Pregnancy is the process whereby the life of a baby begins in the mother’s womb & progresses up to the stage when it is safe to expose the baby to the outside world. Pregnancy is a very precious & important event in a woman’s life where the complete care of both mother & child is utmost important. This is the period which is special for woman & her family. It is a time of many changes in her body, emotions & life. These changes often add new stresses to the lives of women. Pregnancy related discomforts due to anatomical & physiological changes can be stressful to women. She has to understand & recognize that these symptoms in motherhood stage are temporary & that there are ways to cope up with them. Failing to understand this basic fact, may affect the development of the fetus & henceforth the total health of the child. Apart from biological intervention, social & psychological support is equally important. At this juncture, Yoga & Naturopathy is recognized as one of the excellent & safest systems of medicine to manage all the motherhood problems.
Yoga practice is the tool for achieving positive health for both mother &child. Yoga brings about stress reduction & helps in reducing the occurrence of complications through effective hormonal function.
Naturopathy is the system to change the way of life & increases its quality. Various natural modalities help women to combat the physical discomforts during this period, carries her *& soothes her for normal motherhood.
Tips for maintaining a Healthy Pregnancy
1) Regular intake of folic acid & necessary supplements.
2) Balance diet
3) Avoid stress
4) Get plenty of rest & sleep
5) Stop smoking & avoid alcohol
6) No un-prescribed medicines
7) 12 glasses of water a day
8) Take good fat diet and avoid very low fat
9) Regular exercise
Yoga practices for Normal & Safer Pregnancy
Yogic techniques for each trimester are as follows:
1. Loosening Exercises
a. Hand stretch/side stretch
b. Ankle stretch
c. Straight Leg Raising (Alternate)
d. Straight Leg Raising (both legs)
e. Forward/Backward Bending
f. Side Bending
g. Twisting
2. Breathing Exercises
a. Tiger breathing
b. Rabbit breathing
c. Sasankasana Breathing
3. Standing Asanas-
I. Standing
a. Ardha Kati chakrasana
b. Ardhachakrasana
c. Padahastasana
d. Utkatasana
II. Supine
a. Vipareetakarani
b. Sarvangasana
c. Matsyasana
d. Pawanmuktasana kriyas
III. Prone
a. Bhujangasana
b. Ardha Salabhasana
IV. Sitting
a. Paschimottansana
b. Ushtrasana
c. Shashankasana
d. Vakrasana
e. Upavishta Konasana
4. Pranayama
a. Sectional Breathing
b. Nadishuddhi/SAV/CAV
c. Bhramari/Sheetali/Sitkari
5. Relaxation techniques
a. IRT/QRT/DRT
6. Meditation
a. “OM”Kara meditation/Naadaanusandhana
Yogic Counseling:
i. To change the basic notions about life, death & purpose of living.
ii. Improving interpersonal relationship by understanding the basis of pure love.
iii. To correct the pattern of tension ridden working style with a joyous working atmosphere.
Contraindicated practices in specific to each trimester:
1st trimester (1-3 months): Baddhakonasana
2ndtrimester (4-6 months):forward& backward bending exercise, Sarvangasana, Matsyasana, Pawanamuktasana Kriya, Paschimottanasana, Baddhakonasana & Vakrasana
3rd Trimester (7-9 months):
Straight leg raising (both), forward & backward bending, Shashankasana breathing, padahastasana, Vipareetakarani, Sarvanagasana, Matsyasana, pawanamuktasana kriya, Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana (Ardha), Paschimottanasana, Ushtrasana, Vakrasana.
Avoid the following techniques for all trimesters :
Kapalabhati, Uddiyana Bandha, Nauli, Suryanamaskar & advanced series of asanas.
Practices after one month of Delivery:
After normal delivery , the Yogic practices like simple breathing, straight leg raising (alternate), Tad asana, Ardha kati chakrasana, trikonasana, uttanapadasana, bhujangasana, Urdhvahastottansana & shavasana with relaxation techniques like IRT, DRT & QRT , pranayama like Nadishuddhi & Bhramari, Omkara chanting could be practiced.
