The Survey of Knowledges in Postpartum Health care with Thai Traditional Medicine in Ban Chit Subdistrict, Ku Kaeo District, Udon Thani Province

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study folk wisdom model for postpartum care in the area of Ban Chit Subdistrict, Ku Kaeo District, Udon Thani Province with the method of qualitative research design. The sampling group of 60 people consisted of full stop, local philosophers, elderly people, traditional midwives and postpartum women.  All data were collected by research tools as follows: questionnaires, interviews, non-participant observations and focus group discussions. Four main types of postpartum cares in such local area were found to include as: (i) lying near a fire, (ii) cold karmic living mode, (iii) taking traditional recipes of the local wisdom and (iv) Thai traditional medications of Ku Kaew hospital. For postpartum lying near a fire, hot charcoals were used beside a litter on which any types of Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC, Croton oblongifolius Roxb., and Tamarindus indica L. leaves were covered with in order to keep a body warming and a uterus recovering. For cold karmic mode of living, four medicinal herbal roots to enrich breast milking of postpartum women, along with herbal baths and giving advice on postpartum care. For taking traditional postpartum recipes of the local wisdom, medicinal herbs utilized for as follows (i) sitting near the fire, (ii) drinking to nourish the body and (iii) body bathing. For Thai traditional medications of Ku Kaew Hospital, they consisted of herbal steaming, laying pot of hot salt on herb, sitting by the charcoal and herbal compress. Traditional massage was used to stimulate breast milking and Thai royal massages at all over the body was used to help a relaxation. From the collection of wisdoms of postpartum cares, is still the hospital service as well.