Before embarking on the journey of conception, it is crucial for both partners to prepare their bodies and minds. As discussed in the previous article Ayurveda’s Pre-Conception Care – Purification and Nourishment for Healthy Offspring, the foundation of a healthy pregnancy is built upon the principles of Ayurvedic wisdom. This preparation involves understanding one’s prakriti (innate constitution), following a balanced lifestyle, and undergoing detoxification therapies to purify the body of toxins. Both partners must be in optimal health to ensure the production of strong, fertile eggs and sperm, and create a nurturing environment for the developing fetus. By adhering to these guidelines, the couple can increase their chances of conceiving a healthy child endowed with ideal attributes.
Continuing from this, we now focus on the corrective measures at the physical level to further enhance the body’s readiness for conception. Acharya Sushruta provides a profound and noteworthy illustration in the Sushruta Samhitā Shārirasthāna, elaborating on important principles that should be understood before pregnancy:
‖ dhruvam chaturnām sānnidhyāt garbhah syāt vidhi purvakam ritu kshetra ambu beejānām sāmagryāt ankuro yathā ‖
Just as essential factors are needed for a good crop, four factors are crucial for a healthy pregnancy. These are: ritu (the right season or fertile period), kshetra (the field or healthy reproductive system), ambu (water or nourishment), and beeja (the best quality seed). These elements must work together for successful conception, just as a fertile period, a healthy reproductive system, proper nourishment, and quality egg and sperm are all essential for pregnancy.
Thus, these four factors must be favourable and enriched with sattva to ensure that the baby in the womb is endowed with ideal attributes—a process known as suprajanana. To achieve this, both the husband and wife must be healthy in body and mind. In Ayurveda, the concept of health is expansive:
‖ sama dosha sama agnis cha sama dhatu mala kriyaaha Prasanna atman indriya manaha swastha iti abhidheeyate ‖
Health is not merely the absence of disease; it involves the balanced functioning of the doshās, the sapta-dhātu (seven body tissues), and mala-tyāga (the elimination of bodily wastes). Additionally, a proper balance of agni (the fire element in the body) and a peaceful state of mind, free from rājasika and tāmasika tendencies, are crucial components of true health.
Therefore, before planning for a child, it is essential to consult an expert Ayurveda practitioner at least six months to a year in advance. If either partner is facing health issues, Ayurvedic treatment for pre-conceptional care is necessary. Lifestyle and dietary improvements should be made according to one’s prakriti (body constitution). The medications for pre-conceptional preparation are usually taken for three months, ensuring that the egg and sperm are healthy, and the uterus is strong enough to bear pregnancy. Both partners should undergo purificatory therapies to produce high-quality germ cells and maintain good health throughout gestation. To this end, several dietary, herbal, and lifestyle modifications are prescribed. Ashtānga Hridaya Shārirasthāna states:
‖naram viśeṣāt kshīrājyai madhurauśdhsanskritaih narī tailena māśeṣch pittlaih samupāchret‖
This means that men should consume ghee and milk cultured with sweet-tasting medicines, while women should be treated with pitta-dominant substances like castor oil, urad (split black lentils), and sesame, among others.
Nutritional Recommendations
Khichadi: This remarkable wholesome food is particularly beneficial during the detoxification program, working wonders for the body. Known as ambrosia or the ‘food of the Gods’ in ethnic parlance, regular intake of khichadi keeps the body healthy and kindles the digestive fire. Alongside this nutritious diet, sips of hot herbal teas, such as ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom, can aid in eliminating toxins.
Daily Massage: Daily body massages with warm sesame oil, followed by a hot bath or shower, helps to dilate capillaries in the skin and facilitate toxin removal. Allow the oil to soak into the skin for about 10 minutes before bathing.
Triphalā Powder: Taking a dose of organic triphalā powder (½ teaspoon with a glass of warm water) at bedtime is an effective detox method. Triphalā, a well-known mixture of three herbs, cleanses the bowels and purifies the blood. Following this detoxification program, it is advisable to begin incorporating herbal supplements and nutrient-rich foods.
Herbal Supplements
Shatāvari: This effective herb is particularly beneficial for women, as it enhances fertility and nourishes the reproductive system.
Ashwagandhā and Kapikaccha: These herbs are beneficial for men, improving the quantity, quality, and motility of sperm.
Diet for Conception
At the time of pregnancy, a well-regulated diet is crucial for the strength of sperm and egg. Follow a diet plan that suits your prakriti, ensuring it includes nutritive items like almonds, walnuts, and saffron. It is wise to avoid alcohol, tobacco, drugs such as marijuana, excessive sugar, caffeine, and processed foods to ensure the highest quality of ova and sperm.
Daily Intake: Eat shashtishālli rice, milk with wheat, or bājrā roti (pearl millet flatbread) without salt. Consume vegetables such as sweet pumpkin, cucumber, and ridged gourd. Boil potatoes, sweet potatoes, singhādā (water chestnut), arbi (taro root), and jimikanda (elephant foot yam) for consumption. Cook and eat green gram beans and split black gram, adding kokum (Garcinia Indica) to the pulses. Flavour with green coriander, coriander-cumin powder, and onion in cooked vegetables and pulses; for a pungent taste, use ginger or dry ginger instead of green chillies.
Fruits: After lunch, enjoy fruits like mango, sapota (chikoo), grapes, green or dry figs, pomegranate, and guava, as well as cucumber and melon (without seeds).
Dry Fruits: Incorporate dry fruits like chuārā-khobrā (dry coconut), zardālu, raisins, and dates into your diet in proper quantities.
Energy Laddus: Grind almond and walnut kernels in a bowl of rice flakes, mix in cow’s ghee, and form into 10 laddus. Both partners should consume one laddu daily, as these powerful substances promote intelligence and memory.
Dinner Options: For dinner, consume pulses and vegetables, especially sweetened pethā. You can make a jam from it and include it in your regular diet.
Regularly drink hot dry raisin soup before dinner. To prepare it, boil four raisins in a cup of water until it reduces to half. Add a spoonful of desi ghee and a pinch of salt, and drink it hot before dinner. Chew the raisins thoroughly. This practice helps in proper excretion and rekindles the digestive fire, which is sustained by the ghee.
After a thorough diet and internal purification of the body, drink milk mixed with appropriate herbs that enhance memory, intelligence, and fertility, such as āmlā, gulvela, shatāvari, ashwagandhā, and gokhru. Consuming this mixture regularly in the morning and at night for about three months significantly supports fertility. After following these body-purification measures for at least six months, both partners will be in a favourable state for pregnancy.
