Ramadan and pregnancy: what can and cannot be done

From March 10 to April 9, 2024, practicing Muslims will have to fast every day, from dawn to dusk, for a month. But what about pregnant women during this period?

Pregnant women and Ramadan fasting

Pregnant women can officially do Ramadan, there are no medical contraindications, as long as they hydrate and eat healthy when they break their fast every evening. Obviously, every pregnant woman should discuss a possible young person beforehand with her doctor, obstetrician or gynecologist, to have medical validation. Possible deficiencies, gestational diabetes, course and age of pregnancy… These parameters must be taken into account before making the decision to fast.

If pregnant Muslim women don’t feel like following Ramadan, there’s no obligation either! According to the Practical Guide to the Grand Mosque of Paris, “ Pregnant women who have a difficult or at-risk pregnancy, who have just given birth, who are breastfeeding their child (up to two years) are exempt from fasting. “.

Ramadan and its fasting must not harm their health or that of the unborn child. For future diabetic mothers, or those who have pathologies: the act of fasting is not trivial for the body. Talk about your decision and your choice to the medical staff who monitor your pregnancy in advance, to make sure that everything is fine.

From a strictly medical point of view, a bibliographic study in gynecology and obstetrics, published at the CNRS by Maëlis Fagué, suggests that fasting is not dangerous for pregnant women, even if some markers increase slightly, such as blood sugar, triglycerides and total cholesterol . All this, however, without significant consequences.

Another study, this time focusing on the birth weight of newborns, whose mothers would have practiced Ramadan fasting, and published in the National Library of Medicine by Zohreh Kavehmanesh and Hassan Abolghasemi, he suggests “that maternal fasting during Ramadan had no significant effect on the birth weight of the newborn”.

What can pregnant women who do not observe Ramadan do?

If pregnant women do not wish to fast during Ramadan, for personal reasons, they have several possible choices:

• Postpone fasting days after giving birth
• Feed a poor person as charity, for every missed day of Ramadan

These choices are personal and can be discussed with your family or religious leader. Let us remember that the Koran – the sacred text of Islam – does not, in the Scriptures, require pregnant women to fast if they fear for their health or that of their unborn child.

Pregnant: the signs that should make you break your fast

If you are doing Ramadan during pregnancy, with the approval of the medical profession, but are experiencing any of its symptoms, do not hesitate to break your fast:

• dizziness
• nausea
• blurred vision

This year Ramadan does not fall during the hot season, but it is still necessary make sure you stay well hydrated, whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Your health and that of your baby above all!

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