The well-being of new mothers is at the heart of the centuries-old practice of Ayurveda.  Ayurveda, offers a holistic set of guidelines on caring for new mothers and restoring the delicate balance of energies within the postpartum body.Postpartum is a transformative and reinforcing period where there is a total variation in the social environment to being a mother.

why is postnatal care important?

The first 42 days after birth lay the ground work for the mother and baby’s health for the next 42 years according to Ayurveda. The process of giving birth and transitioning from being pregnant to no longer pregnant is Vata Dosha aggravating. The key to postpartum care of the mother is to calm vata (the ether and air elements).

The mother is full of the mobile, light, dry, and cold qualities after the loss of energy and blood and fluids, not to mention the loss of a huge space in the abdomen (previously occupied by the baby).

This means that the new mother and those who are taking care of her need to create an environment and diet that is as calming, warm, and nourishing as possible.
The mother needs special care after giving birth to regain the energy and strength. After pregnancy and delivery, she will change both physically and emotionally. Lots of worries and physical discomforts may affect during this postpartum period. The postpartum period is usually six to eight weeks from the day of your delivery. This period is considered highly sensitive and the post-partum care systems (Sutika Paricharya) as per the Ayurveda plays a great emphasis on encouraging fast healing, boosting immunity and improving the production of milk.

For a mother, the first few months after delivery is crucial since the uterus after expanding due to delivery, shrinks back to its normal size. Moreover, the tendons, ligaments, and muscles connected to the uterus begin to regain the power and strength lost during labor.

Postpartum treatments will help you in:

• Restoring your health
• To re-establish the digestive & metabolic state  of the body
• Ensure good quantity and quality of breast milk.
• Normalize the physiological functions & strengthening of the muscles and ligaments.
• To balance your diet & lifestyle for mothers.
• Helps to improve the quality of eggs which is needed for next fertilization.

Rest

New mothers and babies are advised to rest at home for 40 days or six weeks to avoid coming in contact with external energies that may influence the well-being and health of the mother and baby.

Restoring your health

The first 6 weeks is the active care given to the new mother that focuses on restoring the mother’s physiology & psychology that have been exhausted during pregnancy and post-pregnancy time. Preventing mental stress in the mother particularly the next 4-5 months after delivery is crucial.

Re establishing the digestion

New mothers should have freshly prepared warm, soft and soupy foods that are that are easy to digest,balance  vata and restore  agni (the digestive fire). Foods are rich in ghee to promote digestion, keep energy levels high and to ensure stools are soft. Foods are also rich in herbs and spices that expel gas and support lactation.
According to Ayurveda, a mother’s diet influences the quality of milk and health of the baby. Palatable foods of liquid or semisolid consistency inclusive of all 6 tastes should be preferred.  Fiber rich foods should be taken to avoid constipation. Take adequate amounts of pulses,nuts raisins, almonds, papaya, leafy vegetables, whole grain breads, etc.Taking 3-4 Gooseberries every day helps in improving the immunity.

Strengthening the muscles and ligaments

These women are given daily hot oil massages either by a family member or an experienced  ladies . These massages are done with nurturing oils such as sesame, coconut, olive etc. After oil massaging, hot water is used for bathing. Hot water is poured on the lower abdomen and the pelvic area.Warm water that has been boiled with Neem leaves are used for bathing for other parts of the body.
Postpartum massages using Dhanwantaram Massage Oil are really essential in the mental, spiritual & physical healing of new mothers. Not only does this process aid in the internal muscular repair for the mother, but it also provides her with some much-needed relaxation time.

Belly Binding

Tummy care can be made by applying a wide belt around waist which helps in shrinking the size of the uterus as well. Tummy should be tightly tied using herbal abdominal cloth bands. This helps in getting back to shape easily as well as the involution of the uterus. C-section ladies should wait at least 2 weeks before abdominal binding to ensure complete healing of the sutures.Belly binding also helps to get rid of the stomach gas. Some benefits of belly binding: promote healthy posture during breast feeding, gently push the stomach muscles back together, reposition the womb, and reduce stretch marks.

Enhancing breast milk

Spices are healing and should be included in every meal. Spices such as fenugreek, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel will be very good allies to restart your digestion and promote lactation.

Helps to improve the quality of eggs

Ayurvedic herbal combinations are effectively useful to improve the quality of eggs, like Satavari Gulam, Puli lehyam, Dashamoolarishtam ,Jeerakarishtam, Ashokarishtam , Dhanwantharam gulika.

Lie in bed as much as possible

The sub-dosha of Vata: Apana, which allowed the expulsion of the baby, is a movement that goes down. Your body, your uterus and all your organs and systems need time to find their places. Give it time. A few days is not enough.The gravity of the standing posture is too intense on the body for at least a month.