how to learn baby's body type (prakruti)?

[Guest guest]

Dear Vicky;

A girlfriend just send me many quotes from women, one very wise said

although we can tell much from a person's answers, we can tell of a

person's intelligence and wisdom by their questions. Now, being after

bedtime ahem. I will try to be brief and let Dr. Bhate or others go

into more depth. But I would like to comment on some of Dr. Bhate's

shared post in several ways.

 

1. Many of you are not schooled at all in ayurveda (this, Dr. Bhate,

you may not be aware of for this group) and are probably very

uncertain of the meaning of much of the post, although hopefully the

main points come thru in any case. It presents an interesting

challenge for communication, I hope you all will bear with us as we

work to bridge the gaps.

 

2. Because the post shows us the need for skilled assessment as well

as skilled management based upon many things, perhaps you can see the

value of consulting " up " in more complex needs like this. There is an

increasingly rich network of practitioners as well as Ayurvedic

classes, sometimes searches need to be by contacting the ayurvedic

schools for referrals in your area. Many good links are found at

www.sacredwindow.com/resources.html.

 

> how do we know what a baby's Prakruti is?

3. There is enough understanding imparted in some foundational

Ayurvedic classes that often we as Ayurvedic doulas are able to see

the baby's prakruti. This I will not go deeper into tonight, whether

with clearer brain I will attempt here I do not know yet.

 

4. The overlay of vikruti, meaning the current imbalances on top of

the body type issues, involves further assessment of tissues and

systems in which directions they are compromised (interms of

obstructions, weakness, excesses, the 20 or so " gunas " , invading

organism and any other concerns), and is often more important.

Although for newborns I am not sure how closely tied these tend to be,

as Dr. Bhate explained, the prakruti is most significantly influenced

at conception - and during pregnancy I believe.

 

5. Ayurveda has obviously very in depth medical knowledge and tools,

and sometimes requires what sounds to be very complicated training.

Ayurvedic doctors are trained in an equivalent number of years as

Medical Doctors in the west, usually concurrently gaining the

allopathic degree now. Ayurdoulas who have completed certification

training have about 150 hours training plus internship practicum.

 

>Or are you saying that we should simply let the baby gain weight at

his own speed once we are assured that the mother has adequate milk

and the latch and frequency is good and perhaps work with the mothers

diet.

6. Vicki, I believe you are wise here, certainly a good beginning.

But the distinction between nutritional intake and quality of

digestion, tho easily grouped together in category of dietary

considerations, are really two big topics. Because, ONE of the

reasons the 3 body types of similar weight in Dr. Bhate's example will

gain at different rates, has to do with the tendencies of digestive

quality of these body types, and vikrutis, ALSO the

mental/emotional/activity styles found in these different

constitutional types.

 

>I know that one of the things that truly can affect the mother's

breastmilk composition is how much fat she eats, it can increase the

fat content in her breastmilk. Vicky

 

>The message explains basic of Prakruti and how just increasing

calories or rich food may not help gain weight, depending on

" Prakruti " . (Dr. Bhate)

 

So not only will kapha body type respond more quickly to gaining body

mass because this type converts food more routinely into structural

components, but kapha types are more slow and steady in their

functional and emotional style, not burning it off in the passionate

exercise or emotions of the pitta type (which does have the better

digestive fire and endocrine transformative power behind it

nonetheless) or in the often overactive (with less drive/focus than

the pittas), weaker digestion, more easily constipated, over mental,

creative and not so grounded, vata (air & space)body type.

 

So for example, my approach with the vata baby (thinner, dryer, more

easily constipated, more fragile baby and/or who has been through more

changes and less stable, warm, nourishing and comforting

influences)will be extra focus for the mother not only with the extra

unctuous and rich foods, but with the digestive supports of seasonings

that we have commonly available as listed in the files on cooking for

postpartum mothers herein. (ginger, browned garlic, clove, cinnamon,

turmeric, cumin, pepper, et al)

 

Special needs herbals would be addressed to probably include the piper

longum or commonly known as pippali, so good for igniting agnis as

soon as it even hits the tongue (with it's characteristic tingle along

with the peppery taste which is not as harsh as black pepper). As

well as rejuvenative tonics special for building tissue, such as

ashwaghanda, shatavari. These things all depend on individual

considerations which also guide what other herbs may be added

(warming, moistening,digestive, blood cleansing, ojas building, anti

candida, etc)

 

The pitta baby and mom underweight issues will probably have consumed

excess of the stronger pungent spices already and need taming there,

along perhaps with attending to sources of emotional extremes -working

or playing too hard, anger, irritability etc. She may have severe

candida, and need to avoid the heating anticandida herbs/essential

oils (which burn weight easily) or balance them with cooling ones,

less well known. Or also commonly, excess addictive substances

whether coffee, drugs, alchohol, or all too prevalent now, many of the

allopathic medicines aggravate especially, pitta dosha. So the more

middle of the road spices which are also digestive supportive like

fennel, cumin, coriander, cardamom (lesser amounts of the stronger

ones on appropriate list, not excluding of them) along with suitable

foods emphasis, extra fat and carb calories.

