Fasting in Pregnancy
This Ramadan I have an extra little human being to think about. Morning sickness is in full swing. I have lost my apetite for many things and I am always zapped out of energy. I can’t keep anything in and the little that I do keep in is just enough to feed a little child and not enough to give me any energy. On most nights I go to sleep hungry because right as I come home from work I vomit everything I’ve eaten and then the shaking starts and I feel too exhuasted to do anything but pray and sleep. Pregnancy not only effects physically but emotionally I cry at any injustice I see especially to little kids. I can’t stand to see little kids crying and anyone hurt and I constantly keep asking if everyone around me is okay. The extra compassion that pregnancy adds I don’t mind, in fact I would love to keep that compassion even after the birth.
So knowing my condition I have to make a choice this Ramadan and that is whether I should fast. With my first born I did not fast simply because I thought it was not an option and thought it would hurt the baby. However after reading many reliable articles i’ve realized that the ability to fast while pregnant depends on the woman. Every women is different, some may be able to do it and some may not.
Right now my intention is to fast because let’s face it, with me skipping dinner, I already don’t eat for like 14 hours and I still am “okay” in the morning. Now it’ll be just switched where I don’t eat during the day. And if I feel it’s not something I can do, I can always break it or take breaks from the fasts. May Allah make it easy for me. Ameen.
