#AyurvaidWay: Ayurveda Insights on Breast Feeding

Hello everyone, I am Dr Aswathi from Apollo AyurVAID, New Delhi. Today I am here to share some Ayurvedic insights on breastfeeding. Let's start with thinking about quality of breast milk and how to improve it. In Ayurveda breast milk or Stanya is called Jeevana meaning the essence of life. Its quality depends a lot on mother's diet, her health status and lifestyle. Ideally pure breast milk should be thin, white and dissolve easily in water. It should not form any froth or sediments. If a mother is struggling with issues like low milk supply, Ayurveda suggests natural remedies like Shatavari, dill seeds and some Postpartum laddus. Not just to boost the lactation but also to detoxify the breast milk and help the baby get maximum benefit. Now let's see what is the best time to start breastfeeding after birth. Ayurveda recommends a beautiful ritual called Jata Karma samskara before the first feed. This involves giving the newborn tiny amounts of ghee, honey and some herbs infused with gold. This helps to strengthen the baby's sucking reflex and also help the baby to adapt to the external environment. Now let us see how to feed a baby. A baby's head and spine should be well supported and burping should be done after each feed. This is important to prevent any discomfort for the baby. Proper bonding between mother and child is also very necessary to naturally boost the breast milk production. If a mother is unable to nurse, Ayurveda even talks about appointing a wet nurse, who is called Dhatri to ensure that the baby gets enough nourishment. Breastfeeding is a divine and natural process. Through Ayurveda we can support new mothers in giving their babies a best start in their life. Thank you