Kashayam

These are the potions used for general health.
1.Kashayam for digestion, clearing the stomach and cold.
This can be made using the following

For 4 to 5 cups of kashayam
Ingredients:
Narukumulam  -50g
chukku - 1 big portion
kandanthippili -50g
pepper - 1/2 tea spooon
karupatti or jaggary
Optional; tulasi leaves-10

Just smash the above slightly on an ammi kal

Take 3 cups of water and add the above allow it to boil till it is reduced to 2 and half cup. Add 10 thulasi leaves and 2 and half cup of milk and a lemon size karupatti or jaggary.

Filter and have it hot. It clears cold, indigestion, gas problems and constipation.

2. kashayam for cold
a) Simple kashayam
ingredients:
ginger-25gm
black pepper powder-half a teas spoon
karupatti/ jaggery - Lemon size
Water - 1 cup
Smash atleast 25gm of ginger after removing the skin and boil it in a cup of water.when quantiy of water is reduced a little filter it, Now add half a teaspoon of pepper powder and and boil it again for some more time. Add a lemon size karupatti(this is very good for health). If you dont get karuppati add jaggery. Once it dissolves allow it boil for a second and filter and drink it hot.
b)Sooranam
Chitaratai (finger root) 2pieces
Adhimadhuram 4pieces
Chukku- 2 small piece
black pepper- 1 tea spoon
corriandar seeds 1 teaspoon
Heat them on a pan slightly and powder and store it for a month. Freshly powdered is always better.
Half a teaspoon of the powder can be boiled with a cup of water for 5 minutes and add a small peice of karuppatti. Filter and drink it.
(c) Boil a pot of water add 4 or 5 peices of adhimaduram and 2 or 3 peices of chitaratai and drink often the whole day when ever you want to drink water. This helps to bring all the flem from the chest and removes the congestion.
(d) Adding a spoon of vendhayam to 1litre of boiled water and drinking helps to keep blood sugar in control.
(e) when you have dry cough, add half a teaspoon of black pepper powder in half a cup water and allow it boil and reduce to half the quantity, add half a cup of milk and pinch of turmeric powder and add a spoon of sugar and drink before bed.
(f) keep two black pepper when you have dry cough between the teeth and cheek. Same way keep two cloves when you have tooth ache or gum problem. When you have head ache during cold, add half a teaspoon of turmeric powder to 2 cups of boiling water and inhale the vapors.

Jeeraga thanni: Adding a spoonful of jeera to 1 litre of boiled water and drinking daily or occasionally helps to have a clear stomach.

Drinking hot/warm water often removes body odor, helps in digestion and helps in reducing the weight.

 3. For pregnant women: At the end of 8th month of pregnancy to identify the false pain,
When there is a back pain or labour pain, take 4 or 5 gloves fry it in a pan with a spoon of ghee add a cup of water, allow it to boil and get reduced to half the quantity. Drink the kashayam, false pain will subside immediately. True pain will get increased will help in normal delivery.

4. Ingi jeeragam (Lehayam):
Ingredients:
Jeeragam - 1 table spoon
Daniya - 1 table spoon
ginger -50gm
ghee - 2 table spoon
gingely oil -50gm
jaggery -small lemon size
Soak daniya and jeeragam for 5 to 6 hours. Clean ginger and remove the skin cut them to pieces and grind it to fine paste. Soak jaggery in water and filter. Use this water and the water used for soaking jeera and daniya for grinding. Heat gingely oil on a non stick pan and add the paste. keep kindling till it comes with out touching the walls of the pan. (ottamal varumvarai kilaravum) Add ghee and keep it in sim for 2 minutes. Lehyam is ready. Have this once in a month or two. This can be used as a substitute for diwali lehyam..

Herbs and medicines at home for babies

Home made medicines

General tips

It is better to give a spoon of boiled and cooled water once in a day at noon. But now a days it is said that babies should not be given water till 6 months. It is said so because it may make the baby feel full and may refuse to take milk. But a spoon of water may not affect. Do not give before or immediately after a feed. More than all use your discretion.
Babies often may have indigestion, one or the other potions can be given regularly. When ever we give oil bath, it is better to give the following alternatively or the second one twice a week. First potion from day 10 till 6 months. It is good to give the 2nd potion till 1year.

1. Take half paladai/ sangu breast milk and rub the following on the stone(uraikal - a circular small stone like chappati kal or one that is used to grind sandal)
a)Heat vasambu (sweet flag) in gingely oil lamp, wait until it turns black.Vasambu cures, cold, asthma, bronchities , gas problems and stomach aches in infants. It is called pillai valarpan in tamil. Vasambu paste in breast milk can be kept on the forhead as pottu, on cheeks as thrishti pottu and on the bottom of the feet and around the naval. The baby will be in its fragrance through out the day, which is very good for the clear lungs.
b) Nutmeg or Jadhikai- induces sleep in infants
c) Masikai- helps in gas problems
d) sukku- digestion and cold
e) kadukai-for infection and stomach pain
f) kasturi-clears the throat (it can be used as a mouth cleaner during the bath with gorojanam)
g) gorojanam - for good voice and cold.

