AYURVEDIC DIET AND LIFESTYLE DURING FIRST TRIMESTER #Heal2Wellness

9 months journey with a bumpy ride!!! Mommin ain’t easy !! A mother’s joy begins when new life is stirring?inside,?deciding to have a child - it's momentous but taking care of it like a bud in the womb is the real challenge, whether your pregnancy was planned or a surprise blessing. Being sensible with diet and lifestyle patterns during these crucial nine months will help to sail through pregnancy with no?waves.?The first trimester of the pregnancy?is?an important time as the mother’s body nourishes her body with new life?added up?in her. The first trimester begins with the first day of the last period and lasts until the end of week?12.?Ayurveda, the oldest system of medicine has laid enormous importance on safe motherhood?with?the importance of women's health for a hale and?hearty progeny?and to add up,?it has been excellent support for?the physical,?mental?&?spiritual?wellbeing?of both mother and baby.??

Ayurvedic classics focus?on motherhood,?i.e. pregnancy and childbirth, in?a holistic?approach &?bestows?to?procreate?a healthy?progeny.?When we go through our?Samhitas,?we find our acharyas were excellent managers of lifestyle and?has provided?a detailed description about antenatal?regimen?as?garbhini?paricharya, which?restricts?around a combination of?aahara?(diet),?vihara?(lifestyle),?vichara?(emotions) and?aushadha?(medications).?Among these, “Ahara” acts as the?pivotal factor for the promotion of health?as?“We are what we eat”.? Aahara?is?rasapradhana, used in?prakrut?avastha?and?aushadha?is?virya-pradhana, used in?vikrut?avastha. There is no need to take medicine if?aahara?is taken in correct proportion and in a correct?regime as mentioned by Acharyas. That is why Acharyas have entitled food as?‘Mahabhaishajya’.?

Since the process of pregnancy and childbearing is not an illness, but an essential aspect of human life and every person born is vulnerable to various diseases and health?conditions,?Ayurveda deals with the?pathya-vyavastha?viz. planning?of diet and lifestyle comprehensively.??

Women?have?special dietary needs during each stage of their lives especially in pregnancy as well?quoted?by Acharya?Charaka?that, “A pregnant lady needs to be treated cautiously as if a pot is filled with oil right up to the brim and is to be carried without spilling even a single drop.” Nutrient requirement month-wise development of?the fetus,?i.e.?Masanumasika?Garbha?Vridhi?Krama?to ensure both maternal?well being?and pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancy increases all three?doshas?viz:?

1. ?Vata?with change and expansion??
2. ?Pitta?with?metabolism?and heat??
3. Kapha?with increased body?weight.??

Challenges can still occur despite best?efforts,?so prevention is?the easiest?approach to have a safe and easy labour.?

The first trimester marks its onset with?anorexia,?nausea, dryness in the mouth, vomiting, oedema, fever,?anaemia, retention of urine and?diarrhoea?peculiar to pregnancy.?As well quoted in the classics,?“the mother should be given whatever she wants during the period excerpt perhaps those that are harmful to the new life .”?As denial of desires can lead to aggravation of?vata?dosha, which is of utmost importance to balance as emotional disturbances, nausea, morning sickness,?etc.?are mainly due to excess of?Apana?vayu?.?The monthly regimen is necessary to make pelvis, waist, sides of the chest, back, healthy & flexible and downward movement of?vata?(vata-anulomana?) required for the normal delivery.?

?So making the entire journey of birth-giving to move along the smooth rail with the least physical symptoms that can be a real?drag,?switching to a healthy diet and lifestyle is important. Since low blood sugar contributes to mood swings and morning?sickness,?insufficient calcium to hypertension, backache and severe labour pains hence ;?

• In?the first?month,?Acharyas texted to consume non-medicated milk, sweet cold & liquid diet and?yashtimadhu (Licorice),?parushaka (Grewia asiatica) ?and?madhuka?(Madhuca longifolia) with?navaneeta (butter),?madhu (honey),?sharkara?(sugar ).??

