By Rima Sheehab, in collaboration with Sharanya Srikumar
An exploration of how traditional Indian medicine, personalized nutrition, and root cause care offer a practical approach to healing after birth.
Standard postpartum care usually centers around six-week checkups, clearance for exercise, and basic health metrics. While those checkups matter, the real recovery happens at home in the quiet routine of daily life, in the kitchen, during middle-of-the-night feeds, and in how you nourish yourself when your body feels completely different.
To talk about what simple, day-to-day postpartum support actually looks like, we sat down with Sharanya Srikumar, a practitioner of Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine), certified birth worker, and mother of three living in Westborough, Massachusetts.
Sharanya brings a grounded, root-cause perspective to caring for new mothers through traditional Indian medicine and practical lifestyle adjustments.
Understanding Ayurveda in Simple Terms
Ayurveda literally means "the science of life." Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old system of health that is native to India. Wellness at any given point is defined as not merely the absence of disease, but a state of balance between mind, body, and spirit. In the context of motherhood & postpartum, recovery begins with rest and good food.
Instead of focusing only on isolated symptoms, Ayurvedic care looks at your entire picture: your daily routines, digestion, stress levels, and even the time of year you give birth.
"Things are very personalized," Sharanya shares. "Functional medicine started saying that very recently, but Ayurveda has always approached people in personalized ways."
For instance, having a baby in the cool autumn months calls for warm, grounding foods like slow-cooked root vegetables and steeped teas. Having a baby in the middle of summer requires a completely different approach to hydration and nutrition.
"You Are What You Digest"
It is easy to get caught up in counting grams of protein or tracking exact calories. Ayurveda approaches health by asking: “Is your gut able to digest the protein or fat that you are consuming?”
Sharanya often shares an old Ayurvedic concept with new parents:
"You are not what you eat. You are what you digest."
After birth, your digestion and nervous system go through a major shift. If your body is exhausted and cannot easily process complex or heavy foods, even the healthiest meals will not give you the energy you need.
This is why traditional Ayurvedic practices emphasize warm, soft, easily digestible foods. One simple staple used for new mothers is ghee (clarified butter). Ghee is deeply nourishing, easy on the gut, and helps ease the physical depletion and brain fog that so often come with early parenthood.
Looking at Root Causes
When a mother experiences pelvic floor heaviness or urine leakage months after birth, standard guidance might focus solely on targeted physical exercises. While movement is essential, an Ayurvedic approach looks at what else might be contributing to that weakness.
"Is there a root cause in nutrition depletion?" Sharanya asks. "How was her birth experience? What is contributing to her overall energy reserves?"
Care for a mother several months postpartum might include:
Warm oil self-massage (Abhyanga): Rubbing warm, herb-infused oil on the skin before a shower to calm an overstimulated nervous system and ease joint tightness.
Simple breathwork: Using gentle breathing to reconnect the diaphragm and pelvic floor without putting intense pressure on the body too soon.
Warm, cooked meals: Prioritizing soups, stews, and healthy fats that rebuild energy from the inside out.
Motherhood Starts Before Birth
Sharanya views motherhood as a continuous journey rather than a transition that begins in the delivery room and ends at a six-week checkup.
"The way someone experiences the pregnancy first actually influences her later health. The body becomes very different because of these experiences. It has a profound impact on her health, stress level, and the ways she is vulnerable, including the kind of support systems she has."
Conception, pregnancy, birth, and the months following are all connected. When parents receive steady support, tailored nutrition, and clear education, recovery becomes much smoother.
Easy Ways to Try Ayurvedic Care Today
You do not need an elaborate setup to use these ideas at home. Here are four simple steps to start with:
Choose warm, cooked foods: Swap raw salads and iced drinks for warm grains, soups, and cooked vegetables that are gentle on your stomach.
Add healthy fats: Include a spoon of organic ghee to your meals to support energy levels and brain function. Ghee can be added to warm food, soups, and stews.
Use warm oil before bathing: Take some warmed sesame oil or coconut oil in a cup and gently apply it all over the body, especially around the belly and lower back/waist.
Pause for three breaths: Take three slow, deep breaths before eating to help your body relax so it can digest food comfortably.
Looking for personalized support during your pregnancy or postpartum journey?
Explore the Sakhee Digital App to access our Education Library, connect with 24/7 AI Doula guidance, or book a 1-on-1 visit with a Sakhee postpartum doula today.