April 3rd, 2008
Must eat a lot of ginger in every meal, everyday.
By adding ginger or pepper to the dishes we eat can help to expel wind and keep our body warm. It is not a must though, especially for breastfeeding mums, avoid too much of ginger intake as it will make the baby heaty.
Cannot drink water at all apart from red dates drink.
I took a lot of red dates drink during confinement. However, I do take plain drinking water at times but have to ensure it is warm water. Personally I think it is alright to take some warm plain water.
No vegetables & fruits as these are “cold” food.
Not really. Vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, kai lan, lady finger can be consumed even in the first 2 weeks. Thereafter we can eat the leafy vegetables like spinach, bo choy, just make sure these vegetables are cooked with some ginger then it’d be fine to eat. Well fruits like mango & melon of course should be avoided but apples, plums and papaya are fine.
A lot of people experiences constipation during confinement because too much of ginger & wine intake, and didn’t drink enough soup/water/red dates drink, plus not taking any vegetables and fruits actually make the condition worst.
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April 3rd, 2008
Cannot carry heavy objects (including the baby), over-exert self or walk up and down the stairs.
This is somewhat true. Avoid walking up and down the stairs too much because it might affect the healing of our wounds (those who went through episiotomy during normal delivery, & those went through c-section). Lifting heavy objects or inappropriate exercise could put pressure on our womb. However, I do carry my baby very often for breastfeeding, just have to be careful not to bend over too much to lift the baby so that we don’t sprain our back. Wearing bengkung in this case help to hold us in correct posture and prevent back pain.
Avoid squatting; otherwise your womb will drop.
I think this is true, anyway I don’t squat during my confinement. Urut will also help to lift up our womb.
We must sit down when we drink otherwise we will have difficulties in holding our urine afterwards.
I have heard this from my confinement lady but at times I still forgot to do so. Actually the reasons of urinary incontinence are a lot, the one that relates to childbirth is that our pelvic muscles has become weaker after delivery. By doing the right exercise or Kegel exercise would help to strengthen the pelvic muscle.
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April 3rd, 2008
Cannot be directly exposed to wind?
I would wear T-shirt with sleeves and sarong/long pants, socks & slippers all the time. I sleep in the air-cond room and it is fine, I think the rule of thumb is, do not face the fan & air-cond directly. I also apply Bio Trim lotion everytime after bath as it would help to “close” my pores and keep me warm. The lotion also helps to expel “wind” from the body.
Must lie on the bed and rest more? Cannot watch TV/reading/use PC?
It is advisable to take more rest to restore our energy, because we need to wake up often during mid night to feed / take care of the newborn. However, watching TV, reading or use PC is fine as long we don’t do it for long (say about 15 minutes at a time) and take a break in between before continuing, so that the eyes are well rested.
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April 3rd, 2008
Cannot bath during confinement?
Quick bathing with warm water (or herbal bath) everyday is actually good to us as we sweat a lot during confinement. Hygiene is extremely important and bathing will freshen up & make us feel more energetic. It is also adviced to take bath during mid day when the weather is hot.
Cannot wash hair during confinement?
Advisable not to wash hair for 10 to 12 days. However dry shampoo is recommended to minimize scalp irritation and absorb excess oil from the hair. Personally I didn’t quite like dry shampoo. I 1st wash my hair on the 12th day, and thereafter I wash every 3-4 days and I’ll blow it dry immediately.
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