In the past “YooFai” was done by the mothers stay in the small hut with thatched roof (old way house made of dry leaves) warming herself by the fire together with the baby in the basket and the mothers lie or sit on the flat wood, shower and drink warm water every day, stop injurious food, eat rice with salt which again old people believe that salt will replaced the water that sweat during the “YooFai”.
There were 2 ways of “YooFai” in the past,
1. Staying fire: lying by the fire near the abdomen.
2. Stretcher (sling bed made of bamboo) fire: the mother lie down on the stretcher and the stove was underneath (roast method),
Normally they would use the 1st way. Husband or relative will take care of fire. Normally “Yoo Fai” will take about 7-15 days after delivery and the mothers will not leave the room in order to maintain balance of body temperature, promote healthy condition and ward off illness.
Now, they way of “YooFai” still be using both method and name “YooFai” but the system is changed by the replaced of a New Theory of Medicine. YooFai has been promoted recently by applied traditional Thai medicine e.g. hot herbal compress, herbal steam bath, lukewarm water showering or hot herbal compress with salt steam.