I work with  Muslim women from Pakistan and Bangladesh, their practice is to try
and fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan (one lunar month).  Religious
practice allows exemption for pregnant and nursing women,  but if you take this
exemption you have to perform the fast at another time.  (Women do not fast on
days when they are menstruating, and have to make these days up outside
Ramadan).  I have seen a 17-year old 8 month pregnant woman keeping the fast
strictly (No food, no water, some sects won't swallow saliva).  I think it is so
much harder to make up these fast days when everyone else is not doing it.
Fasting is one of the five main obligations of being Muslim and is thus a core
life activity and goal.

I don't know exactly what effects women might see on their breastmilk, as my
contact with these women is not through my brestfeeding support work.  I
certainly have seen toddlers breastfeeding, so they must have been through one
or more yearly fasts.  I think that, from reports (e.g.  Ted Greiner papers on
web, 'Infant Feeding in Asian Families' (UK govt publication), etc.) the
usual/traditional/accepted practice for these women is to use additional
foods/milk from an early stage.  I know local hcp's who comment on how women
from Pakistan and Bangladesh can combine and mix'n'match breast and formula in a
way which would have a white mother 'losing' her ability to breastfeed.  It may
be that there is more use of these additional/replacement foods during Ramadan.

Magda Sachs
The Breastfeeding Network, UK
From near Oldham, which has a large SE Asian population, who originally came to
this country to work in the textile mills after the 1939-1947 war.  20% of the
births in our local hospital are to women of SE Asian origin.