49892 - Fasting

[Avocado]

Every woman pregnant or nursing, for example, doesn't fast.

Not so, Dragon Lady, not so.

[bobtheenchantedone]

I just want to say that even if I'm not going without food, I still consider it fasting and still call it fasting. I just fast a little differently.

[NerdGirl]

Every woman pregnant or nursing, for example, doesn't fast.

Not so, Dragon Lady, not so.

I wish that all pregnant and nursing women knew that it wasn't a good idea to fast. The 4-months-pregnant Primary chorister in my friend's ward once passed out in front of her two older children while she was leading the music because she was fasting on a fast Sunday. It had never even occurred to her that this was bad idea, and I guess she had done it all through her previous pregnancies.

[Unit of Energy]

I was always taught that if you have a legitimate medical reason you didn't have to fast, and if you were pregnant or nursing you absolutely shouldn't fast. Not that you can't in spirit. My mom would only eat fruits and vegetables on Fast Sunday when she couldn't fast. And once the baby was able to eat other foods my mom would fast. But a baby's only source of nutrition is mom and if mom isn't eating then the baby can't.

[bismark]

ah, so it should be more like:

Every intelligent woman pregnant or nursing, for example, doesn't fast.

[Tao]

Ehhh, I'd be hesitant to make such a black and white statement.

Fasting is very much a matter of mind, body and spirit. From NerdGirl's anecdote, we can see one potential danger of fasting while under duress, and yet, it appears that the woman in question was fine for the first two pregnancies, only to have this one catch her up at the fourth month. I was not raised in a LDS based community, and our entire branch misunderstood certain elements of doctrine, fasting being one of the more memorable ones. I recall the surprise I felt while at the MTC finding out that most others don't drink water while fasting, and limit their fasts to two meals. For me, fasting was "no food and no liquids other than water for 24-48 hours" yet I do not recall anyone suffering any adverse effects from the deviation. I have no experience being pregnant, obviously, and can not comprehend the tolls inflicted thereby, nonetheless I was surprised to hear of someone fainting solely from fasting and being pregnant. Perhaps other considerations or conditions came into play.

I guess what I'm going for here is the thought that the decision to fast or not should not be made in blanket statements ahead of time, but options should be made known and decisions be made based on the individual's feelings and circumstances at the time. That goes back to Dragon Lady's preceding statement: "Don't pay attention to what other people think or say and do what is best for you."

If I were to consider amending the quote in question, I'd phrase it "every woman pregnant or nursing should be aware of the effects of her fast on her child and consider refraining."

[bismark]

ehhhh mine was more exciting.

[Fredjikrang]

You know what that sentence reminded me of bismark? House.

[NerdGirl]

Two other fasting-related things I had never even heard of before I moved to the branch I'm in now:
1. Some people feel like their fast ends as soon as they take the sacrament
2. Some people believe you shouldn't brush your teeth while you are fasting

[Giovanni Schwartz]

I believe you should never brush your teeth at all.

[krebscout]

At what point does extreme discomfort become a medical reason not to fast? I haven't been fasting during my pregnancy, and I felt world-shatteringly sick if I went for about five minutes without eating during the first and second trimesters, but some of the tests (such as the second half of the test for gestational diabetes) that the doctors have you do require 12 hour fasts, and according to a few of the books I've been reading, your baby will be fine if, say, you get the flu and can't keep anything down for a day. So I don't think fasting monthly hurts the baby in normal pregnancies. But it sure can make you feel crappy.

But other people feel crappy when they don't eat, too. So why do we pregnant ladies get the special treatment?

(And I know at least one intelligent woman who fasted while pregnant.)

[bobtheenchantedone]

I know very well that I can go without eating in order to fast. However, I would rather fast differently and go to church than fast by going without food and stay home or go home from church early for my troubles.

[A Mom, but not yours]

As krebscout indicated, if you're reasonably healthy, you can certainly fast for several hours when pregnant or nursing without serious harm to the baby. I was actually nursing my third child before I even considered not fasting just because I was pregnant or nursing. I'd never even heard of such a thing. I think that it is a very personal thing and every situation is different. As is how each individual who has a medical reason for not abstaining from food handles fasting. I'm currently one of those individuals and sometimes what I do varies from month to month.

[Quiet Lamb]

My sister doesn't fast because that's what she's heard she's supposed to do while nursing (she's a child development major.) She's also an energetic-6-foot-tall-string-bean added on to that, and if she doesn't at least snack every couple hours, she feels like she's going to faint.

[Tao]

Experience may also play a role. I have had times in my life where food was not in abundance, and have gone without food or water for some time without ever feeling like fainting. My legs did start to feel odd, but at no point was I rendered inoperable. I agree with A mom, it comes down to the individual, and what they feel is best for them.

[vorpal blade]

The Gospel Principles manual says:

Everyone who can do so should fast. However, “many are subject to weakness, others are delicate in health, and others have nursing babies; of such it should not be required to fast. Neither should parents compel their little children to fast” (Gospel Doctrine, p. 244).

[Unit of Energy]

If I wake up with a headache I won't fast, because I know from past experience that if I don't eat something right away the headache will get worse until the point that I can't do anything. I don't get migraines, at least the headaches I get are only occasional and don't come with any other symptoms, just a really bad headache. But as for experience and state in life, I'll just say this. Fasting is quite easy for me right now. Because I am, unfortunately, used to not eating anything substantial most days. I find that when I only eat enough to survive during the rest of the month (due to necessity, I promise I love food and enjoy eating.) It is a lot easier to fast than when I'm at home and can eat whenever I feel like it without rationing so I have three meals a day.

[vorpal blade]

Fasting is quite easy for me right now. Because I am, unfortunately, used to not eating anything substantial most days. I find that when I only eat enough to survive during the rest of the month (due to necessity, I promise I love food and enjoy eating.) It is a lot easier to fast than when I'm at home and can eat whenever I feel like it without rationing so I have three meals a day.

Are you that poor?

[Fredjikrang]

I have definitely been that poor a couple times this year. . .

[bobtheenchantedone]

I would definitely be that poor if I wasn't living at home.