2. From day 10 onwards alternate the above with the following mixture every other day.
Grind the following, boil and filter and take a spoonful mix it with honey or jaggaery and give it to the baby using paladai.

a) thulir vethalai (very young betal leaf)
b) two thulasi leaves
c) one garlic (Poondu pal)
d) omavalli elai or omam a pinch
e) vepangozhundu (young neem leaves which will be purple in color) It clears the lungs and deworms the stomach. 

From one year onwards, every oil bath can be followed with the veppa urandai. To make all the above with more vepangozhundu can be ground into a thick paste and made into balls of that of a tamarind seed size. 3 balls should be given and the child should swallow it. Jaggery or honey can be given to change the taste. This can be given till three years.

Kashayam can be given after three years as long as one wishes.

Other home remedies for babies.

Using silver articles like silver paladai, bowl and spoon enhances immunity.

Common Cold:
When the infant catches cold (they get cold easily from a person who has it or while a drop of water enters the body through nose while bathing or when the person who gives bath daily is changed, due to climatic conditions and when the mother has the cold).The following pathu can be applied on the fore head in between the eyebrows, at the sides of the eybrows and chest of the baby

- Manjal pathu: Heat water and turmeric powder along with sambrani in a karandi and apply when it in tolerable heat.

- Thiruman pathu: make a paste of thiruman in your palm with cold water and apply it on the forehead

- Karpoora pathu: warm  karpoor in coconut oil and apply as vapour rub

Potions can also be given for cold:
Boil all or the available in 1 ounce of water, filter mix it with honey or a small bit of jaggery and give it before the meal.

a)thulasi leaves-5
b)betal leaf -1
c)omavalli elai or a pinch of omam
d)pinch of jeera
e)pinch of chukku 
This can be given to the babies till 5 years after every oil bath which will increase the immunity.

*For children above 5 years, boil a mug of water in adding 2 chitaratai and adhi maduram and make them drink for three days when it is warm. It can be warmed again and again and given.

Stomach pain (the baby cries for long hours and refuse to take milk):

- Beetal leaf rubed with castor oil and heated on gignegly oil flame should be put on the naval with a tolerable heat(Vethalai vaati podudhal)

- Apply sutta vasambu paste in breast milk around the naval. If breast milk is not available paste can be made in water.

- Give a massage around the naval using gengely oil.

- Boil omam in water till it gets reduced to half a quantity. Make the child drink.

Dysentry:For children who are still on liquid diet rub a little vasambu paste on the tongue. For children who have started eating solid food, Curd (Not a sour one) rice which should be little solid can be given till the dysentry stops.

Constipation Soak kismis or dry grapes in water overnight and make the baby drink the next day. If the mother eats fruits and vegetables liberaly the infant will be free of constipation. Infants should take at least a spoon of boiled cooled water after every feed. Coconut oil can be applied around the anus which will avoid rashed during evacuation.

Note: The baby should burp after every feed before it is put into sleep. Keep the baby erect for sometime after every feed. Remember the stomach will be like a bottle which will spill out if kept horizontal.

Babies may get hiccups often. It is a good sign that the stomach is getting bigger. It will go automatically or give a spoon of water.

Babies sneeze often, it is a sign of developing immune system.

Insect bite:

When the insect bites the penis of the baby it bulges at the tip. So need not worry for that. Just pour a lot of cold water.
Ants and other insects may bite babies. Wash the spot with cold water first.

a)Lime which may be available in pawn shops, can be just rubbed over the spot.
b)Apply a paste of baking soda with water over the spot.
c)Kuppaimani (Indian acalypha) can be crushed with salt and made into paste with lime and applied. This paste can be used for sore throats in adults.
d)Viboothi can also be applied.
e)Asafotida kept in between banana piece can be made to swallow.

Massaging and oil bath for new born.

Oil bath is very important for new born babies from  day 10 onwards. It makes the baby sleep well. Babies who get proper sleep show a healthy growth.
Newborn may need 15 to 20 hours of sleep. Every sleep may last for 3 to 4 hours. Breast fed babies need to be fed every 2 hours. Babies should not be let to sleep for long hours with out feeding.

 Oil massage:

Coconut oil can be used for massaging initially for 2 or 3 days. Then half a litre of gingely oil should be heated adding 50 gms of ajwain(omam). This can be stored and used for massaging.

Oil bath should be given alternate days for the first 3 months. and every two other days till 6 months and then onwards twice a week through out the life.Oil massage not only helps the baby to get good sleep and growth but also it cools the body and gives a shining skin.

