Image by @liangkevin via Unsplash
Are you a new mom who’s going to deliver soon? Confinement is taken seriously as it is the period for new moms to rest and recover from childbirth in Singapore.(Dads also do not have it easy, so do remember to nourish your body with supplements such as Wu Ling Shen Sweet Dreams to take care of your wives!) Moms doing confinement should also take note of their confinement meals to nourish their bodies properly.
It is believed that if the confinement is not done properly, it could lead to repercussions in the future. Many believe the practices of confinement to be a myth, but here are some benefits of undergoing confinement even if they are not backed by scientific research.
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- Reduce stress and postpartum depression. The experience of childbirth is a painful one, and the mother will be drained both physically and mentally. That aside, she also has to look after her newborn. Some mothers might not be able to take this transition well, leading to an increased level of stress and depression. Confinement allows mothers to rest and readjust her life as she welcomes her newborn into her life.
- Strengthens body. There might be tons of food you’ll be tempted to eat which is unhealthy for your body. During the confinement, confinement food will be provided either via the confinement nanny or through confinement food catering in Singapore. For those without a nanny, they would usually follow confinement food recipes. Regardless, these confinement foods use herbs which are beneficial in helping the body to replenish what was lost during childbirth. This will help to strengthen your body and keep your body healthy. With a good diet, it will speed up your recovery as well. Other than a good diet, confinement also restricts the mother from carrying out a lot of tasks to enable her to have plenty of rest.
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3. Boosts milk production. One of the major concerns most mothers have is – will the milk produced be enough? With a good rest and a good diet, not only will it help to increase milk production, the milk produced will be more nutritious for the baby too.
There are different confinement period for the different cultures – 30 days for the Chinese, 40 days for the Indian and the longest being 44 days for the Malays. These do’s and don’ts are believed to help the body to get rid of ‘wind’ or prevent ‘wind’ from entering the body, nourish the body and increase milk supply for breastfeeding. Read the following below to find out the general practices carried out by the various local communities in Singapore.
Chinese Practices
- For chinese confinement practices, mums should avoid going out of the house during the confinement period to prevent outdoor pollution and wind from entering into her body.
- Avoid fans and air-conditioning.
- No washing, especially the hair with cold water.
- Lie in bed and minimalize walking around. Any physical activities are discouraged to prevent the muscles from weakening further.
- No reading or crying.
- Confinement meals are eaten alone instead of eating with family members.
- No visiting temples or altar and burning of incense.
- Do not have sex
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Indian Practices
- For indian confinement practices, mums should avoid going out of the house during the confinement period to prevent outdoor pollution and wind from entering into her body.
- Washing is strictly limited between 11am to 2pm when the temperature of the day is at its highest.
- Unlike Chinese, hair can be washed but only on odd days during the first two weeks of confinement. After washing, hair has to be dried with incense smoke.
- A piece of cloth is used to bound the tummy as it is believed to help her maintain her shape.
- Sex is strictly prohibited.
Malay Practices
- As for malay confinement practices, both moms and babies are to immediately bathe in a herbal bath for confinement.
- A female masseuse is hired to help the mother regain her figure after childbirth.
- The practice of Berbengkong – tightly binding the tummy is believed to help the mother maintain her body shape.
- Sex is strictly prohibited.
