Q: I have two questions.
One is, I had a home birth and it turns out that the midwife didn’t do a very thorough job stitching me up; there’s still a hole in my perineum. I plan to have another baby and my doctor said it won’t cause problems, but I feel like I have more vaginal gas since I had the baby. Do you know of anything that I could use to make the vaginal wall stronger? I would love to heal it naturally. Also, if it is still botched up after my second baby, can they repair it right after the birth if I get a professional stitcher?
Two, I had a polyp in my uterus seven years ago, that I healed naturally and is now fine. If there are any preventive measures or uterine strengtheners, I would love to hear about them. Thank you.
A: In order to give you a complete answer, I would need to know, when did you have the home birth? If your wound has healed already, you will have less to do at this time. During the second delivery it can be repaired properly, so you will not have this problem in the future.
For balancing the female reproductive system, herbs such as aloe, lodhra (Symplocos racemosa), ashoka (Saraca indica) and haritaki (Terminalia chebula) will be useful. Diet and lifestyle also will be the key factors.
Q: I am a 58-year-old woman, long past menopause and am thin and petite. I have migraine headaches about every three weeks. They usually last three days, during which I experience vomiting and severe pain in the rear-left part of my head. I can hold nothing (e.g., food or medicine) during a migraine. During migraines I do not eat and spent my time in bed. I believe that MSG, stress and too much heat on my head have triggered some of my migraines. Many come without an identifiable trigger. Is there anything I can do Ayurvedically to treat these?
A: Ayurvedic treatment is very different from conventional medicine. Ayurveda treats the cause, not the symptoms. Unless the cause is removed the symptoms keep coming back. I need more information to answer your question: How long have you been getting migraine headaches? Is there any relation to a particular season or a certain time of day? How is your digestion? What about your bowel movements? Are you regular? Or do you get constipated off and on? I also need to know about your eating pattern, about your daily routine. All this information is relevant to the problem.
With the information you have provided, you are in the vata (air/ether elements) stage of life. You are petite and thin, these are also vata characteristics. Your migraines could be related to increased vata in the body. So, the treatment will be for the aggravated vata which may be causing migraines.
To calm vata:
- Make sure you have at least one good bowel movement every day. If you don’t, take triphala ½ – 1 tsp at night.
- Ashwagandha is a useful herb for balancing vata.
- Drink one glass of warm water with one tsp ghee every morning on an empty stomach.
- Avoid eating raw, cold foods. Eat more grains and steamed or sautéed vegetables.
- Drink warm herbal teas and plenty of water.
- Have a routine. Plan your day and stick to the plan.
- Meditate and practice pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) every day.
Q: I would like to know what would be the best diet for a 31-year-old woman who is a pitta/kapha, lacto-vegetarian. Does this change seasonally? And should I be taking any extra supplements?
A: Seasons vary due to the predominance of difference doshas (energetic qualities). Late winter and spring are kapha (water/earth elements) predominant. Pitta (fire) is on the rise during summer. Vata rules fall and early winter.
Our whole lifespan is also divided into three life stages or cycles. From birth up to puberty, kapha predominates. Our midlife, from puberty to menopause is ruled by pitta and after menopause we are in hands of the vata dosha.
Since you are 31, you are in pitta time of the life cycle and since your body constitution is pitta/kapha, your tendency will be to go out of balance in pitta dosha, especially in the summer. That is when you have to be more careful. As your constitution (prakriti) never changes, your overall efforts should be to balance pitta and kapha.
There are millions of people who are vegetarian and are leading healthy lives. Being lacto-vegetarian will provide you with enough nutrients.
In summer, your focus should be on grains, vegetables, milk products and mild spices. Avoid sour fruits and foods, salty junk food and pungent spices such as garlic, chilies and cloves. You can eat spicy foods in fall and winter when your pitta is naturally decreased since pitta in the environment is lessened.
Breakfast: grain cereals and milk.
Lunch: salad, vegetable sandwiches, wheat pasta with vegetables or rice and vegetables.
Dinner: Rice and bean soups, salads, steamed vegetables.
Snacks: Watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, bananas, peaches, apricots.
- You don’t need to take supplements. Let your food be your medicine.
- Herbs such as amalaki (Indian gooseberry), shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), licorice, ginger and guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) will help balance pitta.
As always, consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner before undergoing treatments or starting medications.
