Sutikagara (सूतिकागारम्)

Sutikagara refers to the the specially designed labour room for a pregnant woman who is about to deliver a baby or has just delivered a baby. This room is the place for residence of a woman a few days before labour , during labour and few days after labour till she needs specific attention and care. Ayurveda scholars have paid detail attention to it

Introduction

Today we see that the pregnant women get admitted to the hospital once the labour pains begin or a day before their planned day for caesarian section. Institutional deliveries have started in recent times in world after the rise of western medicine. However before that, the women used to deliver babies at home under the guidance and assistance of a skilled, experienced midwifes. Ayurveda scholars had deeply studied and understood the need of implementing special safety measures during labor so as to ensure safety and wellbeing of woman in labour and the newly born baby. For that Ayurveda recommends construction of a place named as 'Sutikagara' which is specially designed for delivery. Thus Sutikagara helps a medical person or vaidya to make preparation for labour and management of complications that might arise during or post labobur. It isolates mother and newly born baby from rest of the family and friends so as to ensure their safety and wellbeing during and post labor when their immune function is weak and they are susceptible for infections.

Etymology

The term Sutikagara is made up of 2 terms namely 'Sutika' and 'Agara'.

Sutika- This refers to a woman who has just delivered a baby or a parturient woman or a woman in lobour.

Agara- Means house, apartment or a dwelling place

Thus, collectively it means a house or a dwelling place for a woman who is in labour or who has just delivered a baby.

Sutika

Ayurveda acharyas opine that the woman is called Sutika from her labour till one and half month post labour. There are differences of opinion regarding fixing the period upto which the woman is called as sutika. Some acharyas opine that the owman will be called as sutika upto 4 months from labour while others also opine that she should be referred as sutika untill her menstruation begins.

The cause behind calling woman by this specific term lies in the certain physiological status of a woman in this period which is characterized by pains and aches of labour, sudden changes that occur after delivery of a child after carrying it for period of whole 9 months, changes in hormones, open wounds and cuts, psychological status of a new mother and the need of following a specific regime that will help her to pass through these changes smoothly. The food and lifestyle regime for sutika is different and it is designed by Ayurveda scholars to make the new mother capable of handling new changes, prevent the ill effects that might arise if the health is neglected at this time, nourishment of newborn and ensure safety of mother as well as the baby. This regime is called as 'Sutika paricharya' in Ayurveda and is one of the many exclusive and elaborative routine plans proposed by Ayurveda for a specific phase in a woman's life. Other include Garbhini paricharya, Rajaswala paricharya, Rtumati paricharya.

Also see Women's health and Ayurveda.

Structure of sutikagara

Sutikagara is a temporarily made structure for delivery of a woman. It is not multipurpose nor is used for more than one woman. Thus it has be built specifically for one woman and then dismantled once the purpose is served.

Location

Measurements

Materials used for construction

Walls

Temperature

Specifications according to varnashramadharma

Arrangements in sutikagara

Herbal medicines to be stored in Sutikagara

Foods

Tools

People allowed and their qualities

Process of entering the sutikagara

नवमे मासि सूतिकागारमेनां प्रवेशयेत् प्रशस्ते तिथ्यादौ |

तत्रारिष्टं ^[१] ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियवैश्यशूद्राणां श्वेतरक्तपीतकृष्णेषु भूमिप्रदेशेषु बिल्वन्यग्रोधतिन्दुकभल्लातकनिर्मितसर्वागारं ^[२] यथासङ्ख्यं तन्मयपर्यङ्कं समुपलिप्तभित्तिं सुविभक्तपरिच्छदं प्राग्द्वारं दक्षिणद्वारं वाऽष्टहस्तायतं चतुर्हस्तविस्तृतं रक्षामङ्गलसम्पन्नं विधेयम् ||५|| (Sush. Samh. Sha. 10.5)

प्राक् चैवास्या नवमान्मासादप्रहृतास्थिशर्कराकपाले

प्रशस्ते देशे वास्तुविद्याप्रशस्तं सर्वर्त्तुसुखमुखहृतसर्वो-

पकरणं सन्निहितज्वलनं प्राग्द्वारमुदङ्द्वारं वा सूतिकागारं

कारयेत्||१४|| तत्रानुकूलेषु नक्षत्रादिषु पुण्याहशब्देन गोब्राह्मणवृद्धा- न्न्त्वाऽऽवर्तमाना प्रदक्षिणं प्रविश्य बहुशः प्रसूताभिर- नुरक्ताभिरविषादाभिः क्लेशक्षमाभिः परिवृता स्व- स्त्ययनपरानुलोमनैराहारविहारैरनुलोमितवातमूत्रपुरीषा प्रसवकालमुदीक्षेत| स्वल्पेऽपि च विण्मूत्रपुरीषा प्रसव- कालमुदीक्षेत| स्वल्पेऽपि च विण्मूत्रविबन्धे फलवर्तीः प्रणिदद्यात्||१५||(Asht. Samg. Sha. 3.14-15)