Ayurveda

There a lot of ayurvedic medicine given to pregnant moms, lactating moms and babies.  Well, I never took any of these, but I gave some for my baby. 

Usually after delivery, moms are given herbal decoctions (kashayam), electuaries (lehyam) and fermentated decoctions (arishtam). In my case, I started with decoction and the next day onwards Aisha started vomiting. I don't know if it was due to the decoction but I stopped the medicine anyway, against the advices of many, especially R-mom. The second herbal combination for the decoction was never opened. R-mom then made a electuary from dates, small onion and coconut flowers. Again Aisha was affected with gastro-intestinal problem. Within a couple of days, I stopped that too. Next it was a health mix powder, with many grains, nuts, roots, leaves, flowers, seeds etc etc. I never started that! Everything is stored in my fridge and I hope to take it after Aisha starts semi-solid food. Don't know if she will start vomiting again. There was a fermented decoctions made from Asparagus Racemosus, or Shatavari, which I took. It helps in producing breast milk. This medicine never affected Aisha.

For Aisha, I started date juice and dried grapes juice at her third month, both were taken as a medicine for improving her sleeping condition and digestion. At her fourth month, I started another set of medicine, called the Ura Marunnu. It is a mix of eight medicine, of which I know the name of only seven. :(

1. Sweet flag/ Calamus : The root of the tree is used. It is a stimulant, emetic, expectorant, carminative, stomachic, anthelmentic, nauseant.
2. Sandalwood : a piece of the branch is used.
3. Red Sandal wood : a piece of the branch is used. 
4. East Indian (nut leaved) screw tree : the stem bark is used. A medicine good for gastric problems.
5. Rosary Nut from Rudraksh tree : Nut is used to reduce epilepsy in kids.
6. Gooseberry : dried gooseberry is used. It is useful in conditions of asthma, bronchitis, diarrhea, cough etc.
7. Alexandrian Laurel : dried nut is used.
8. ------ : I think its a dried nut or berry.

These midicines are rubbed once or twice with a few drops of breast milk in a special vessel, kadodi, that is rough inside and smooth outside. It is then given to Aisha.

Kadodi