Care of
the pregnant women and mothers
During Pregnancy and after delivery, women may suffer
from several ailments. Common complaints are nausea
and vomiting (in early stage of pregnancy), tiredness,
gas in abdomen, constipation, indigestion, urinary
complaints, oedema, sleeplessness, bleeding from
genital tract, fever (especially after delivery),
weakness, and not having sufficient breastmilk.
Management
The following remedies should be used for the management
of ailments:
1. Nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy: give
one teaspoonful (5 ml.) of lemon juice with a pinch
of salt two to three times per day. Also ask the woman
to chew cardamom (Elettaria cadamomum) three to four
times per day.
2. Gas in abdomen: give one teaspoonful (5 g.) of
the powder of Trachyspermum ammi with hot water twice
daily after food or give half teaspoonful (2.5 g.)
of the powder of Elettaria cadamomum three times per
day with hot water.
3. Constipation: give two teaspoonful (10 g.) of isapghula
Plantago ovata twice daily mixed with hot water or
hot milk. Do not give any strong purgative to the
pregnant woman.
4. Indigestion: give one teaspoonful (5 ml.) of ginger
Zingiber officinale juice with honey equal in quantity.
5. Urinary complaints: give one teaspoonful (5 g.)
of the powder of Tribulus terrestris with water.
6. Oedema: give one teaspoonful (5 ml.) of the juice
of Boerhaavia diffusa twice daily with sugar, jaggery
of honey. If it does not appear within one week refer
the patient to hospital.
7. Sleeplessness: give one teaspoonful (5 gm.) of
the powder of the root of piper logum or Nardostachys
jatamansi at bedtime with equally quantity of jaggery.
8. Bleeding from genital tract: if it happens during
pregnancy, give absolute rest to the patient and then
give one teaspoonful (5g.) of the powder of Mesua
ferra three times of per day with water. If bleeding
does not stop within 24 hours, refer the patient to
the primary health centre or hospital.
If bleeding continues after delivery, give one teaspoonful
(5ml.) of the juice of Cynodon dactylon three times
per day. If there is no satisfactory response after
24 hours of treatment, refer the patient to primary
health centre or hospital.
9. Fever after delivery: give ½ teaspoonful
of the paste or powder of Curcuma longa with milk
or hot water three times per day or give one teaspoonful
(5 ml.) of each of the juice of ginger (Zingibar officinale)
and Tinospora cordifolia. If the fever does not susbide
within 24 hours, refer the patient to primary health
centre or hospital.
10. Insufficient brastmilk: give one teaspoonful (5mg.)
of the powder of Asparagus racemous or Withania somnifera
twice daily with milk.
11. General weakness: give one teaspoonful of the
powder of ginger, fenugreek (Trigonella fowmum-graecum)
or Withania somnifera with milk.
Diet
and Regimens
Give nourishing, but easily digestible, food including
milk, cheese, vegetable and fruits, Avoid curd and
fried food, Garlic, ginger, turmeric (Cumim cumium)
and cumini (Curcuma longa) seeds are useful. The mother
should not exhaust herself and should take sufficient
rest. She should not expose herself to strong sun,
cold wind or rain. Mental worry and anxiety should
be avoided. Frequent pregnancies and deliveries makes
the mother very weak. She should be advised against
frequent pregnancies and that three should be a gap
of at least 4 years between two pregnancies.