In this third episode of the "Becoming Pregnant, Being Pregnant, and Giving Birth" series, host Heather Prince interviews Ayurvedic practitioner Dr. Ashish Paul about practical, Ayurvedic‑informed preparations for labor. They discuss the importance of relaxation and breath work in the weeks leading up to delivery, recommending gentle breathing exercises, squats, yoga, and spine‑friendly stretches to keep the body supple and the pelvis aligned. Herbal teas—especially warm ginger tea—are suggested to warm the body, support circulation, and gently soften the cervix, though Dr. Paul notes that tea blends should be individualized. Heather introduces her app’s aromatherapy blend, "Charlotte’s Brew," a mixture of essential oils applied to the belly or lower back, and Dr. Paul affirms the usefulness of lavender and other oils while urging users to consult a practitioner for dosage. The conversation shifts to mindset: both agree that a calm, flexible mental attitude is crucial, warning against rigid birth‑plan expectations and encouraging open communication with midwives or doctors. Partner involvement is highlighted through massage of the lower back and supportive presence. The interview concludes with a reminder that the ultimate goal is a safe, healthy baby and mother, and provides Dr. Paul’s website (ashishveda.uk) for further contact.
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Hello and welcome to the 3rd video with Dr. Ashish Paul, and I'm the Root Master Heather Prince. Today we're talking about the actual birth, and I have an app on the App Store called Meditation for Pregnancy and Birth. And I also have the Facebook page Meditation for Pregnancy and Birth. So the actual birth, Ashish, under Ayurveda, what do you suggest?
There are a number of preparations to do. So, so what does your app do?
The app involves relaxation before the birth. 2 or 3 weeks before the person's due date is to do some breathing exercises.
Okay.
To gain access to the inner calm, that it's really important not to panic. When we panic, all our muscles kind of tighten up, and it's really important to feel relaxed, to relax the muscles, to work with the breath, to allow the body to have the surges of necessary that open up the cervix to expel the baby naturally rather than being all fearful and tight and just make that process a little bit more challenging than it needs to be.
Yes, okay, that's great because I can actually ask people to download that app as well for my patients also.
Yes.
But it's similar in Ayurveda as well, so you prepare 3 to 4 weeks in There might be herbal teas that are involved, so we can ask them to little by little drink a few drinks. Generally, we advise to have something hotter during that time for the body to again to relax, for the body to get into that flow.
So the old advice of eating a hot curry if you want this child to be born is It's the same everywhere, isn't it?
It just comes in different shapes and forms, and people advising slightly differently according to the culture, the country that you live in. But Ayurveda also says last month, so you're preparing, we also ask them to do more squats as well, gentle squats for women to sit.
Oh, so sitting on one of those great big gym balls is a good thing to do?
That as well, and also just simply squatting with the— you So you hold a chair and then you gently go down as much as you can, but very gently. So obviously if it's told properly and under supervision, it will be— I will show to the patient how to do that.
Yes.
So that's one thing that they can do, and some other exercises which are yoga exercises for them to, as you say, breathe better, relax a little bit more, and also for their spine to feel a little— because back starts to hurt. You know, the last, last trimester. So for them to also get their pelvis, what we say, more aligned for the birth as well.
Yes, and the herbal tea is to soften the cervix?
It's working on a number of things.
Right.
So one thing is for an easy birth.
Yeah.
And to soften the whole uterus, to prepare the uterus as such, so that you It starts on time. And Ayurveda, as you know, as with healing, we believe it has to come with the natural rhythm of the body. So we're not forcing anything. It's going according to your rhythm. So that tea is a gentle invocation that you slowly start something.
Yes.
But those teas may be different. There's no generalized one tea that will help everybody.
Yes.
And also there may be a little bit more ginger tea that you can can take just to help them in everything. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and it's a wonderful circulatory herb that we have. So that can help them in preparing and keeping it a little warmer. The body needs to be in a warming space in the last, especially in the last 3-4 weeks.
