Ayurveda is a complete science that dates back to as early as 1500 BC and still finds resonance with New Age ideas of birthing!

M&B speaks to Ayurvedic practitioners Dr Minakshi Sharma and Dr Shefaali Thanawala, who  tell you how the science can help you plan for a healthy bundle of joy...

Words Ushnota Paul

Visual Mother & baby Picture Library

In an age, where allopathy, homeopathy and other modern forms of medicine rules the roost, Ayurveda comes as a natural breather, offering spiritual and healthful insights into pregnancy and childbirth, with a specific branch called ‘Kaumar Bhritya’ devoted to this as well as diseases in children. In Ayurveda concepts, childcare begins even before conception. If a couple desires to have good progeny, both the partners should be careful about their diet, activities, behaviour and emotional status before, as well as after conception.

Ayurvedic practitioner Dr Minakshi Sharma, who has been successfully running her clinic for the past 21 years in Delhi, explains, “The couple should carefully plan the conception, as that is the time when prakriti or the Ayurvedic constitution of the child is decided. Healthy parents lead to a healthy and balanced prakriti. Prior to conception, the digestion and all physical systems of both parents should be cleared of ama. Their doshas should be in a balanced state and they should possess high quality ojas. In addition, both parents should possess high quality of sattva guna in the mind and have a highly spiritual temperament.”

As a mum-to-be, you should continue to adopt a wholesome regimen during pregnancy. Your diet, lifestyle and emotional stability are crucial factors in the growth of a healthy foetus and the birth of a content and strong child. “Ayurveda provides a detailed guidance of do’s and don’ts during pregnancy, in order for you to undergo a normal delivery and birth of a healthy baby. However, due to the fact that pregnancy is a very special and extraordinary phase in each woman’s life, utmost care must be taken to maintain not only physical, but also, mental health. During this extremely delicate phase of life, no experimentation should be done, and it is essential that you should seek the advise of a qualified gynaecologist and Ayurvedic physician before following any diet, deed or drug (known as aahar, vihar and aushadhi respectively, in Ayurveda,” says Mumbai-based Dr Shefaali Thanawala, who has 16 years of experience in clinical practice and Ayurveda. 

Safe motherhood...
Ayurveda has always stressed the importance of safe motherhood, as it aims at excellence in the formation of the foetus, its development without anomalies, a comfortable full-term delivery, and maintenance of the health of the mother. Dr Sharma affirms, “Ayurveda advises that a female under 16 years of age and a male under 20 should not bear a child. The rules of sexual intercourse are also laid down. It says that the husband and other family members should take care of the pregnant woman’s diet, encourage activities that are dear to her and are beneficial to the foetus of the child growing inside her. Thus, Ayurveda’s approach towards motherhood, that is pregnancy and childbirth, is a very holistic one.”

Ayurveda has described certain diet and conduct as ‘garbhopaghaatakar’, meaning capable of harming or destroying the foetus.  Some of these which are applicable even today are, eating inadequate food and staying hungry, travelling on very uneven roads in unsuitable vehicles, listening to abusive language, remaining in a sorrowful state, excessive sleeping and excessive exercise. Consumption of alcohol, excessive consumption of sweet food items and sugar and excessive consumption of salt are all described to be detrimental to  healthy foetal growth.

What Ayurveda recommends...
There are some general recommendations from Ayurveda which can be followed for maintaining good health during pregnancy. Ayurveda insists that it is imperative for a pregnant woman to be surrounded by her family members and well wishers, and she should always remain in a positive state of mind. According to Dr Thanawala, “A pregnant woman should avoid physical exertion, lifting of heavy objects, and any exercise which might exert pressure on the abdomen. She should also avoid being in a particular posture for a long period of time, such as standing, sitting, bending etc. Ayurveda also recommends the avoidance of excessively spicy, oily and heavy-to-digest food items, and advises intake of freshly cooked, hygienic and saatvik food recipes, which include pure ghee, milk and other food items that boost the body’s immunity.”

It also recommends on fulfilling the pregnancy cravings known as dauhrid in Sanskrit, since it is a fact, that during pregnancy the woman is dauhridini, which means, she develops two hearts. So, the wishes expressed by either from the heart of mother or that of the child must be fulfilled. “Timely release of body waste material and not suppressing natural feelings of urination and defecation is also very important. It is noteworthy that Ayurveda mentions negative mental feelings such as anger, irritation, agitation, anxiety, gossiping and back-biting, as detrimental to the health and growth of the foetus,” adds Dr Thanawala.