Advice for Expectant Mothers

A query was asked on my Facebook page regarding the recommended Tibb an Nabawi advice for pregnant ladies and how to reduce the swelling which they experience as the baby grows in the womb.

Swelling is very common amongst the pregnant women, around 50% to 80% will experience it during their term of pregnancy.

First of all, ladies who are expecting should try and maintain a strict Tibb-e-Nabawi diet; they should enjoy the delicious foods of Talbinah (barley porridge), Nabeez (drink made with soaked raisins), Barley bread, pure home-made vinegar and curries/stews which have been cooked in the blessed olive oil. All these things are the codes of perfection on this planet earth. You can check the recipes section of www.tibbenabawi.org and there you will find all the blessed foods which are recommended.

Pregnant ladies should try as much as possible to stop eating wheat and rice (take barley instead), stop soda drinks, sweetened juices, tea / coffee, vegetable oils, pickles, salted foods, eggs and dairy products (particularly aged cheese), and all whatever is available as canned / packed foods from the market.

Vegetable are the best for adding to curries/stews, except do not use potatoes, lady finger (Bhindi), egg-plant (Baingan), cabbage and cauliflower.

Regular table salt (sodium chloride) should be removed completely from the diet and replaced with natural salts (Himalayan crystal salt or natural/organic rock salts). It is important not to take too much salt in any case as it increases the amount of water/swelling in the body.

Expectant ladies should avoid consuming Black Seed (Kalonji) and it’s Oil because it is strong and may not be suitable for them. Olive oil is better.

If they are experiencing uncomfortable swelling, they are advised to lie down on a bed to rest at often periods during the daytime, keeping cushions/pillows under their legs. It will keep their legs elevated (legs are in slightly higher position than the heart organ), this will relieve the swelling insha’Allah.

They are advised to drink water (6 cups in one day), not too much (too much water is hazardous) and not too little, and also they should take gentle walks (exercise) during each day as this will keep their body fluids moving and they will not collect in the legs. They should also see the doctor at regular periods to check that the pregnancy is going well and swelling is not being caused by any other health problem.

Hijama wet cupping treatment should be avoided at all costs during pregnancy as it may induce premature labour or miscarriage.

May Allah give all my sisters who are expecting a child a safe and healthy pregnancy and new baby insha’Allah.

Treating Anaemia.

There are several different types of anaemia and each one has a different cause. The most common type of anaemia is iron deficiency anaemia, which this article focuses on. Iron deficiency anaemia occurs when there is a reduced number of red blood cells because the body does not have enough iron to produce them. The main symptoms are weakness, tiredness and lethargy (lack of energy).

People with iron deficiency may also notice a pale complexion and a pale colour underneath the lower eyelid (this area is highly vascular and will show up any lack of Haemoglobin in the blood a bit more clearly). Dry and flaking nails or a sore tongue can also be other signs.

Other forms of anaemia can be caused by a lack of vitamin B12 or folate in the body.

See the NHS Health A-Z topic about Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency anaemia for more information about this condition.

Iron

Iron is found in meat, dried fruit and some vegetables. It is used by the body to make hemoglobin, which helps store and carry oxygen in red blood cells. Haemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If there is a lack of iron in the blood, the organs and tissues will not get as much oxygen as they usually do.

How common is iron deficiency anaemia?

Iron deficiency anaemia affects up to 1 in 20 men and 1 in 20 post-menopausal women (after a woman’s monthly periods have stopped) in the UK.

Iron deficiency anaemia may be more common in women who are still menstruating (having periods), particularly if they are prone to heavy bleeding. This is because blood loss and pregnancy can cause lower levels of Haemoglobin in the blood.

It is also very common for women to develop iron deficiency during pregnancy. This is because your body needs extra iron so that your baby has a sufficient blood supply and receives all of the necessary oxygen and nutrients. Many pregnant women require an iron supplement, particularly from the 20th week of pregnancy.

Iron deficiency anaemia can also be caused by gastrointestinal bleeding or being restricted to a vegetarian diet. Your doctor should always be consulted in these cases.