Yes. And within my app, I give advice on aromatherapy oils And I've called it Charlotte's Brew because my daughter-in-law Charlotte used it for her birth with her first one. And it's to be put on well before the actual birth, but when the contractions are starting. And that recipe is in the app.
Okay.
How do you, how do you feel about using aromatherapy oils?
Absolutely fine. I, I'm not a trained aromatherapist, uh, even though in Ayurveda we use a lot of, um, these essences, but I do not recommend those. So I can always, you know, recommend the ones you have got.
Yeah.
And but I totally agree with that. For example, lavender, um, we know helps with— it induces sleep, so it makes you calm. So put a few drops on your pillow just to help you to really get that nice essence in. But as I said before, always check with the practitioner because that might be something that may not be suitable for you, even though it's a great plant, but it may not be suitable for you. And also the dosage differs. So for some, 1 drop is enough, whereas for somebody else, even 5, 6 drops is not enough.
Yeah, the recipe of Charlotte's Brew within the app is to be mixed up into a brown container And just a little bit put on and a little bit of rubbing on the belly.
Yes.
And for the partner, the birth partner can rub it on the lower back if that is aching. I know with my birth experience I had more lower back as my womb is tilted rather than pain in the front, so I think that it's all tools that can help the process.
Absolutely. And, and we use in Ayurveda, we use some yogic postures. So just very gentle stretching, just gentle rolling that, that you might do just to release your lower back.
Yes.
So that's really helpful at that time, just as you are preparing to go into the birthing.
Yes.
And, and the herbs that you are taking, so there is I wouldn't give any advice here generally, but yes, you know, people can connect and they can ask questions, then I will be able to advise more.
For individuals.
For individuals, yeah.
Yeah, I think the most important thing is mindset. Would you agree?
I totally agree. I mean, I remember this patient, I'll tell you this story, really funny. This is years ago, and this lady, she was a friend of mine, senior to me in college. So tense about birth. Okay, so the hospital where I was, she would come to the main doctor and she would say, "I definitely want a painkiller. I do not want." And and the doctor, she would say to us, you know, she would say, "I'm gonna get her naturally." And we kept telling her that, okay, you're going to get injection. You're going to get injection. But she was just so much in that mindset. But when she started the birthing process, and this main doctor who was in the hospital. She just kept talking to her. She said, okay, we are going to give you injection, and we didn't. We just gave her the solution, and we said, okay, you've been given injection, and she just delivered naturally. It's just mindset.
But it's also important not to be too rigid on your birth plan, because if somebody truly, truly sets their heart on a water birth and there's some kind of complication where the midwife says, do you know what, you can't have a water birth, it's important not to get overly upset. Just be flexible. Yes, yes.
You, you set your intention, yeah, that this is what I would like to do, but always make sure you discuss other options available with, with the person who's going to be there, with the midwife as well.
Yes.
At the end of the day, what you want is a healthy and safe baby.
Absolutely.
And then also the least harm to the mother.
Yes.
So whichever way that comes out in that moment of time, Because birthing is, is like new birth to the mother as well.
Yes.
So it's a critical time. Time is of essence at that time, and within seconds we could lose everything.
Yes.
So not to really get rigid about something.
Absolutely.
And then just think the overall benefit and go with that. But yes, of course, prepare yourself if you want a water birth, if you want a natural birth, home birth, hospital birth. Whatever you would like, you can always prepare yourself, but be always ready because it's one of the most— there is no fixed anything in birthing. Anything can get completely changed.
Yes, nature has its own way, doesn't it?
Yeah.
Okay, well, thank you for listening in to our 3rd video in this series about becoming pregnant, being pregnant, and giving birth. And please listen in to the next video, which is what we suggest would be of benefit to you and the baby after giving birth. And if you wish to get in touch with Dr. Ashish Paul, they can contact you on—
