Useful Pregnancy Tips for a Normal Delivery
Pregnancy tends to change our body and mind with a different creek of changes in 9 months. In this period, a woman experiences a lot of bodily and psychological symptoms like nausea, increased frequency of urination, mood swings and some other complications. Due to these factors, most of the women prefer cesarean section in spite of delivering a baby normally. But, it is also true that every woman wants an easy, soothing and uncomplicated pregnancy. So, is there any solution? In today’s article, we will discuss in detail how to deliver a healthy baby normally by changing our lifestyle and dietary habits.
Brief About Pregnancy (Introduction)
For every woman, pregnancy is a very pleasant and changing phase of life. Have you missed your periods? If yes then congrats! You are pregnant. For the confirmation, just go for a urine pregnancy test because it might be due to some other issues like polycystic ovarian disease, etc. If it is positive then change your diet and lifestyle a bit so that you will have a healthy baby without any complications. After reading this line, the question which will arise in your mind is what healthy diet should I take? Or what I have to change in my lifestyle? Don’t worry, we are here to help you, you will get all your answers after reading further.
Here let’s answer your first question: What healthy diet should I take?
Healthy diet in pregnancy is very important as the diet you take will provide nourishment to you and the baby also. So, you need to have a healthy and nutritious diet containing products like legumes, green leafy vegetables, etc. which are briefly explained below.
Daily intake of milk or other dairy products
As we know, milk is a complete food. It contains all the essential elements which keep you and your baby healthy. Daily intake of 1 glass of milk in morning and 1 in the evening is sufficient. Along with milk you can also take other dairy products like curd, ghee, butter, yogurt, buttermilk, cheese, etc.
Include fruits in your diet
You must have to consider fruits in your daily routine as they are a rich source of vitamins, iron, calcium, etc. Taking fruits like apples, bananas, watermelon, kiwi, melon, citrus fruits like amla, oranges and all seasonal fruits aids in building strong immunity.
Addition of dry fruits
A pregnant woman should also take dry fruits like almonds (by soaking it overnight), cashew nuts, etc.
Vegetables in daily diet
In pregnancy, you must take green leafy vegetables like spinach, spirulina, etc. and other seasonal vegetables like carrot, cauliflower, cabbage, potato, and others as they are very rich sources of vitamins, iron, folic acid, calcium and other micronutrients.
Whole grains in pregnancy
Pregnant women should prefer to take carbohydrate meals like oatmeal, whole wheat, brown rice, etc. as they provide healthy fiber, iron and other micronutrients which assist in nourishing the baby.
Take high protein diet
High protein diet is very helpful in providing an adequate amount of nutrition to the baby and aids in the development of bodily organs. High protein diet includes egg, meat, legumes and non-vegetarian edibles.
Berries intake daily
Berries are very beneficial for pregnant women as they are great antioxidants and carry folic acid. Berries are highly nutritious and have low glycemic index that decrease the risk of gestational diabetes. It also contains Vitamin C, Fiber and adequate amounts of water. They are good to be taken at snack time.
Here is the answer to your next question: What I have to change in my lifestyle?
A woman should follow these lifestyle tips they are very effective in delivering a baby normally.
1. Prenatal classes
Attending prenatal classes during pregnancy is very obliging for primigravidas as it assists them to be aware of the consequences which might occur during labor pain or childbirth. They also teach antenatal exercises which later on causes easy and less painful delivery.
2. Right breathing techniques
Practicing the right techniques of breathing is very good because it fulfils the oxygen demand of the body and is helpful in proper growth of the baby. So, during the antenatal period, a woman must have to do breathing exercises daily as during birth or labor stage she has to hold her breath due to contractions.
3. Excessive Intake of water
Hydrate yourself with sufficient water i.e., 2-3 liters per day. Intake of water in excess quantity prevents you from edema and urinary tract infections which are most common during the antenatal period.
4. Abstain from stress and be happy
Keep your mind calm and stress free as it decreases the production of oxytocin hormone (responsible for contraction during labor). Read or listen to good books or stories which make you happy and relax your body and mind. Avoid thinking about negative people and stressful things because it affects your baby and may cause complications.
5. Sleep well and adequately
During pregnancy you should take at least 8-10 hours of sleep and keep yourself away from caffeine before sleeping. Hygienic sleep is very useful for both mother and baby’s health and aids in proper growth and development of the baby. Good sleep relaxes your nervous system and keeps you calm.
6. Healthy diet
One of the most important factors for delivering a baby normally is a healthy or balanced diet. Don’t take processed or fatty food like packed, canned, fast food etc. because they are not good for health. As we all know the nourishment of the baby depends totally on a healthy diet taken by the mother. If she takes a nourished and balanced diet then she will give birth to a healthy baby with strong immunity.
