some ANC guidelines (ANC means antenatal care)
Posted by: "cmthite" cmthite@gmail.com cmthite
Date: Thu Aug 9, 2007 9:38 am ((PDT)


Hi again,

There is extensive guidance in Ayurveda about diet during pregnancy. Since growth of the baby depends on what kind of food you eat, you should be very careful. According to Ayurveda different body parts  of the baby are manifested in different months. Thus, month-wise diet  is suggested to facilitate proper growth of the baby. But there are  four foods that are common to all months, they are - shali rice (this rice is produced within 6 months), ghee, pure butter, and milk. These four should be taken during all 9 months of pregnancy.

I will try to shortly summarize the month-wise diet. (Please correct me if I am wrong somewhere.) You will find lot of repetition in the diet regimens, but in fact there is a slight difference in each  recipe, and this must be followed as accurately as possible, because  this is taken from the original text Sushruta Samhita. The milk mentioned here should be cow milk.

All the below-mentioned recipes may be taken in addition to your usual diet. Details of the patient's current diet (and available options) along with prakruti is taken into consideration before suggesting modifications/additions to that.

During first month, cold milk and light diet is advised to purify rasa dhatu. Some special herbs for first month are also useful.

During second month, herbs with sweet taste should be used, e.g. licorice, etc.

During third month milk with honey and ghee, and shali rice with milk is advised with some herbs.

During fourth month heart of the baby is manifested and it is advised to have milk cream (cream extracted directly from milk), curd rice, a kind of meat called jangala meat (goat, sheep, etc.). It is also advised to increase the portion of milk and butter.

During fifth month, cream, milk and rice, and to increase portion of milk and ghee.

During sixth month, ghee from milk cream, milk itself, and rice, and milk prepared with a herb called gokshura are advised. (This herb is advised possibly because kidneys are manifested in the sixth month).

During seventh month, sweet and anti-vata herbs, with less fat and less salt, ghee prepared with a herb called prishniparni, and milk prepared with decoction of a herb called badara.

During eighth month, a recipe called yavagu is advised, this consists of rice boiled with special herbs. Soups of jangala meat (as mentioned above), and anuvasana and asthapana basti.

During ninth month, oil prepared with some herbs for ninth month, anuvasana and asthapan basti, and rice boiled with special herbs.

We have seen very good results of this regimen in many patients. As you know, in addition to this, there are some herb formulations that can be used to avoid miscarriage/abortion, healthy growth of the baby, easy delivery, and better recovery of the mother after delivery.

You must take milk and ghee during all months of pregnancy. This sometimes leads to truncal obesity. The weight gain and obesity after delivery can be avoided with use of anti-meda herbs and I have seen excellent results with these.

Also, take a look at my website: www.ayurvedicrx.com. Your suggestions are most welcome.

Regards..
Dr. Thite