Abu Dhabi – Maitha Al Ketbi:
Dr. Najwa Buaid, a breastfeeding consultant at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi, answers the question. She said that a breastfeeding woman should drink large amounts of water between breakfast and suhoor, at least 8-12 cups, to replace lost fluids from her body. During fasting, water is very important for producing milk, and it is necessary to diversify the breakfast food, so that it contains vegetables rich in minerals, vitamins and fiber, various soups, and proteins from plant and animal sources, such as grains and legumes, or meat and fish, fresh juices and fruits, and eating fresh nuts, as they are Rich in antioxidants, vitamins and beneficial fats, and be careful to eat foods that increase milk production, such as: oats, salmon, spinach, beetroot leaves, carrots, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, parsley leaves, and drink milk and yogurt to replace calcium in the body.
She stressed that the suhoor meal is very useful, and the suhoor meal must contain foods rich in calcium, such as cheese or labneh, in addition to foods containing protein, iron, and vitamins A and C, such as beans with oil and lemon, eggs, fresh juices and fruits, and that the body adapts well in the state of fasting. In a study, it was shown that mothers who breastfeed and fast during the month of Ramadan have almost the same chemical balance in the blood as women who breastfeed and did not fast.
She added that you can know that you are dehydrated if you feel very thirsty, feel faint, dizzy, weak or tired, or develop headaches or other pains. Salt to water, or take oral rehydration solution, and then take a break, half an hour later, if you still feel unwell, you should call the doctor.