7. Doing antenatal exercises daily
Women must have to follow light exercises during the first and second trimester. As the time passes or during ninth month, she is advised to do antenatal exercises like wall push-ups, bridging, squats etc. These exercises reduce anxiety, stress, insomnia, morning sickness and enhance the muscle strength, posture and sustain the flexibility of pelvic muscles and bone. All these antenatal exercises are done if your gynecologist advises you to do them and under the supervision of a medical expert.
Ayurvedic Aspect Or Overview
After knowing both the answers, let’s go back to the ancient times and learn some amazing facts. In Ayurveda, Acharayas beautifully explained the month wise diet for pregnant women. Acharya mentioned a word “Garbhini” for pregnant women and elegantly described the month wise regimen. Here it is:-
Diet during 1st month of pregnancy
After conception, pregnant women should take Anup Sanskrit (non medicated) milk according to agni (digestive power) and bala (strength) and take an adequate amount of satmya ahara (favorable diet) during morning and evening time.
Diet during 2nd month of pregnancy
Acharya Charak introduces that a pregnant woman should take milk medicated with madhur varga aushadhi like jeevaka , rishbhak, meda, mahameda, kaklo, ksheer kakoli, etc.
Diet for 3rd month during pregnancy
During 3rd month, a garbhini (Pregnant women) must take milk mixed with madhu (honey) and ghrita (cow’s ghee). She also has to take shashtik chawal (type of rice) cooked in milk with food.
Regimen for 4th month of pregnancy
In the fourth month of pregnancy women need to take navneet (butter), ghrita (cow’s ghee) and milk (Dugdha). They specifically mentioned the dosage of butter i.e. 1 aksh (2 tola=24 gm). She should also consider taking shashtik chawal (type of rice) with curd.
Diet during 5th month of pregnancy
In fifth month, Acharya Charak explained to take dugdha (cow’s milk) and ghrita (cow’s ghee). Shahtik odan (cooked rice), jangala mamsa (non-veg diet) and favorable diet mixed with milk and ghrita (ghee).
Diet regimen for 6th and & 7th month
In the sixth and seventh month, pregnant women should take ghee and milk prepared in madhur varga aushadhi i.e. jeevaka, kakoli, rishbhak, etc. Acharya mentioned to take Gokshura siddha ghrita or yavagu (a type of cooked rice).
Diet regimen for 8th month
A woman should take ghrit mishrit cooked rice (yavagu) as it provides bala (strength), varna (texture), arogya (ability to fight with diseases) to the fetus. Acharya Sushrut explained to give Asthapan basti (detoxifying therapy) for the detoxification of waste products from the body as it helps in delivering the baby normally without any complications.
Diet of 9th month
In the last of third trimester, a woman is advised to take anuvasana basti (medicated oil enema) with madhur varga aushadhi and to hold pichu (vaginal tampon) of this medicated oil as it nourishes the vaginal canal and helps in delivering a normal baby.
Benefits Of Above Mentioned Monthly Regimen
The month wise diet is beneficial for the normal growth and development of the baby as well as the birth of a healthy baby with good strength, compactness, and voice. If women follow this above mentioned daily diet, then during labor she will experience less difficulty and pain and deliver the baby on proper time without any complications.
Acharya Charak also mentioned the Gabhavridhikara Bhava (factors beneficial for the growth and development of fetus) which are explained as follows:-
In the above-mentioned verse, Acharya Charak mentioned six garbhavridhikara bhava that are beneficial for proper growth and development of the fetus and these are mata (maternal factors), pita (paternal factor), atma (soul), satmya (health- giving or wholesomeness), satva (psychological factors i.e. mind) and rasa (nutritional factor). When the mother follows the proper diet and changes her lifestyle as advised and placenta meeting the exact nutritional needs within proper time (complete antenatal phase), the fetus grows properly inside the womb without any drastic complications. All these factors are considered as developing factors for the embryo.
Conclusion
Thus, at last we can find the above provided information is presented in an effective and innovative way. After reading this article, we hope that you have gotten all your answers regarding the proper diet and lifestyle during the antenatal period.
Ayurveda is an ancient science and thousands of years ago, our Acharyas mentioned everything about dietary and lifestyle changes to prevent the complications occurring during antenatal, labor or postnatal period. So, you must have to follow the above-mentioned diet, change your lifestyle to be able to deliver a healthy baby without any complications. Stay a Healthy Mother and secure your baby against diseases and yourself against complications of Pregnancy intrinsically.
