Garbhini Vyakaran is the field of study for the general management of pregnancy. Rules concerning diet, activities, behavior and mental activity (ahar, vihar, achar and vichar respectively) are laid down here.

From the moment the pregnancy is confirmed, the woman is advised to follow these rules. The physician steps in and starts supervision so that the pregnancy can terminate in a normal delivery at the scheduled time. Especially when she approaches full term, critical care is necessary as one of her feet is considered to be in this world and the other in the world of Yama (the god of death). Delivery is not complete unless the placenta is delivered. If the delivery is not normal, the woman is likely to be affected by one or the other of a list of 64 ailments, which are described in detail in Garbhini Vyakaran.

The following are a few from the vast repertoire of general rules to be adhered to from inception of pregnancy to the delivery

The mother-to-be should always try to be in a happy mood. She should be clean, neat and well dressed, wearing simple clothes and sleep under a roof in a clean environment. The food she eats should be tasty, and most of it should be in a liquid form, moist, nourishing, and enriched with all the six rasas (tastes) and treated with drugs which are known to increase the appetite and digestive power.

She should always avoid excessive sex particularly during early and late pregnancy, overeating or fasting, sleeping during the day time and staying up late at night. Witnessing or listening to things which give rise to feelings of sorrow, anger, horror or agony, travelling in a vehicle on rough roads, squatting for a long time or sitting in an uncomfortable position or on a hard surface, lifting heavy things or remaining in a bent position for a long time should all be carefully avoided.

With all this KAC wishes every ‘safe’ mother an Ayurvedic delivery!