Happy Confinement

Bengkung is very essential for women after childbirth as it will help you to get back in good shape especially on tummy and hip. It is more widely used among Malays but nowadays, more and more women realized the importance of taking good care of their body after childbirth and hence the use of bengkung is becoming common for all other races too.

Read on to find out more about Bengkung Mia and how it works for you:

Is it necessary to wear bengkung? Yes. *Using bengkung after delivery of baby will help to prevent “wind” from entering our body and keep us warm. Besides, It also helps to hold our body in good shape and correct posture (you’ll walk & sit straight after wearing the bengkung)

What is the feature of a good bengkung? A good bengkung would have long diameter to cover from under chest all the way down to below the hip, this will ensure a strong support to our womb and it’s really important. *If a bengkung is too short, it will not stay firm when we move around, this will put pressure on to our womb and will also affect the overall shape of our body. In other words, wearing a wrong bengkung is worse than not wearing one.

How long do we need to wear bengkung during confinement? It is advisable to start wearing it 4 days after normal delivery up to whenever you like. It’s best if you could wear it all day long, even during sleeping hours. Therefore, it is better to have at least 2 sets of bengkung so that you could wash and change every other day. Bear in mind that you’ll sweat a lot during confinement and hygiene is very important so that it won’t cause any skin irritation.

Can I wear bengkung if I deliver by C-section? Please consult your gynae before you start wearing any bengkung, normally it’ll be at least 2 weeks after delivery or longer, depending on individual condition.

How could wearing bengkung helps me? Wearing the right bengkung correctly can help to reshape your body faster and more efficiently. It could also hold you up in the correct posture by supporting your back bone, (especially for breastfeeding mums who always tend to sit and bend their back while breastfeeding the baby) and hence can prevent/minimize back pain. Wearing bengkung also helps to tone up your abdominal muscles and shape up your hip after childbirth.

Is bengkung only made for women after childbirth? No. Anybody who wishes to shape up their body will find bengkung very useful, even male.

Is it necessary to apply any lotion before wearing bengkung? It is not necessary but using bengkung after applying slimming lotion/cream/gel will helps to expedite the absorption into your skin.

* Some of the statements here were excerpts from “Ensiklopedia Perbidanan Melayu-Sebuah Perbendaharaan Ilmu Perubatan dan Penjagaan Kesihatan” written by Datin Sharifah Anisah Barakbah

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When you asked someone who has been through her confinement, more often you’ll hear a negative story than a positive ones, right? Some describe confinement being a very stressful, scary and unbearable stage; some even said to me that they don’t mind going through the labour pain because it’s just suffering for hours but confinement is a much longer suffering.

But that is not true at all, I am saying this because I’ve been there, done that. I delivered my 1st kid in 2005 and the 2nd kid in 2007 and I have enjoyed my confinement to the fullest. It is not because I have a super nice confinement lady or have spent a lot of money on everything, but it is because I have plan ahead and know what to expect and do during my confinement.

Prior to my delivery, I’ve done a lot of research, reading, asking around for opinions and make my own sound judgment on what to follow and what not because I believe that confinement can be pleasurable and not suffer.

So I’m telling you that, having a stress-free happy confinement is absolutely possible, and affordable.

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After the birth of a child, a woman’s body struggles to return to its pre-pregnancy state. This recovery period is called the confinement period, in Malay it is called “pantang”.

The confinement period should be a minimum of 30 – 45 days and during this period, the new mom shall pay special attention in the area of clothing, food, living environment and physical exercise.

As important as taking care of a newborn, pamper yourself during the confinement period is essential and should not be overlooked because it is going to affect our health in the long run. Some effects might not be visible now but later in life, the effects will start haunting us especially after menopause, if not earlier.

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