The Healing Bath Pt. III
Benben: The Healing Bath Pt. III
HOW THE HEALING BATHS ADJUST
At around 6 months or so, the healing baths change a little. By this time, the baby has adjusted more to being outside of their mother’s womb and in the world. The hot water that is applied thoroughly to the baby’s body is reduced. Though they are still bathed in warm water, it is not applied as heavily as before with the washcloth. When the baby is smaller, the hot water plays a big role in soothing the muscles and helping the body to recover from the trauma of birth. It is also essential in eliminating all of the physical impurities that the baby arrived with. After six months of healing baths, the impurities are no more and the hot water is no longer necessary each time. Even for the sex and the anus, the frequency of cleaning with warm water reduces to maybe every 3 to 4 days. As they continue to grow, it can reduce even more, unless they happen to become sick. If this is the case, more attention may be given to the anus. One of the other purposes of reducing the hot water is to help the baby to become used to both temperatures of water. If the baby is only used to hot water and they are travelling with their mother somewhere where heating water is not an option, it will be problematic. This is why they make sure that at an early age, the babies have experience with different temperatures of water. Even some of the medicines used before or after the baths are not heated. The herbs steep in the plain water and the baby is rinsed with it.
In the West, bathing has the added convenience of hot water that is ready out of the faucet. As a result, babies can easily become used to only warm water and not have the experience of cool or even room temperature water. In Meritah if you want hot water it has to be heated each time. And if you live in the village or, even some parts of the city, this will be done on the charcoal, not the stove. There is always the moment of intense heat that comes during the hot season all over Meritah. During this time, the water out of the faucet or hose is not very cold and is even refreshing to bathe in for everyone.
THE FINAL TOUCHES
Tchirro - Tchirro is a charcoal-based powder medicine that is applied with a small stick directly on the eye line. It is important that some of the medicine actually rests in the eyes. This helps the infant to open their eyes when they are new to the world. It also strengthens the nerves around the eyes and supports their vision. Though it sounds invasive, it’s really not. It’s not painful for the baby and even as they grow older and become adults, in the Togolese traditions it is still worn for many different reasons including beauty. Now that the baby is cleaned, and their body is nice and warm it’s time to apply Shea butter and powder. The powder is put under the neck, the back, under the arms, even the forehead, pretty much anywhere they may sweat.
Perfume - After the the tchirro is applied and baby is powdered and clothed, the soft spot is sprayed with a little perfume. When they are very young, the skull is still slightly open in the middle, not just on the top. The perfume is gently rubbed in a “T” shaped motion across the soft spot and down the middle of the scalp all the way to the back. This helps the skull to harden in these areas and close quickly.
By this time, my boy was ready to nurse and have a nice long rest and recovery from his vigorous bath. It was such an honour to learn this technique first hand, as well as the overall education of motherhood, pregnancy, diet, and healing techniques, all of which I will be sharing in articles to come. I am ever grateful to the elders/healers who are actively preserving these techniques of traditional healing and spiritual knowledge. It is because of their support as well as that of the Ancestors and the Divine World, I have been blessed with the opportunity to join the world of motherhood and experience the traditional values that I will always hold very dear.
