Planning for Baby (Conception) with the Help of Ayurveda

Dr JV Hebbar
Ayurveda recommends a detailed detoxification and treatments supporting mental, physical and reproductive health, ahead of planning for conception.

The necessity

It is a known theory that, during pregnancy, if mother indulges in bad habits such as smoking, it leads to increase in heart rate of the fetus and it increases the chances of premature childbirth, heart and lung problems, miscarriage and stillbirth. (1)
Ayurveda goes a step further and says that, if the couple are in their best health, it is reflected in their reproductive health. The health of the couple determines the quality of semen, sperm and ovum. This further decides the quality of the baby.

Steps involved

Correcting the lifestyle of parents
Correcting the diet
Stopping bad habits
Improving mental health
Detoxification therapies
Ayurvedic health promoting therapies
Ayurvedic medicines to promote reproductive health of both male and female.

Correcting lifestyle

Waking up early in the morning
Eating and drinking water, only when hungry and thirsty
Healthy amounts of exercise
Yoga and Pranayama for at least 10 minutes a day.

Correcting diet

Avoid all junk foods, sodas, aerated drinks and alcohol.
Have nutritious foods, home made foods
Avoid excessive spicy and salty foods
Have moderate amounts of fats in diet

Stopping bad habits

Quit smoking, avoid or limit alcohol.

Improving mental health

Meditation,
Avoiding unnecessary quarrels between the couple
Having a love filled mutually respecting relationship
Yoga and Pranayama
Spiritual and religious activities such as visiting temple, prayer etc. for at least 10 minutes a day.
Ayurvedic medicines such as Manasamitra vatakam, Brahmi ghritham, therapies such as nasya, shirodhara etc. are performed to improve mental health and to relieve depression, anxiety etc. disorders which may affect the quality of offspring or chances of pregnancy.

Detoxification therapies

Ayurveda recommends detoxification therapy to
a. Relieve any underlying disease condition
b. Reset the body and mind to prepare for the conception.
This is achieved by Panchakarma therapies. It is a set of five therapies. But all the five therapies are not required at the same time.

Ayurvedic therapies

Oil massage,
Oil pulling
Nasal drops, Ear Drops,
Head massage, feet massage,
Shirodhara etc. therapies are done to improve the strength and immunity of the whole body

Ayurvedic medicines

Ayurvedic medicines are given to
1. Relieve any underlying disease – for example, treating obesity with navaka guggulu,
2. Improve strength and immunity
3. Promote reproductive health of both male and female.

Medicines for men

Shilajit
Ashwagandha rasayana
Bhringarajasava
Ashwagandharishta
Chyawanprash
Oral intake of Mahanarayana taila
Kalyanaka Ghrita, Maha Kalyanaka Ghrita
Swarna Bhasma, Loha Bhasma
Chandraprabha vati

Medicines for women

Shatavari, Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha ksheerapaka – Milk remedy prepared with Ashwagandha
Sukumara Avaleha, Ghrita or Kashaya
Chyawanprash
Ashwagandha rasayana
Mahanarayana taila oral intake
Ksheerabala taila 101
Phalasarpis / Phala ghritha
Kalyanaka Ghrita, Maha Kalyanaka Ghrita
Maharasnadi Kashaya
Vayu Gulika

Counselling the couple

The couple should be made aware of the responsibilities ahead, what it feels like to have the third member in the family, how they need most of your attention, how to inculcate good habits in them etc. It prepares them mentally to the task ahead.