“स्त्रिया ह्यापग्नगर्भायास्त्रिधा रस: प्रतिपद्दते
स्वशरीरपुष्टये,स्तन्याय,गर्भवृद्धयेच !!” – ( चरक संहिता )

Acharya Charak provide good advice regarding the the nourishment of Pregnant women and baby. Whatever the pregnant lady eats ,and is able to digest ,that nourishes the foetus inside her.
The ‘आहार रस’ of the expecting mother must fulfill three important functions –
● It should nourish the mothers body properly.
● It should help improve both quality and quantity of of breast milk.
● It should help to nourish and develop the the embryo .
So, a lack of any at the essential nutrients will result in deficiency in the foetus .This could retard it’s development and even have extreme consequences like a sudden miscarriage,premature delivery,low birth weight or a weak constitution (प्रकृती) Therefore a correctly planned diet will contribute towards preventing these problems.

Essential foods –
• Water :
Water consumed during pregnancy should be boiled for at least 15 20 min to make it germ free. Micro organisms ingested along with water that has not been boiled may deprive the body important nutrients.They prevent absorption of nutrients especially iron .The consequences could be indigestion caused due to impure drinking water is difficult to treat in pregnancy as she cannot be administered any anti parasitical medicines & heavy antibiotics .So prevention is really the only solution.
Ayurved says that a specific mixture of herbs called ‘षडंगोदक चूर्ण’ is is really good to add to water. while boiling it purifies the water, filter and increase other benefits of water as well. Another important drinking water culture recommended bye Ayurved is – ‘सुवर्ण सिद्ध जल’ – water infused with gold. It promots the development of of the brain and nervous system in the foetus.
To prepare ‘सुवर्ण सिद्ध जल’ immerse a small piece of 24 carat gold attached to a silver chain,into water that has been kept to boil.This piece of gold used should be reserved solely for this purpose only .the gold is removed after water has been boiled completely this water can then be used like normal drinking water.

• Milk:-
‘गोदुग्ध’ is the best source of naturally available protein and Calcium .It helps to develope the ‘ धातू’ (tissues) of *foetus and provides a strong foundation for its bones . Many women complain of back pain and joint pain after delivery ( *प्रसूती गत वात ). One of the commenest cause of this is low intake of calcium. Only the prevative measure is during and after pregnancy is a a cup of milk every morning and evening throughout pregnancye and even after delivery.
According to Ayurveda, milk is best to help increases life energy
(ओज) It naturally facilities the proper physical mental ,intellectual devlopment of baby . It is also an important source of vitamin B – complex and vitamin A
The milk should be pure and fresh. In commercially packed milk pasteurisation is the only proessing that can be Considered safe.Homogenised , Skimmed ,vitamin – enriched or ultraheated milk are not recommended at all.
Milk should be boiled properly before use .It should be consumed either hot or at room temperature .cold milk should be avoided .Consume milk that has its natural amount of cream. It should not be too thin . full cream milk is best but if this is too heavy to consume little water may be added to it while boiling
To avoid flatulence, heaviness in abdomen following remedy will help to consume milk without such effects – Add 1 gm of dry ginger powder (सुंठ) + 1gm vidang churn (वावडिंग) and 1/2 cup of water to 3 quarters of cup of milk.Heat this mixture over a low flame until it is reduced by 20% This type of infused milk is very easy to digest.
Many women avoid drinking milk because they are afraid of gaining weight.The deficiency arising from this for both the pregnant woman and her child will be severe since there is no substitute at all for the nutrition of milk.

Butter :-
नवनीतं नवं वृष्यं शीतं वर्णबलाग्निकृत् !
Fresh butter has a cooling effect increase vitality, energy and enthusiasm, improve skin complexation and digestive fire.
To get these benefits 1 tablespoon of homemade butter mixed with a little Rock sugar(खडीसाखर), eaten on a daily basis onset of pregnancy. This regimen will also good for piles in pregnancy.
Buttermilk –
Many women develop hyperemesis gravidarum (कोरडी उलटी,मळमळ ) in first trimester of pregnancy and oedema( water retention) शोध during the last trimester(last 3 months) of pregnancy.Buttermilk helps to reduce swelling and as it is vata kaph pacifier ( वातकफहर) easy to digest, so it reduces vomiting and nausea.

Ghee ( गोघृत):-
” शस्तं धी स्मृति मेधाग्नि बलआयु …”
The regular intake of ghee benefits the expectant mother and these benefits are passed on to the developing baby as well .
Regular intake during pregnancy is known to help increases the baby’s- memory ,intelligence, grasping power, improve skin tone ,strengthen the sense organs, increase life energy and immunity. It is recommended that 3 to 4 tablespoon of ghee be taken with lunch and dinner everyday throughout pregnancy.It should be used during cooking as well instead of oil .That ghee should be home made from pure desi cow milk only if desi cows milk is not available then homemade ghee from buffalo milk is acceptable.will write about vegetables, sprouts ( legumes,cereals), grains indicated in pregnancy in future posts.