A nursing mother who recently gave birth is concerned about fasting during Ramadan while breastfeeding her child. She is worried that if she fasts, her milk supply will decrease, leaving her child unsatisfied.
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Khamenei (may God protect him):
If fasting does not harm the nursing mother or her infant, she must fast. However, if refraining from breastfeeding and substituting the mother's milk with formula would harm the infant, the mother must break her fast and provide a compensation of three-quarters of a kilogram of food for a needy person for each day missed, and she must make up the fast afterward. If using formula does not harm the infant, then the mother should fast.
Source: Answers to Inquiries, Q 747 + Special Inquiry + Fiqh of the Guardian.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani (may God protect him):
A nursing mother with low milk supply who fears harm to herself or her infant is permitted to break her fast, and she must make up the fast afterward and also provide compensation. The compensation can be giving 750 grams of wheat or its flour to a poor person, and any food, including bread or pasta, is sufficient.
It is strongly recommended that she only break her fast if she has no other means to breastfeed the child, even if it means partially breastfeeding with formula.
If partial breastfeeding would harm the child, especially in the early days, and if using formula would prevent the child from drinking the mother's milk afterward, which would be harmful, then she may also break her fast and must make up the fast and provide compensation as mentioned.
Source: Official website: 1, 2 + Minhaj al-Salihin, Vol. 1, Book of Fasting, Chapter 8: Cases Permitting Breaking the Fast.
May you be successful in all good.