Description:
During pregnancy and after delivary, woman may suffer from several ailments. Common complaints are nausea and vomiting, gas in abdomen, constipation, indigestion, urinary complaints, oedema, sleeplessness, bleeding from genital tracts, fever (specially after delivary), waeakness, and not having sufficient breastmilk.
Management:
The following remedies should be used for the management of ailments:
• Nausea and vomiting during early pregnancy: give one teaspoonful (5 ml) of lemon juice with a pinch of salt or two to three times per day. Also ask the woman to chew cardamom (Elettaria cadamomum) three to four times per day.
• Gas in abdomen: give one teaspoonful (5 gm) of the powder of Trachyspermum amni with hot water twice daily after food or give half teaspoonful (2.5 gm) of the powder of Elettaria cadamomum three times per day with hot water.
• Constipation: give two teaspoonfuls (10 gm) of ispaghula (Plantago ovata) twice daily mixed with hot water or hot milk. Do not give juice with equal in quantity.
• Urinary complaints: give one teaspoonful (5 gm) of the powder of Tribulus terrestris with water.
• Oedema: give one teaspoonful (5 ml) of the juice of Boerhaavia diffusa twice daily with sugar, jaggary or honey. If it does not disappear within one week refer the patient to hospital.
• Sleeplessness: give one teaspoonful (5 gm) of the powder of the root of Piper longum or Nordostachys jatamansi at bed time with equal quantity of jaggary.
• Bleeding from genital tract: if it happens during pregnancy, give absolute rest to the patient and then give one teasponful (5 gm) of the powder of Mesua ferrea three times per day with water. If bleeding does not stop within 24 hours, refer the patient to the primary health centre or hospital.
If bleeding continues after delivary, give one teaspoonful (5 ml) of the juice ofCynodon dactylon three times per day. If there is no satisfactory response after 24 hours of the treatment, refer the patient to primary health centre or hospital.
• Fever after delivary: give 1/2 teaspoonful of the paste or powder of Curcuma longa with milk or hot water three times per day or give one teaspoonful (5 ml) of each of the juice of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Tinospora cordifolia. If the fever does not subside within 24 hours, refer the patient to primary health centre or hospital.
• Insuffient breastmilk: give one teaspoonful (5 gm) of the powder of Asparagus racemosus or Withania somnifera twice daily with milk.
• General weakness: give one teaspoonful of the powder of ginger, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) or Withania somnifera with milk.
Diet and Regimens: Give nourishing, but easily digestible, food including milk, cheese, vegetables and fruits. Avoid curd and fried food. Garlic, ginger, turmeruc (Curcuma longa) and cumini (Cuminum cyminum) seeds are useful. The mother should bot exhaust herself and should take sufficient rest. She should not expose herself to strong sun, cold wind or rain. Mental worry and anxiety should be avoided. Frequent pregnancies and delivaries makes the mother very weak. She should be advised against frequent pregnancies and that there should be a gap of at least 4 years between two pregnances. c a
Reference: WHO SEARO Regional Health Papers No 19
The Use of Traditional Medicine in Primary Health Care- A Manual for Health Workers in South East Asia, 1992
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