Tips for a Happy Digestive System in Pregnancy
May 15, 2017 by anjayoga
Many women experience constipation, wind, nausea, reflux and bloating during pregnancy.
Here are some Ayurvedic Tips you can use during your pregnancy:
Eat slowly and chew properly. Enjoy your meal mindfully without distractions such as emails, mobile phones or paperwork.
Easy to digest meals are: simple, warm, light… such as Kitcheri, soups or casseroles.
Sit up straight – create space for your digestion.
Get moving. Go for a brisk walk after your meals. And stay active during your pregnancy. This helps digestion too. Practise prenatal yoga with me online HERE or join me for a class.
Stay hydrated. Sip water throughout the day. Don’t fill up your stomach with a huge glass of cold water before eating. This will kill the Agni, or digestive fire, according to Ayurveda and make it more difficult to digest your meals.
Enjoy spices and herbs in your cooking or as herbal teas. See the video for more details. These are some of the herbs mentioned:
Fennel: indicated for spasms, cramps and nausea. Another great herb for postpartum. It is traditionally used for new mothers to support breastmilk/lactation and even colic.
Coriander: Often used for wind, colic and IBS.
Cumin: One of my favourite spices for cooking and teas. Kindles the digestive fire, Agni. Supports Apanavayu the downward flow of prana – thereby assisting if suffering with reflux or nausea. Also used for bloating and spasms.
Cardamon: Is a beautiful spice as a tea, cooking or baking. Another digestive herb used in ayurveda for nausea, acidity and morning sickness.
Ginger: I think most cultures use this rhizome for nausea. Wether it is morning sickness or travel sickness. Take a lower dose though. It is wonderful in your cooking and also used for wind.
Anja is an ayurvedic practitioner (BSc, PGDip) and yoga teacher. She shares this information not as medical advice but purely educational. Always check with your medical professional before taking any supplement or changing your medication.