It is better to lay the baby on your foot. You should sit on a raised platform. If you are not comfortable with that you can use nappy table for massaging and use the bathing seat to give the bath.

1. Leg massage:

For massaging start from the legs of the baby. Apply  handful of oil on both the legs and massaging by stretching the legs from knees to ankles.  repeat it from thighs to knees. Massage the feet holding the leg in left hand and massaging it with right hand. Massage the fingers too.

2. Chest and stomach massage:

Apply oil on the chest and massage with your thumb by proceeding from the top of the chest below the neck to the sides along the ribcage. Massage the stomach around the naval in clockwise and anti clockwise. This induces digestion.

3. Hand massage:

 start from the shoulders. Massage clockwise and anti clock wise direction around the shoulders and hold the palm in one hand massage with all of your fingers from top to palm. Massage clock and anti clock wise at the elbows. Massage the fingers too.

4. Neck, back and head massage:

Apply oil around the neck and put the baby on its belly and apply oil on the back and massage well with correct pressure. Now apply oil on the head liberally and massage well, this helps the baby to get good blood circulation for the brain . This also helps the baby to get proper head shape in future.Massage the ears too.

5.Face massage:

Now have the baby on its back and start applying oil slowly on the face. Massage the nose well to get the sharp nose, massage the fore head and checks. Lastly just move your fingers over the eye lids slowly.

Bathing the baby 

Use channa dal powder for the head and moongdal powder for the head. Make it a paste before using to avoid clogging.
A lot of water should be used. Water should be hotter than we (adults) use. A lot of water should be used before cleaning the oil. Pouring water on the oily body simultaneously massaging the body will remove most of the oil. Get help from someone to pour water, while you massage the baby.

1.First pour water on the legs and massage well then slowly pour on the hands keep both the hands on the belly of the baby and massage the hands.
2. Now pour water over the belly and the neck. For the boy babies, for the first 2 or 3 days, nipples should be pressed to remove the liquid locked. It will help the boy to get a proper chest when he grows into an adult.
3. Now have the baby on its belly and pour water on the back and massage well. Then pour water on the head and massage well.
4. Now apply moong dal powder paste and remove the oil from the body and clean it. Now use channadal powder paste and remove the oil from the head. If it is a baby girl, use kasthuri manjal powder and apply all over the body and then pour water to remove.
5. Use a soft cotton cloth to remove the water from the head. Before getting up, clean the head with the cloth and then wrap the baby in the towel and hand it over to some one to dry the baby completely.
6. Dry the head thoroughly. Clean the ears and nose using baby buds or roll the end of a towel or a cloth like a bud which is very safe for the tender skin.
7.Apply baby powder or moisturizer all over the body after a bath or sponge bath. Especially the areas like arm pit, between the folds of skin etc., where air circulation is limited.

Note: Always use thin cotton old clean clothes for all the purposes, to wrap or to cushion the baby.

General tips for new born baby

General tips for daily routine: 

1. Keep handful of gingely oil on top of the baby's head daily. A lot of heat radiates through the top of the head. Gingely oil can cool the body.

2. Always hold the baby with a cushion of cotton clothes.
Always give support to the neck by keeping one hand below the neck of the baby. As it will be tender and there are chances of getting sprained.

3. Give bath in warm water daily after giving a gentle massage using coconut oil. (For oil massage view my blog.)If the baby is very tiny and difficult to hold in your arms, hold the baby in warm water tub for some time. Do it twice or thrice changing the water. Get help from some one to clean the oil using baby soap.

When the baby is 1 month old, proper oil massage is very good for the baby. It makes the baby sleep well which in turns helps in growth. Oil massage can be given using coconut oil initially and later using gingely oil (warm 1/2 litre if gingely oil with omam(ajwain, turmeric powder and 4 or 5 pepper).

4. Do not allow the strangers to hold or kiss the baby. Saliva can damage the skin of the baby.

5. It is better to take the baby for outing at least after 3 months. The infant can catch infections easily. Avoid taking to a crowded places initially.

6. Change food or routine should be done with a gap of 1 week. If you want to try something new or change, do not stop the old abruptly. Slowly introduce the new food giving the old one simultaneously.

7. As much as possible mother's touch and smell should be there always for the baby. So use used clothes of mother for wrapping or spread over the bed. This gives the sense of security for the baby.

8. Do not observe silence always when the baby is asleep. It has to get used to the noises and sleep among them. This will help the baby to differentiate between day and night.

9. Mother should spend all the time with the baby at least for the first 3months. Simultaneously the baby can be cared by other close relatives, so that it can register the smell of the person other than mom and may feel comfortable and secured with that person too.

10. Follow the sleep patterns strictly. Babies who sleep sufficiently can show the growth progress. To make the baby identify it's sleeping time, stick to a particular atmosphere, use a particular lullabi song or rocking in a particular way. You can say some prayer song before night or tell the name of the god etc.