Iron-rich foods include:

• dark-green leafy vegetables, such as watercress, spinach, broccoli and curly kale
• iron-fortified bread
• beans and lentils
• eggs
• carrots
• nuts (almonds are the best type)
• meat (particularly liver, see below)
• apricots (a fruit which was used by one of the wives of Nabi (pbuh) to make a drink which he loved)
• dried dates, figs and prunes
• watermelon
• raisins

Liver is a fantastic source of soluble iron, thus making it one of the best foods for patients with iron deficiency. Amongst the livers of all the halal animals, the liver of the camel is the best type, particularly when it is cooked with a little of its hump fat. If camel liver is not available in your location, lamb’s liver or chicken livers are also very good. They tend to be slightly softer and easier to digest.

Tasty Liver Curry Recipe

Regarding the consumption of liver, it has been recorded in the Sunnah that it is permissible;

It was narrated by Abdullah ibn 'Umar (radhi Allahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Two kinds of dead meat and two kinds of blood have been permitted to us. The two kinds of dead meat are fish and locusts, and the two kinds of blood are the liver and spleen.”

Sunan Ibn Majah  Book 29, Hadith 3439. Classed as Sahih by Darussalaam.

http://www.sunnah.com/urn/1274220

The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) used to eat liver;

It is narrated that Abu Rafi' (radhi Allahu anhu) said, "I testify that I used to roast the liver of the goat for the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and then he offered praver but did not perform ablution."

Sahih Muslim Book 3, Hadith 695

In order to take full advantage of the healing which liver meat provides, its curries should be cooked in the blessed olive oil, without browning the onions too much. For this curry, salt to taste and a little vinegar should be stirred in just before serving to ensure that the meat doesn’t become tough during the cooking process. With regards to vinegars, the best to use are those which are raw (unfiltered) and organic.

Ingredients

1 cup – Liver meat, cleaned, washed and drained, chopped into bite-sized chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons - Ginger and garlic paste
½ teaspoon – Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon – Red chilli powder, or to taste
½ teaspoon each of cumin and coriander powders
Salt, to taste
1 medium-sized ripe tomato, finely chopped
1-3 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon of vinegar
Small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon garam masala powder

Directions

Gently heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan, try not to get it too hot (smoking).
Add onions and fry, stirring frequently, until they have barely browned.
Add in the ginger and garlic paste and turmeric powder and cook for another 1-2 mins.
Add in the red chilli powder, cumin and coriander powders, cook for 30 seconds.
Add in the chopped tomato and a little water, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are fully cooked and a little oil starts to separate from the rest of the masala.
Now add in the liver pieces, the remaining water, cover and cook for 5-7 mins, or until some of the water has evaporated and the meat is tender.
Just before serving, add salt, vinegar and garam masala and stir though the curry. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.


This curry should ideally be served with barley bread in order to maximise its healing benefits insha’Allah.

Dairy products and tea/coffee are known to hinder the body’s absorption of iron and so should be avoided.

The Benefits of Breastfeeding.

It is important to note that the very best of Allah’s human creations, His blessed Messengers (alayhisalaam) were breastfed. Allah inspired the mother of Musa (alayhisalaam) to put her baby in a basket in the river to save him from Pharaoh’s killing decree, Pharaoh’s family found him and wanted to keep him and looked everywhere for a wet-nurse to breastfeed him and Allah caused baby Musa (alayhisalaam) to refuse to be breastfed by any woman except his own mother.

Our beloved Holy Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) in his childhood, suckled from his mother Lady Aminah (radhi Allahu anha), Thuwaybah – a slave girl of his uncle Abu Lahab, Umm Ayman and Halimah as-Sa’diyyah (radhi Allahu anha). And Allah Azzawajal knows best.

The children of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) were also breastfed. His son Ibrahim had a wet-nurse during his short life and when he passed away he was only a year and 10 months old, so there were two months of suckling left for him. Because of this, the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, as narrated by Al-Bara ibn Azib in Al Bukhari, "There is a wet-nurse for him in Jannah."

