Ayurveda Pregnancy and Postpartum Care
Ayurvedic principles can support individuals in having a pregnancy and birthing journey that are both desired and deserved. As a holistic medical science, Ayurvedic recommendations consider physical, mental, emotional and spiritual experiences throughout each step of pregnancy and delivery, utilizing nutrition and lifestyle practices including body movements, breathing practices, recipes, digestive spices, herbal support and body oils.
Pregnancy treatments, like all Ayurvedic treatment plans, support digestion to increase the absorption of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Ayurvedic recommendations can prevent or provide relief for the nine conditions that accompany pregnancy; anemia, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, dryness of mouth, fever, edema (swelling) and fluid retention.
Vata Dosha and Pregnancy
Vata dosha, or the Ayurvedic energetic force in which the air element is predominant, is the energy responsible for motion. As any mother knows, it is especially important to manage this energy throughout pregnancy because movement in the body shifts physical organs and changes physiological processes.
The energy of movement also plays a vital role in the nervous system: energetic signals from the brain, spinal cord and nerve endings help coordinate the physiology of the body. Too much motion in our nervous system can send our entire mind-body connection into overdrive, leading to depletion, depression and fatigue.
Vata dosha is also the energy responsible for moving the baby during labor. Proper support for Vata dosha helps to sustain the pregnancy and supports smooth and healthy labor.
General healthy guidelines to support Vata dosha thought pregnancy include:
- Listen to your cravings and choose wisely. During pregnancy, you are eating for two different body types. If you are craving unhealthy foods, work with your Ayurvedic practitioner to find substitutes that are palatable for you during this stage.
- Do not suppress urges such as coughing, elimination, crying or sleeping. This can upset energetic motion, leading to imbalances for mom and baby.
- Do not skip meals and avoid dry, fermented, spicy or processed foods.
- Avoid excessive travel as it leads to excessive motion.
- Eat warming, nourishing, easily digestible meals such as oatmeal, dals and kitchadi.
- Practice a nourishing self oil massage (abhyanga).
- Reduce stressful activities or situations, physically strenuous activities and conflicts as much as possible.
Postpartum Care
Ayurveda outlines a complete system of postpartum protocols. The emphasis on postpartum care stems from the concept that how parents walk through the world is how children are raised. It is understood that if mothers/parents are grounded in themselves, connected to their body and the world around them, are filled with love, contentment and trust; then this is how they will raise their children and in turn, their children will change society.
Ayurvedic postpartum healing fosters a loving relationship with self, with baby and with partnerships. It fosters holistic wellbeing, helps heal the uterus and vaginal canal; and prevents breastfeeding issues, colic, hair loss, postpartum depression and so many symptoms that are considered normal just because they are common. Ayurvedic postpartum care heals the root cause of symptoms in a way that is specific, simple and gentle.
The Sacred Window
In Ayurveda, the postpartum period is viewed as a “sacred window”, occurring for 42 days after labor. The phrase “42 days for 42 years” is commonly used. How the birthing parent is cared for during those 42 days of postpartum, can determine their health for the next 42 years. We see this in parents who, years later, can trace their imbalance symptoms back to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum.
During these 42 days, almost everything in the birthing parents’ life needs restructuring: physical body, routine, mindset, emotions, relating to one’s self and the world. Your whole life has changed at the same time! The unique nature of this “sacred window” is an opportunity for things to be re-organized in an even healthier way than before.
“Mother the Mother” is another common phrase used in relation to the postpartum period. Ayurveda says that, when a woman gives birth to her baby, she too is reborn; she is as fragile as her baby and needs specific care. The “mother needs to be mothered.”
With this rebirth and fragility, mom is left vulnerable to imbalances. However, as easy as imbalances can be experienced, is as easy as healing can occur. The body is open and ready for deep healing during this 42-day sacred window.
Creating the Environment to “Mother the Mother”
A primary component to postpartum healing is to create “warmth” for the birthing mother in mind, body and spirit. This fundamental guideline underlies every other Ayurvedic postpartum protocol. The physical space, or emptiness, left in the womb starts to redirect the physiological processes in the body, leaving the mother cold, light, dry, variable, erratic and depleted.
We balance these qualities by applying the golden rule of healing in Ayurveda: like increases like and opposites decrease. To balance these qualities, we want to bring in holistic “warmth” through structure, support, grounding and warm nourishment. When practiced intentionally and with support, the birthing parent is brought into ideal health, relationships, rejuvenation, repletion and mental and physical strength.
Holistic Warming Therapies
1. Create Space to Rest
The primary job of the new mother is to rest, recover, and to fall in love with her baby. Creating the space can include calming and soothing aromatherapy, a clean uncluttered space to rest in, pleasant wall photos, comforting items in the surroundings, and lots of cozy layers with blankets and pillows.
2. Diet and Nutrition
Ayurveda doesn’t just focus on nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Ayurveda prioritizes digestion and rebuilding digestive fire after labor so that nutrients, vitamins and minerals can be absorbed and utilized for energy. Focus on warm, soft, soupy, easily digestible meals with a good balance of fat, fiber, protein and spices appropriate for the mother’s constitution. These foods rekindle the digestive fire, eliminate toxins from the body, foster proper tissue formation and breast milk production.
3. Body Care and Self Massage
Abhyanga is the term in Ayurveda for self oil massage. It is a wonderful daily practice for most individuals and also a very important part of postpartum care. It is a grounding, rejuvenating therapy that will make you glow. It nourishes deep into the tissue layers of the body, calms the nervous system and strengthens the skin.
Abhyanga practice is well-combined with belly-wrapping. Ayurvedic belly-wrapping is a gentle technique that supports the mother; helps close the empty womb; guides organs back to their proper positions; and improves circulation, blood flow and proper tissue formation. Bring warmth into this practice by applying a warm water bottle or heating pad over the wrapped stomach.
Ayurvedic healing therapies enable one to embrace their pregnancy and postpartum journey and connect with their growing baby, while continuing to deepen the relationships of their support system. Working with an Ayurvedic practitioner enables one to receive individualized care where the most appropriate recommendations can be provided at each stage of the pregnancy journey.
Article authored by Chloe Chaput, who is dedicated to her role as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist to work with women’s health, male and female fertility challenges, parents/caregivers, and children to address a variety of clinical health concerns at the root of their cause. Contact Path Wellbeing today to set up your appointment with Chloe Chaput, CAS.
The information contained within this article is for educational purposes only and should not replace the direct advice of a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. Always consult a medical or other professional healthcare provider when considering a new health regime.
