Postpartum Pitfalls: Why Blindly Giving Arishtas and OTC Ayurvedic Medicines Could Be Harming Mothers and Newborns” – Personalized Healing, Not Packaged Tradition, Is the True Ayurvedic Way

By Dr Rakesh Ayureshmi, Ayureshmi Ayurveda Wellness Centre, Kollam, Kerala, India

Would you give the same food to a diabetic, a heart patient, and a newborn baby? Then why are we giving the same postpartum Ayurvedic tonics to every mother—without even checking her condition?

Across India, thousands of new mothers are handed bottles of Dashamoolarishta, Jeerakarishta, or other over-the-counter (OTC) Ayurvedic formulations immediately after childbirth—often without any consultation or clinical assessment. This ancient tradition, when done blindly, can turn healing into harm. It’s time to shift from quantity to quality—from “one-size-fits-all” to personalized postnatal care.

Tradition Misapplied: The Danger of Default Postpartum Prescriptions

In many households, certain Ayurvedic medicines like Dashamoolarishta, Ashokarishta, Jeerakarishta, and Lohasava are routinely administered to new mothers—as if childbirth was a checkbox for a standard prescription. While these medicines are time-tested and effective in appropriately chosen conditions, they are not universal tonics.

“Ayurveda is not about giving more medicine—it’s about giving the right medicine to the right person at the right time.” – Dr. P.V. Sharma, Ayurveda Scholar

When these arishtas and asavas are given without evaluating the mother’s agni (digestive fire), vikruti (current imbalance), blood loss, surgical history (e.g., C-section), and psychological state, they can lead to:

Worsening of ama (undigested toxins)

Gas, bloating, constipation, or diarrhoea

Delayed lactation or overproduction

Allergic reactions in infants through breastmilk

Mood disturbances or increased vata

Especially in babies, colic and rashes often mysteriously appear after mothers start these medications—yet few connect the dots.

Not All Mothers Are the Same: The Ayurvedic Lens of Individuality

Ayurveda recognizes the concept of prakriti (constitution) and sattmya (habitual adaptation). What is nectar to one may be poison to another.

A vata-predominant mother who is weak, underweight, and anxious needs a different treatment from a kapha-predominant mother who is heavier, lethargic, and producing excess milk.

Giving an alcoholic arishta to a mother with low agni or ama can exacerbate toxins, affect breast milk, and impair digestion. Similarly, using heavy tonics in someone with pitta aggravation may trigger inflammation or mastitis.

“Precision is the essence of Ayurveda. Blind generalization is not our tradition—it’s a distortion of it.”

What the Texts Say: Contextual, Conditional, Customised

Ancient classics like Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridaya emphasize kaalabhojanam—timely and condition-specific intervention.

Charaka says:

"Tasya rogaḥ tasya aushadham"

"For every disease, there is its specific medicine."

He never said: “Give arishta to every mother.”

Moreover, postnatal care (Sutika Paricharya) is a delicately balanced protocol, which includes:

Light, digestible food

Medicated ghee (siddha ghritas)

Abhyanga (oil massage)

Bastis (enemas in select cases)

Rasayanas and tonics only when digestion is restored

The bulk of medicine is not the healer. In fact, excess medicine is also a form of disease (aushadha dosha).

Just as a locksmith doesn't use all tools to open every lock, the Vaidya must choose medicines with clinical precision.

When "Natural" Hurts: OTC Isn’t Always Safe

Many assume Ayurvedic medicine is always safe because it’s “natural.” But nature has its poisons too.

Studies and reports have shown:

OTC Ayurvedic medicines are often taken without understanding composition or indication.

A 2021 study published in Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine found that self-medication in postpartum women led to increased GI complaints and poor lactation outcomes.

A case report in Clinical Toxicology (2020) noted infant hepatic distress traced to breastmilk from a mother on self-prescribed herbal formulations.

In rural and urban setups alike, family traditions override medical advice, often leading to long-term health implications for both mother and baby.

The Right Way: Personalized Ayurvedic Postpartum Protocol

Assess prakriti and vikruti

Evaluate digestion (agni) and bowel habits

Check for surgical delivery (C-section) or anaemia

Examine infant feeding, mood, and bonding

Prescribe only needed medicines—never bulk formulas

Avoid alcohol-based preparations until digestion is strong

Support with diet, massage, rest, and positive environment

By working with a qualified Ayurveda physician, mothers receive medicine that heals without hurting—while babies benefit from safe, sattvic breastmilk and a nourished, stable mother.

Conclusion: From Quantity to Quality—A Call for Conscious Care

In Ayurveda, medicine is not a product—it is a relationship between patient, doctor, and nature. When we replace clinical insight with cultural shortcuts, we risk turning medicine into a mass-produced mistake.

Let’s stop this blind tradition of postpartum prescribing. Let us educate, assess, and individualize. A single personalized formulation, chosen wisely, is worth more than a shelf of arishtas taken blindly.

Consult before you consume. Evaluate before you administer. Heal with wisdom, not routine.

Are you blindly giving arishtas to new mothers?

Thousands of women are unknowingly harming their health and their baby’s well-being with over-the-counter Ayurvedic medicines post-delivery.

Ayurveda is not “one size fits all.”

Personalized care is the only safe and scientific way.

Learn why consulting an Ayurvedic doctor is non-negotiable after childbirth.

#AyurvedaNotOTC #PersonalizedPostpartumCare #MotherBabyHealing #SayNoToBlindTradition #ConsciousHealing