMJ]

I'm Catholic. DD was just over a week old on Good Friday last year, so I didn't fast. I felt like I needed to establish my milk supply and replenish my health. I abstained from meat, though. DD is almost 11 months old now but still not eating much other food, so she's getting a lot of calories from me. I did a modified fast on Ash Wednesday. I ate 3 moderate meals and no snacking instead of my normal 4 meals plus several snacks. I made sure I had plenty of fluids including some nutritious drinks. I really wanted to capture the spirit of fasting while still providing nourishment to my baby.

[lilyka]

According to my priest, who has been a part of several jurisdictions, in the Orthodox church pregnant and nursing women are strongly discouraged, but not completely forbidden from fasting from food or from keeping the whole food part of the fast (all though individually a woman may be completely forbidden from keeping the fast. while there is a set of fasting rules, all fasts are highly individualized according to your needs, physical condition, spiritual condition etc and is something your spiritual fathers decideds on a case by case, fast by fast basis). however I am vegan so I would keep the fast anyway. (all I am left to eliminate is olive oil and wine.....not really going to effect my milk supply or ability to nourish my baby ) but you better believe I would be shoveling it in and not holding back The important thing is not to deprive your child just because you want to be all pious with your bad self. Eat what you need and keep the fast as your condition allows.

also daily fasts (wed and fri), the great fasts (such as lent and advent) and the pre-communion fast are all different and effect your body differently. most women would not be effected from skipping meat and dairy for one day, but for 40-60 days it might be too much for their bodies and babies. some can get by with dairy and eggs while some will still need meat to balance everything out. I do not know what the rule is for pre--communion fasts but if I was otherwise able to take communion i would keep that fast completely regardless of my condition. it is only a few hours.

[doubledutch]

this thread reminded me that fasting means different things to different people! for some it means no food, for others it means abstaining from certain foods but you still eat. right? there was a thread about it around this time last year.

i was just talking to my aunt about this. she's lds and fasts one sunday a month (until supper). to her that means no eating any food until she breaks the fast. she said she never fasted while pregnant or nursing, yet her sister fasts while nursing.

i don't belong to any specific religion, but am looking forward to ds2 weaning so i can fast as a "cleanse". i'm not going to do it while nursing because i'm concerned about the toxins that would be released into my milk. however, it looks like i won't have to wait too much longer.

[Nazsmum]

I have not fasted from sundown to sundown Preg/nursing. But I have given up one meal. Most of the time I will give up breakfast. (no food)

[Hopesmommy]

I fasted this year while nursing, however I only fasted sweets, rather than food.

[umsami]

In Islam, our fast is a dawn to sunset fast...with no food or drink during the entire time. Usually, it lasts a month... but there are other 1-3 day fasting periods during the year. I usually do not fast as the not drinking is just too hard on me when I'm nursing. Fasting/pregnant women are exempt--however, we either need to make up the fast when we're not pregnant or fasting.... or pay to feed a hungry person for each day we don't fast.

[crunchy_mommy]

I don't fast (because of nursing & other medical reasons) but I do try to pick something else to fast from when I can't do a fast/day of abstinence... like on Fridays during Lent (I'm Catholic & we're supposed to abstain from meat but I'm already vegan), I am giving up non-essential computer use (emails, MDC, etc.). I'm also trying to "fast" from complaining all throughout Lent but that is turning out to be very very hard for me!!! But I acutally feel like my alternative fasts are more meaningful to me than giving up food. Plus I tried to eat less (but not really fast) on Ash Wednesday & it was disastrous (I was weak & starving & low blood sugar even without actually skipping meals) -- nursing takes a lot of calories!!

[Nabbe]

I am a muslim, and I do have Ramadan while nursing or pregnant. With one of my kids I had to quit fasting for some days, and then fast some days, but I managed to fast most of ramadan though.

[alexsam]

I don't fast while nursing. The way I figure, at this time my body is not exclusively my own and is doing other jobs besides just working for me. I don't think it would be terrible, but I just choose not to. There will be plenty of years to come when I am not nursing or pregnant when I can fast (though for the past 5 years I have been one or the other!).

[momoftworedheads]

I do not fast while nursing, I may eat less on special days but I do not exclusively fast. I do not eat meat on Fridays but I generally do not eat red meat anyway.

Take care,

Jen, Catholic mama to my 4 princes on Earth, one princess who flies in the skies and 3 who went too soon