NURSING / BREASTFEEDING (from Ayurveda & Greek Medicine)
Study AyurvedaMaster Personalized Wellness with these Diet, Lifestyle & Herbs Certification Courses
Why Nursing Matters
Nursing is one of the most powerful ways to give your baby a healthy start. It nourishes your child, protects them from disease, and deepens the emotional bond between mother and baby. It even strengthens a mother's natural instincts to nurture and protect her family.
Ayurveda & The Family: Tips for Balance
Studies show that nursing immediately after birth has long term effects on the bond between mom and baby.
A mother's body is remarkably responsive: when a baby nurses, receptors around the nipple detect signs of infection and signal the mother's immune system to produce antibodies that protect your baby from the illness.
After weaning, our babies get sick more often, with higher fevers. We weaned our babies between 18 months and 2 years, though it does no harm to the baby to nurse longer.
Nursing raises oxytocin, sometimes called the tribal hormone. Oxytocin helps you bond with your baby and family, but also to push away outsiders. So you may feel less interested in social activities outside the home. This is nature's way of helping you focus on your baby in those early months.
The relase of oxytocin from nursing helps the uterus to contract aftter childbirth, which reduces postpartum bleeding.
Babies who nurse have fewer ear infections, reduced risk of obesity, diabetes, allergies, and improved gut microbiome.
Moms who nurse have lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, and faster postpartum weight regulation.
How does it work?
Breast milk is produced through
modified sweat glands. This is why foods that increase sweating (diaphoretics and sour foods) generally increase milk production. Additionally, herbs that improve circulation may help, such as blood thinners.
The nipple should be placed in the back of the baby's mouth, so she can latch effectively. Signs of a good latch include audible swallowing, cheeks rounded not dimpling, no pain after the first few sucks.
Mom should be relaxed which will encourage the let down reflex. Do not disturb the baby either while nursing any more than you would any person while eating.
Nurse frequently, as milk supply adjusts to demand. To keep your milk supply strong, do not stop nursing until the infant unlatches. Also, nurse at least every 4-6 hours during the night.
Whether due to changes in routine or growth spurts, sudden hunger spikes can cause your baby to cluster feed, where your baby wants to nurse very frequently in short bursts, often every hour or less, especially during the evening. These can feel intense but are completely normal and temporary — your baby's way of boosting milk supply and growing strong.
Challenges of Nursing
New moms may not know the
technique of nursing, and need training from a lactation consultant.
It's normal to feel more tired, and have more brain fog, while nursing. In fact, breastfeeding places a greater metabolic demand on the mother's body than pregnancy itself — because now you're nourishing a much larger baby who needs more food and energy.
The changing metabolic demands of pregnancy and nursing is a frequent cause of thyroid disorders.
Nursing at night is essential, but can disturb your sleep. See our article on co-sleeping.
Back pain can result from improper posture while nursing. Be sure to bring the baby to you, instead of hunching to reach the baby. Do not collapse the belly. Instead, move the belly button forward and keep the sternum lifted.
You may have anxiety in the first few moments of nursing. This is due to the release of hormones and is natural. Try to breathe through it and stay relaxed.
From an Ayurvedic perspective, Kapha mothers — especially those who are overweight or diabetic — may be more likely to experience low milk supply. This may be due to Kapha's naturally lower metabolism, which causes cold, vasoconstriction, and blood stagnation in the exterior, reducing blood flow and diaphoresis to the breast.
Follow these tips for low milk supply.
If the baby does not fully empty the breast, or the milk is too thick, the breast can become engorged or clogged and inflamed, a painful condition called mastitis.
Boredom while nursing can be a significant deterrent for some moms. Instead, make a plan to take some online courses, so you can nurse comfortably while learning. Or, keep some nice books by your rocking chair.
Diet While Nursing
To meet the metabolic demands of nursing, make sure you are eating a well balanced, calorie rich diet high in
Ojas.
The type of fats in your breastmilk reflect the type of fats in your diet. So make sure you eat good quality fats.
Avoid brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts), and alliums (onion, garlic) if your baby has frequent gas.
Make sure you know your baby's constitution, so you can adjust your diet accordingly to the baby's imbalances. If your baby has thick mucus or thrush, reduce Kapha aggravating foods, for example.
Drink plenty of water and keep track of how often you are peeing and the color of your urine (it should be straw yellow or lighter). When my wife was tandem nursing, she was hardly peeing at all, which resulted in a UTI and kidney infection. One of my favorite ways to support my wife while nursing is refilling her water bottle at night.
Conclusion
Nursing is both natural and deeply personal. Every mother and baby pair is unique, and challenges are normal along the way. With patience, rest, and the right support, breastfeeding can be one of the most rewarding parts of your child's early life — for both of you.
Read More about Breastfeeding
Leave a Comment / QuestionDisclaimer: 'Nursing / Breastfeeding' could be serious and should be checked by a medical doctor.
WHAT HAS ALREADY HELPED YOU HEAL NURSING / BREASTFEEDING?
Improve the accuracy of your recommendations by letting us know what is working.
HERBS & SUPPLEMENTS TO ENCOURAGE 'Nursing / Breastfeeding'
Please check with your medical doctor before making any changes to your health & wellness routine, and for the proper use of these products.
These supplements are contraindicated / may aggravate 'Nursing / Breastfeeding'.
Tempering the Reproductive health - Tips & RemediesDISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body.
The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care.
Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.
TYPE 6 - SIGN OF HEALTH
Signs in this category indicate health, resiliency, or balance.(
See all disease stages on JB)
GET MY FREE AYURVEDA BODY MAP
HEALTHY SIGNS OF THESE DOSHAS AND BIOCHARACTERISTICS
'Nursing / Breastfeeding' is a sign of the following doshas and biocharacteristics.
![]()
SIGNS REVEAL YOUR CONSTITUTION
Certain bodily signs reveal your constitution, which can help you forecast
your strengths and weaknesses.
These signs show you exactly which doshas and biocharacteristics are likely to accumulate in your body.
Once these doshas and biocharacteristics accumulate too much, they will begin to cause imbalance.
You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or biocharacteristic by removing things that aggravate it
from your diet and lifestyle.
On MeWe
On Pinterest
On Facebook
On Twitter
On WhatsApp
On Email
Ayurvedic Perspective on Nursing / Breastfeeding
Biocharacteristics to Avoid
Stage of Imbalance (Samprapti)
Related Symptoms
Herb Remedies by Dosha, Guna, Action, etc.
Comments and reviews
FIND OUT
