Abstract

SUTIKA PARICHARYA - AN AYURVEDIC APPROACH TO POSTNATAL CARE

Usha Rupaji Wartha* and Bhagyashri Mahavir Khot

Abstract

Ayurveda give importance to care of the mother at every stage of her life especially in antenatal and postnatal period. A postnatal period is the period beginning immediately after the separation of placenta and extending upto six weeks. Postnatal care is important to ensure a normal purperium with delivery of a healthy baby. In ayurvedic classics postnatal period is named as sutika paricharya. Due to pregnancy and delivery the woman becomes weak due to development of fetus and also empty bodied due to unsteadiness of all tissues, labour pains, excretion of kleda and blood. The world figure of maternal mortality ratio is estimated to be 400 per 100,000 live births. So health of the mother in purperium period is more important and must be given more attention to prevent any complication during this period. So ayurvedic classics described sutika paricharya which includes the regimen that helps the woman to regain her vitality and helps her body to revert back in pre – pregnant state. Sutika paricharya includes aahara, vihara, aushadhi, yogasana, some pathya and apathya etc. So health of the mother before pregnancy, during pregnancy and during purperium is important for safe motherhood and healthy childhood.

Keywords: Sutika paricharya, purperium, postnatal period, pathya and apathya in sutika paricharya.