 

both Pitta and Kapha mothers especially will need to be ensured good

snacks (no, NOT CELERY AND CARROT STICKS!) 2 or 3 times daily. In

Nepal, this is steamed basmati rice cooked with extra water, served

very hot with 2-3 tablespoons of ghee sometimes! and very generous

dark iron rich sugar, a variety of the indian sugars (jaggery). Or

warm, often chai type seasoned full cream (not homogenized) milk

served with an extra teaspoon of clarified butter (ghee).

 

Many ways in the dietary choices can help balance specific doshas and

still provide building nourishment. Pitta and vata we would usually

not give the mothers weight burning honey or molasses. Kapha may need

more attention preventing mucous. And so on. ONce you study how it

works, the ayurvedic basics, this is not just a long list of do and

don'ts, rather it all fits into " oh of course! " type understanding and

is such a joy, the self-referral nature of it all!

 

The kapha underweight baby is less likely to manifest, in my opinion,

in the first place. If a kapha baby is underweight, reducing kapha is

not what we focus on, for sure! This baby will however most easily

respond to the approach you are posing in your question. But again,

there are angles to be looked at, such as parasites, and the early

postpartum weeks mother still needs extra oleation, extra digestive

supports, and handles the recommended pungents on the list with more

seasonings in general very well, tending to need more warming

influences from foods, for instance. But with parasites and with

kapha, the oleation would be more sesame, pumpkin seed and flax oils

rather than others. Does this begin to make a little sense?

 

The following words are probably unfamiliar to most and I will not

attempt to define, perhaps someone will be so kind to briefly explain

if they are of practical use in this conversation?

samkhya darshan

the tanmatras

jnana indriyas

ahamkara

bhutas

 

Dr. Bhate, thank you so much for your active sharing and supports!

 

Namaste!

Ysha

Postpartum AyurDoula Care, Training

[Guest guest]

The following words are probably unfamiliar to most and I will not

attempt to define, perhaps someone will be so kind to briefly explain if

they are of practical use in this conversation? = The terms below

are very much esoteric in light of the practical discussion of this

forum.

 

> samkhya darshan = This is an important philosophical system

apparently arising in the Vedic period in India. Ayurveda has adopted

many of its tenants. The words below are used in this system to help

describe a theory of evolution based upon the notion that Spirit is all

there is and It manifests in creation in a sequential process, becoming

evermore gross. There are 24 elements in this model.

 

> the tanmatras = These are the subtle sense objects -- one for each

sense = sound, touch, sight, taste, smell

 

> jnana indriyas = These are the senses themselves or literally

translated the sense instruments of knowing (as opposed to those for

action)

 

> ahamkara = This concept is commonly, though imprecisely, translated

as ego. More to the point it is one's sense of identity and gives

expression to all the details of " I AM-NESS. "

 

> bhutas = In this context this word means the 5 elements; according

to many systems there are 5 energetic/material forms for matter = space,

air, fire, water, and earth. All material substances are comprised of

each of these in some varying proportions.

 

I would just add this comment about the prakriti / vikriti content of the

discussion. The awareness that prakriti is important in a program of

treatment has been demonstrated by forum members. However, according to

the AV tradition there are many factors -- more than 10 though the term

refers to ten-- dasha vidha pariksha-- that a clinician must routinely

think about before applying a treatment. In this list there are the

following: prakriti, vikriti, dosha, place, time/season, age, mental

state, habits and accustomed to things, state of agni, strength of person

and disease, the treatment, diet, and so on. So the point is that while

prakriti is important all of these other things are also important.

Clinically, physicians pay more attention to the disease/dosha than to

the constitution. In this area of babies, especially newborns, we have

some doubts as to prakriti. However, the conditions -- good and

abnormal--that we observe allow us to act in a preventive and remedial

way. Just pretend that the doshic indicators are for prakriti and treat

to balance these. If they are truly vikriti then we can say that we are

balancing abnormal tendencies of prakriti. If they are vikriti then we

are treating them and will help to reveal the real prakriti.

 

Mike Dick