BABY CARE
For the first few days, after feeding, the baby would invariably be sleeping. Lest it should be disturbed and the mother be inconvenienced the child would be laid in a cradle made of cloth inlaid with soft cotton baby mattess or a few layers of.soft cotton cloth.
From the eighth day onwards the child was given a light gingelly oil massage and mild exercise by crossing the limbs daily. The child was then given warm water bath keeping it on the legs of the lady giving the bath.
​​​Further, the water for the bath should have been heated to a certain degree and allowed to cool without adding normal or cold water. The body was wiped with soft cotton cloth and dried with incense fumes.
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​The entire thing was done by a Dai or an experienced lady of the house taking care that water did not enter the child’s lungs. Until after the fortieth day, the new mother was not expected to handle any of these chores, she being not sufficiently experienced in the art or trained for it. Until the fortieth day the child was essentially fed on breast milk, after which soft food like cooked Ragi flour could be given in small doses. The first such feed was the paternal grandmother’s right. Harder foods were introduced after one year .
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Grand mothers used to keep a small bag or chest of medicines for the baby, known as Sut’thi. It contained Nux Vomica, Kazhanji (Caesalpinia crista) seed, Vayambu (Sweet Flag or Acorus Calamus), arq or essence of Ajwayan and a host of herbs and roots. Nux vomica was scrubbed on a boat shaped mortar, ukli, and the paste applied around the naval of the child for gas or stomach disorders. Kazhanji was used as anti-inflamatory. Drops of Ajwayan arq (ajme jo araq) diluted with boiled water was given for gastric problems. The mother would simultaneously get a small cup, usually an Arabian Kahwa (Cava) cup, of the liquid so that the child would get reinforcement through breast feed.
​Vayambu, a long wood-like piece, would be scorched on one end, rubbed on the ukli or a ceramic plate to get a paste. The paste would then be applied to the tongue of the child. This is said to perfect the speech of the child in course of time. Other medicines were meant for common colds, fever etc. In severe cases the hakim or vaidya would prescribe medicine to be taken by the mother, as a proxy for the child, to convey the same through breast feed. Ensuring mother’s health was held as essential for the child’s well being. Indirectly, that was also insurance for the mother’s health, at the mother-in-law’s house. A small deep mortar was used for pounding other medicines.
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