For many women, the first trimester is tough, as it can come with nausea, tiredness, morning sickness and worry about having a miscarriage. Your body is going through some very profound changes - like growing the foetus, the placenta or increasing blood volume. This time can also feel like a ride on a rollercoaster. Finding out you are pregnant can be very emotional in the first place, and it also takes some time to let it sink in that you are going to be a mother and enter a new stage in your life.   

According to Ayurveda, Pitta and Vata tend to increase in the first trimester. It is out-of-balance pitta that usually causes unpleasant pregnancy symptoms of the first trimester like nausea, morning sickness, headaches or migraines. If you then fall into the trap of constantly snacking to keep morning sickness at bay, you might also develop heartburn. Your stomach needs to work constantly and produce more digestive acids trying to process all the food at different stages of digestion which can cause fermentation, feeling of bloatedness or fullness, more acidity, indigestion and eventually heartburn.   

As almost always in Ayurveda, digestion is an essential factor for sailing smoothly through this period and for providing your body with all the resources for carrying a child. Ayurveda recommends regularly taking cow’s milk in the first trimester as it helps to keep Pitta and Vata at bay. In Ayurveda, cow's milk is sweet, heavy, unctuous, cooling for the gut, and nourishing. At the same time, it supports your digestion and bowel movements. Milk is best served on its own or in simple preparations like rice pudding. Please do not have straight-up cold milk, as it can create mucus, heaviness, and put out your Agni (digestive fire). We have added a recipe for an Ayurvedic cow’s milk drink at the end of the article.   

Another component of healthy digestion is our thoughts and emotions. In Ayurveda, undigested thoughts and emotions can also create blockages or gunk, which can hinder the optimal flow of our doshas. Having healthy digestion on a physical level already supports our emotional and mental ability to digest the events in our lives. However, in this special time of new beginnings, take some time to rest and sit with what is, to create the space for emotions and thoughts to come up and acknowledge and release them.