Question:
My wife is pregnant and I am worried that she might have difficulty fasting. She is in good health other than normal throw ups, headaches, and weakness in the joints. What is right that we should do? Should she fast no matter what she is feeling or she is excused to fast and make up for it some latter time?
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
A pregnant woman should not break the fast unless she fears for her health or the health of her foetus if she fasts. So, if she fears she may break the fast but she is obliged to make up any day she breaks the fast out of fear for her health and the health of her foetus. However, she is obliged to expiate for breaking the fast and make it up if she breaks the fast out of fear for the health of her foetus only and not out of fear for her own health.
The expiation is to feed a poor person on each day she breaks the fast out of fear for the health of her foetus.
To conclude, a pregnant woman may break the fast if she fears for her health or the health of her foetus.
Nonetheless, if the difficulty of fasting does not reach the level of fearing harm on the mother or the foetus, then she is not permitted to break the fast as there is no pregnancy without a hardship and weakness.
Allah Knows best.