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Here is a list of things to be followed immediately after the birth of the child;
The mucus/secretions covering the face, eyes, and nose of the newborn should be removed. The child takes its first independent breath immediately after birth, and deposits on the mouth or nostrils may hinder this respiration.
After thoroughly washing one's hands and clipping one's nails, the lips, palate, tongue, and the insides of the cheeks of the newborn baby should be cleaned gently to clear any obstructing mucus with a sterile cotton swab wrapped around the finger.
The baby's cry signals the commencement of respiration. If the baby is exhausted from the process of delivery, this may be delayed, and in such cases, fanning the baby, gently patting its back, or sprinkling a little water on it helps. If these measures fail then artificial respiration must be initiated.
If a baby cries immediately after birth it is an indication of its good health.
After the baby restores breath and continues to breathe satisfactorily, then mantras are spoken into its right ear. The mantras are a prater, that the child may have a long and healthy life, and that it may stay safe.
My husband had said this in English and that is also fine as it is important to speak well to have good vibrations around the newborn baby. Usually after this, a small cotton swab dipped in pure ghee is placed on the fontanel (the opening at the crown of the child's head). If required, a small quantity of pure ghee and black salt can be placed on the baby's tongue to expel any residual mucus or any swallowed amniotic fluid.
The umbilical cord should be cut only after all this has been done. How the umbilical cord is to be severed is described below, although one should understand that below is only done for information purposes and this process should be carried out by experts and by doctors only.
A piece of silk thread should be tied tightly at a distance of eight fingers (4 to 5 inches approximately) from the baby's umbilicus, and a second thread should be tied tightly, a little distance away from the first thread. Using a sharp instrument, the two threads. The threads and the instrument must be sterilized beforehand. This technique of tying the cord in two places, which is still prevalent today, helps to minimize blood loss.
Until the baby begins to breathe independently, its blood circulation takes place through the placenta, which is why the umbilical cord is still pulsing immediately after birth. Once respiration begins, the flow of blood is directed toward the baby's lungs and no longer through the umbilical cord. Blood circulation now changes direction and passes through the heart-lung system of the baby causing the pulsations in the cord to slowly decrease, and ultimately stop. The best time to cut the umbilical cord is when it stops pulsing. The time between the baby starting to breathe and the cutting of the cord can be used to clean the baby's mouth, place the ghee-soaked cotton on the fontanel, etc.
Once the cord is cut, the umbilicus is covered with a soft muslin (or cotton) cloth. The muslin cloth can be tied around the baby's abdomen like a belt. This protects the cord from infection and prevents it from dangling. It can be tied up as suggested after the baby has been bathed.
The following Sanskar is one of the important procedures advised by Ayurveda. It is completely safe and should be done as soon as possible after the baby is born.
Place a drop of honey and ghee (just honey is also fine) onto a sahan (a grindstone made from a particular material). Take a piece of pure gold (24 karat - not something that is part of or taken from everyday jewelry) and grind it in a coin-sized clockwise circle on the honey on the stone. The person grinding the gold should be facing east while doing so. Gently rub this mixture onto the baby's tongue, with the right-hand ring finger.
This should be done daily for six months. According to Kashyap Samhita, the mixture has the following benefits;
After this, ghee or gentle oil infused with vata pacifying herbs, such as Santulan Abhyang Coconut Oil, should be applied very gently all over the baby's skin. This helps in the easy removal of the sticky mucus-like substance that covers the skin of the newborn; if necessary, a little black salt may be added to the oil to aid in the removal of the mucus. When this is done, the child should be bathed with clean, warm water.
Ayurveda advises the use of sarvagandhodaka for the baby's bath. Boil water with the following herbs;
These herbs should be used and let the water cool until lukewarm and use it to bathe the baby. To make things easier, a decoction made from the abovementioned herbs may be added to warm bath water instead. This decoction is not only fragrant but pacified vata as well.
As I and my baby were in the hospital for 3 days so after coming home, we took a bath on a good day by consulting our elders using the procedure listed above.
Also to mark this day, we cook sweets covered in til, and the same is given to the mom (very little piece - just for the auspicious day), and then also distributed the same among the family members.
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