As here,?yashtimadhu?has been enumerated in eleven?mahakasya?by?Acarya?Charak?, in?chardi-nigrahana?(anti-emetic) and?vamaopaga?(adjuvant?in emesis). Besides this,?Parushaka?adds up to the supplementation of?iron,?calcium, potassium, sodium and vitamin C, hence dealing with?anaemia. So when?yashtimadhu?is combined with?parushaka?or?madhuka?with?navaneeta, madhu?and?sharkara?, it acts as pitta?pacifying?and relieves?vomiting,?morning sickness, dehydration and?anaemia.?

• The second month?triggers the food?cravings,?fatigue frequency of urination.?So?bearing them, add up?the diet?with medicated milk with?Madhur?rasa,?sweet?cold & liquid diet and sweetened milk with?kakoli.??

Kakoli?is a?jeevaniya?dravya?and acts as?a vitalizer,?tonic or?balya and prevents the risk of miscarriage in?the second?month.?Madhura rasa?acts as?brihniya?i.e. nutrients and?stanyajana?(galactagogue) . A cold, sweet liquid diet and milk prevent dehydration and act as?a tonic?to?health.?

• ?Physically, the body experiences a surge in pregnancy hormones leading to nausea?and morning?sickness, urinary?disturbances. Continue milk with?madhu?and?ghrita?in?the third?month?adding up with?shastika?shali?rice mixed with milk or??krushra?i.e. rice?cooked?with different cereals which act as?mala-mutrakari?I.e. acts on the excretory?system.?Milk is sweet in taste. It is unctuous & promotes the growth of tissues and is cooling to the?body.?Milk cures?fatigue, excessive?thirst and hunger.?

So?nutritionally,?the mother needs to eat healthy to cater to vitamins and nutrients required for the growing life in her womb. So make sure diet is added up with green leafy vegetables for folic acid important for neural?development?and?DHA- for baby’s brain development. With these dietary?requirements,?to-be-mother should emphasize a proper attitude towards a lifestyle with a clean body to get a clear, joyful spirit. So attaining this, she should wear clean?clothes,?avoid dreadful agitating sounds and emotions, and avoid carrying heavy loads.??

Lifestyle modifications?required to be?followed :??

• Physical?fitness:?It is a misnomer that pregnancy is a good time to put your feet up. In?fact,?the first?trimester is more about?groundedness, nourishment, and support. Gentle stretching?asana,?meditation, breathing exercises are helpful. All normal asanas can be?practised?during this period as they not only will help to maintain physical strength but will teach her to combat the?discomfort.?The best?asanas?should?encourage pelvic and hip-opening, which can be done sitting or standing.??

Regular pelvic exercises will surely help to stop wetting issues when the growing baby starts to press the?bladder.?Gently lie in a comfortable position and squeeze your bottom as if stopping a pee by lifting the muscles inwards and upwards and hold for 1-4 seconds and then release?slowly.??

Routine physical activity not only affects our body but also has a positive influence on our mind, emotions, senses, and spirit. The sedentary lifestyle of the present era may contribute to many risk factors.?

• Abhyangam: Since many health challenges of pregnancy can be prevented by paying attention to simple exercises, proper diet and?a healthy?lifestyle. Adding?up to?this?self, body?massage or?abhyangam?with prescribed medicated oils, as per?Prakriti ,?can intimately connect her soul to her new life in addition to improving digestion, emotions and providing physical strength to her.?

So?anyhow, in a nutshell, our goal is to nourish the mother and her baby in her first-trimester journey and traverse any bumps in the road with as much ease as possible, so as to have a healthy pregnancy with worry-free birth. Our classical text has?encapsulated?a holistic?regimen during various stages of pregnancy and childbirth considering thoughts, actions, dietary modifications and herbs & aims to ensure healthy and smooth childbirth and sustain the health, nutrition and?wellbeing?of both the woman and the baby. So what is more important is that all is going to be absolutely ok, but only when correct diet and lifestyle choices are made along the?way.?

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COMPILED BY: DR. DIVYA CHAUHAN (BAMS)