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Questions to ask your doctor before Ramadan when pregnant

If you are pregnant and Ramadan is coming, talk to your doctor or midwife before it starts, and take these questions with you. This page is about health only: for religious questions, please ask a scholar you trust.

Questions for your doctor or midwife

  • Is it safe for me to fast, with my health and my pregnancy?
  • Should I fast only some days?
  • Do my medicines or vitamins need to change?
  • What should I eat at suhoor and iftar?
  • Which signs mean I should stop?

If you do fast

  • Drink plenty of water between iftar and suhoor.
  • Do not skip suhoor: it gives you energy for the day.
  • Eat a mix of healthy foods: foods rich in fibre, like wholegrain cereals and fruit, and foods with iron, like beans, lentils and dark leafy vegetables.
  • Limit fried, fatty and very sugary foods, such as sweets after iftar.
  • Rest and stay cool during the day, and avoid walking long distances.
  • Keep checking your baby’s movements every day.

These are general tips from the Saudi Ministry of Health and an NHS maternity service, not a diet plan. See your weeks in Ramadan with the Ramadan planner.

Signs to stop fasting

Know the signs before Ramadan starts. They are listed on the Ramadan planner. If your baby moves less than usual, call your midwife or maternity unit straight away, even at night (NHS).

Questions people ask

When should I talk to my doctor about Ramadan?

Before Ramadan starts, so there is time to plan. Bring the questions on this page with you.

Can I fast only on some days?

Some women ask about this. Talk it through with your doctor or midwife for the health side, and ask a scholar you trust about the religious side.

What should I eat at suhoor?

Do not skip suhoor: it gives you energy for the day (Saudi Ministry of Health). Choose a mix of healthy foods, such as wholegrain cereals, fruit, beans and lentils, and limit fried and very sugary foods (NHS Leicester). Ask your midwife what suits you.

How much should I drink?

Drink lots of water in the hours you are not fasting (NHS Leicester). The Saudi Ministry of Health suggests about 10 cups of fluids, mostly water, spread between iftar and suhoor (Saudi Ministry of Health).

Should I keep taking my vitamins?

The NHS advises 400 micrograms of folic acid a day until 12 weeks, and to consider 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day, at least from October to March (NHS). Ask your midwife or doctor the best time to take them during Ramadan.

Sources

Open the tool: Ramadan planner

Your pregnancy weeks during Ramadan.

Open the tool: Ramadan planner

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