Today not just India but the whole world is adopting the ancient Vedic culture and household remedies for ensuring a healthy baby by following few basic rules for care during pregnancy period.
It is important for everyone around you to be understanding, especially your close family members. Any undue stress can affect the baby, so it becomes necessary for your husband and other members in the family to be sensitive to your special needs during pregnancy. To ensure that this pregnancy will result in a healthy, divine and happy child- a mother should try to do the following as much as possible.
Beside your normal diet and your doctor’s advice, the following are also considered the best foods to eat during pregnancy, if your doctor allows.
Coconut: Eat as much coconut as you can during the day. According to ancient Indian beliefs, it makes the baby’s eyes beautiful and enhances other features. It also improves the complexion and for all reasons it is best to have coconut water.
Orange: Eat a few sweet oranges, mandarins every day before sunset. This will help to give the baby glowing skin.
Apple: Have an apple everyday to beautify the skin.
Grapes: After lunch on sunny days, or especially in summer, have some grapes. It gives rosy cheeks.
Almonds: Eat about 12 almonds every morning to improve the baby’s nervous system and mental capacity (IQ.). These should be soaked overnight in water, then peeled and chewed. You can also grind the almonds and mix it with milk. The “almond-milk” will ensure good overall health to the baby.
Figs: have two figs (over-night soaked in water) everyday with your morning break-fast. It is very healthy.
Pistachios (5-7) and Walnuts (2-4): Intake of these nuts throughout the pregnancy is extremely healthy as these contain vitamin E and omega 3 among others. This will help make baby strong.
Saunf (fennel seed): After having lunch and dinner, you can have a tablespoon of Saunf. It improves digestion and improves skin colour.
Carrots (40%), spinach (40%) and beet-root (20%): these should be juiced together and drank every day. This will give healthy and fair skin. It will also build a strong immune system. Please note, do not eat or drink half an hour before and after having juice.
Water: Drink plenty of water every day for healthy and happy baby.
In addition to the suggested do’s; a pregnant lady should avoid all types of stress and always get sufficient sleep. there are few don’t that should be avoided. Similarly there are few don’t for the pregnancy period which includes completely or greatly minimizing consumption of few foods like :
Papaya: It is believed in the southern part of India that papaya often causes miscarriages.
Yoghurt: According to Ayurveda, this can be consumed only in summers. It must be avoided during winter, after sunset, on cloudy or rainy weather, because it may cause cough and cold for the mother and the baby.
Tomato: according to Ayurveda the acid contained in tomato increases joint pains and generally contributes to pregnancy related swelling.
In general a pregnant lady should avoid all foods that are Ayurved considers too hot or too cold, like cloves and garlic (hot in nature) or yogurt ( cold in nature).
According to spiritual science, if a pregnant woman takes part in spiritual activities then it also has a positive bearing on the baby developing inside her. The baby is not only having a biological connection but it is emotionally attached to the mother. So everything that mother does will have a direct influence on the future personality of the baby. Even the modern scientist have now started believing that pregnancy is the most important time for the baby and it is the mother’s womb where the baby starts interacting, listening, and acquiring habits, emotions, tastes, liking etc. Not only physical actions but the thoughts of the mother also have an influence on the baby that is why in Hindu spirituality it is recommended to read holy books like the Ramayana, the Bhagavada Gita. This also helps the pregnant woman to meditate, take out some time to relax while reading and stay calm. It is also believed that reciting Santana-Gopal Mantra or offering prayers to your favourite deity or while remembering God, the mother thinks of all the good qualities, noble personal traits; which she would want ideally in her baby too. This keeps her busy and happy too which is most essential for delivering a healthy baby.
Dr. Sharika | Durban
She writes on women health, pregnancy , Vedic science & Spirituality.