It is only in modern times that the wide use of artificial forms of baby-feeding, cow’s and goat’s milk formulas, have been used and sadly our sisters have left their homes in pursuit of careers which make them leave the superior role that Allah Azzawajjal has given them and pulled them away from the home to serve others and leave their own families. Unfortunately, some Muslim mothers feel breastfeeding will adversely affect their bodies, or be a hindrance to losing post-pregnancy weight, or they may think it is uncomfortable and painful.

Allah The Supreme tells us the recommended time of suckling a child in the Qur’an:

“And the mothers are to suckle their infants for two years, for those who wish to complete the suckling” 
(Surah Baqarah 2:233)

And also;

“We have enjoined upon the human being to treat his parents kindly. His mother bore him with strain upon strain, and his weaning is in two years.” 
(Surah Luqman 31:14)

The importance and blessing of breast-feeding has been mentioned by Allah the Sublime Himself, in not one, but a number of places in the Holy Qur’an, as the preserved Criterion for all eternity. Such is the status of this blessed act that it elevates a woman in rank and provides the complete nutrition our newborn babies need.

Fourteen hundred years after this verse was revealed, international organisations such as the World Health Organisation have issued many statements calling on mothers all over the World to breastfeed their children, whereas Islam enjoined that fourteen centuries ago.

The benefits of breastfeeding for the child include the following:


1. The mother’s milk is sterile, containing no germs.

2. The mothers milk contains all the complex amino acids and proteins required to help the newborn fight off childhood diseases and allergies. Breastfed children grow up healthier and stronger than their bottle-fed counterparts.

3. The mother’s milk cannot be imitated by any milk prepared from the milk of cows, goats or camels. It is composed in such a way as to meet the child’s needs day after day, from birth until weaning.

4. The mother’s milk contains sufficient amounts of protein and sugar that suit the infant completely, whereas the proteins in cow’s, goat’s and buffalo’s milk are difficult for the child’s stomach to digest, because they are suited to the offspring of those animals.

5. The development of children who are breastfed is faster and more complete than that of children who are bottle-fed.

6. The psychological and emotional bond between the mother and her child is strengthened to a great degree. Children grow up remaining close to their mother and respectful of her wishes insha’Allah.

7. The mother’s milk contains various elements that are essential to the child’s nourishment, in the right amounts and formats needed by his body, and in a form that is suited to his ability to digest and absorb. The nourishing content of the milk is not fixed; it changes day by day according to the child’s needs.

8. The mother’s milk is kept at a suitable temperature that meets the child’s needs, and can be given to him or her at any time.

9. Breastfeeding can be a natural means of contraception for some mothers, and is free of the complications that may accompany use of birth control pills, the coil (IUD) or injections.

10. The good character of the Muslim mother (patience, affection, wisdom and intelligence) is passed from her to the child during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

11. Because of the closeness and affection displayed at the time of breastfeeding, the newborns grow up with better manners and their mothers Du’as to Allah for them are always listened to.

The child feels ultimate comfort and security through being so close to his or her mother and their special bond is strengthened, so much so that in Islam if a non-related woman breastfeeds a child she becomes a foster mother to him or her and her children are foster sisters and brothers to him or her who he/she cannot marry! As the Holy Prophet (pbuh) said as is related in a number of Hadith, “Indeed, Allah has prohibited [marriage] among suckling relatives, as He has prohibited it among birth [or blood] relatives.”[Recorded by Sahih Al-Bukhari, Muslim]

There really is no contest between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding.

It is permissible with the parent’s joint agreement to have a child breastfed by another woman and that wet-nurse is entitled to a wage.

However, it is better if no one breastfeeds the child but his/her mother; because that is more beneficial, and that may be obligatory for her if the child will not accept the breast of anyone else or any other milk.

In Islam, unless there is a legitimate excuse, the mother is required to breastfeed her baby. It is an obligation upon both parents – the mother provides the milk and the father provides the material support for the mother even if they are divorced. If a parent thinks there is a need to wean the baby before the end of two years it is permissible after consultation and joint agreement.