Childbirth the Natural Way

Childbirth, in the normal way, should be a purely natural function with very little pain or discomfort to the women concerned. It is so even today that with primitive races. But many civilized women appear to find the bearing of children a task fraught with grave risk and suffering and attended by numerous minor or serious after-effects. This is solely due to wrong dietary habits and a faulty style of living. Really healthy mothers will always have an easy time when pregnant.

Pregnancy makes many demands on the prospective mother, the most important being her nutritional needs and those of the unborn child. Studies of nutrition of women during pregnancy shows a definite relationship between the diet of the mother and the condition of the baby at birth. These studies have also shown that some of the complications of the pregnancy such as anemia, toxemia and premature delivery may result from a diet inadequate in the nutritional needs of the mother and the baby.

The process of childbirth becomes painful mainly due to a large foetus in the womb. This results from an excessive intake of denatured foods such as white flour products, white sugar, refined cereals, meat and other flesh foods during pregnancy. Other factors contributing to the suffering of the women include lack of exercise, unhygienic habits of living and restrictive garments.

It is quite wrong to assume that the larger the baby at birth, the healthier it will be. The weight of the baby should be about three to three and a half kg. at birth. If the weight is more than that, delivery will be painful for the mother. Such a child will also be covered with unnecessary fat and watery tissue, which is really waste matter and an impediment to health.

A proper diet during pregnancy is the most important factor for not only having a painless childbirth but also for giving birth to a healthy baby. The idea of " eating for two ", which is so prevalent today, is absurd and it leads to overeating, resulting in an unusually , heavy baby. The diet during pregnancy should consist of natural , vital foods and minimum intake of today’s denatured food products.

The unborn child will require an adequate amount of organic minerals from its mother for building of bones and tissues and this can be supplied by natural food such as fruits, raw vegetables, whole meal bread, and milk, unnatural foods like white bread, sugar, meat, pudding and pies are very deficient in organic mineral matter and their intake during pregnancy leads to loss and decay of teeth, general debility and other ailments after childbirth.

Pregnancy is rendered more difficult in case of habitual constipation. IN the advanced stage, this is aggravated by the pressure of the enlarged uterus on the bowels. This can be avoided by eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables of high fibre content. The expectant mother should drink eight to ten glasses of water. She should not delay going to the lavatory when there is the urge. In severe constipation, a lukewarm water enema may be taken once every week.

The diet for expectant mothers should be planned along the following lines by securing a safe and easy child birth and a healthy child :

Breakfast : Fresh fruit in season or grated raw carrot, or any other raw salad and milk. Prunes or other dried fruit may also be taken, if desired.

Lunch : Steamed vegetables, as obtainable, whole wheat chappatis and a glass of buttermilk.

Dinner : A good-sized raw salad of any suitable vegetables, sprouted mung beans, whole wheat bread, butter or cottage cheese and prunes or other dried fruit as dessert.