Naturopathy treatment for pregnancy & normal delivery:
Treatment:
Ø Morning walk for an hour
Ø Cold hip bath for 10-15 minutes
Ø Mud pack on Abdomen
Ø Sunbath
Ø Reflexology track walking
Ø 10 minutes bare foot walking on green grass (lawn)
Diet:
Take light & Sattvic diet. She should eat a balanced diet including all the nutrients. She should increase 30-500 cal/day from normal calorie intake.
After delivery :
Treatment :
Ø Morning walk for half an hour
Ø Suryanamaskar
Ø Supine postures- Ekapada Utthiitapasana, Utthitapadasana, Pawanmuktasana, Merudandasana, to be slowly started after 10-12 days.
Ø Light massage to full body
Ø Breathing exercises
Diet :
Take Sattvic diet consisting of sprouts, brown rice (softly cooked), vegetable soups, porridge, multigrain, milk with honey, overnight soaked dry fruits. Take green leafy vegetables & seasonal fruits in moderate quantity.
Following are the food items prescribed for pregnant & lactating women:
1. Vegetables : all green leafy vegetables Ash gourd, Ridge gourd, Apple gourd, Beet root, turnip, carrot, cucumber, spinach, tomato etc.
2. Cereals: unpolished rice, whole wheat & multi grain flour.
3. Sweet : honey, organic natural Jaggery
4. Sprouts : green gram, Bengal gram, wheat, alfalfa, groundnut, fenugreek
5. Dry fruits : dates, figs, dry grapes, cashew, almonds, walnut (soaked overnight)
6. Fresh fruits : ripened, seasonal & juicy fruits like guava, pear, apple, banana, sapota, orange, sweet orange
7. Fruit juice : apple juice, carrot juice & orange juice
8. Soups : spinach, carrot, tomato, beetroot & coriander either all mixed or can be prepared separately
9. Others: lemon water, butter milk, tender coconut water etc.
Daily diet plan for pregnant women:
5a.m. to 6am drink two glasses of water empty stomach (ushapanam) daily activities, prescribed asana, pranayama, meditation & walking
7 am to 8 am breakfast : Seasonal fruits apples, pears, sapota, banana, guava, milk & dry grapes ,figs, sprouted green gram, wheat, alfalfa, carrot/spinach soup.
11 am to 12 noon lunch whole wheat roti, boiled vegetable with less oil & spices, green gram dal/leafy soup/amla +coriander chutney
3 pm to 4 pm seasonal fruits as in the morning/carrot juice/herbal tea
6 pm to 7 pm whole wheat roti, boiled vegetable with less oil & spices, salad/wheat daliya + green vegetables/curd/green vegetable soups.
Avoid : tea, coffee, sugar/candy, white flour products, garam masala, fried & oily item, egg, non-veg etc.
Other important advise to be followed during pregnancy :
1. During pregnancy, women have to do self-study, should have spiritual thoughts, should read the life history of great personalities & should keep themselves in peace.
2. Pregnant women should detach themselves from desire, anger, attachment, hatredness & lust. Avoid bad company & be with the good people in stable & peaceful condition always.
3. Hang some good & beautiful picture in the bed room which will give effect on the child also.
4. Pregnant women should have very nutritious, balance & sattvic diet. The following points should be kept in mind :
a. Essential nutritional supplement for women.
b. Essential nutrition for fetal mental development.
c. Essential nutrition for uterus, breast & amniotic fluid development.
d. Essential nutritive food during & after pregnancy for good lactation.
5. Malnutrition, during pregnancy may lead to anemia, rickets & bow knee to the child.
6. Pregnant women should protect themselves from excessive stress & pictures giving negative effects on mind.
7. Pregnant women should drink water in regular interval to avoid infections.
8. Take leisure walk for half an hour every day after having dinner.
Disclaimer: the objective of this booklet is to make the patients aware about utility of Yoga & Naturopathy systems & its simple techniques used in treatment. Reference is also taken from guidelines of Central Council of Yoga & Naturopathy. Patients are advised to follow a suitable diet & treatment schedule under guidance of qualified practitioner.