Source from friso.com.my
Confinement is a phase where a mother needs to adopt some traditional rules to recover from childbirth. That is all to secure herself from future ill-health and build up her strength. For new mummies, it would be challenging to follow such practices of confinement for 30-40 days besides broken sleep, mood swings and the constant duty to attend to their child. You may already know about some practices or ideas from your parents and grandparents. Some of you may not agree with all these practices, as many of these possess no scientific basis at all.
There are many guidelines such as keeping both the baby and mother indoors during the period of confinement, prohibition of specific daily tasks, and restriction of particular foods–with the firm belief that these practices can provide the mother with adequate rest and replenishment during this period. In the following article, we have a list of some confinement practices observed by these societies. Let’s go over this list of what you should avoid and what to do to have the correct confinement period.
There are many do’s and don’ts to follow during the confinement period. Here, we will explain the following.
DO’S TO FOLLOW
- Keep Yourself Warm All The Time
During confinement, the mother should keep herself warm by sitting near a heat source or warming the abdomen by applying a heated pad over it. It is to reduce abdominal pain and to maintain body temperature.
- Always Bathe In Lukewarm Water
Likewise, avoid bathing in regular or cold water. Take warm showers and dry yourself with the towel quickly, so you don’t catch a cold. Note* especially if you’ve had a C-section, ensure that your wound is adequately dried after bathing. You can also add herbs like turmeric in the boiling water to make your bath more comfortable. Both mother and baby should take a bath in heated water filled with herbs immediately after birth.
- We Recommend A Healthy Diet
You can eat five or six meals a day, but eat wisely. Avoid taking heavy doses every time. Otherwise, it may be harmful to digest correctly. Always take a diet comprising “heating” foods to keep your inside warm and restore balance within the body. Doctors say fish soup with boiled papaya to be beneficial for milk production, so try to make this a part of your meal. A healthy diet is also useful in preventing mood swings and postpartum depression.
- Eat More Chicken
Chicken and meat is an excellent source of protein that will help with post-surgery healing. Many people say that it is not healthy to consume chicken as it can cause wound infection or inflammation, but you can avoid spices and can have a boiled chicken cooked in sesame oil and herbs, and it will be best. White meat is good, like fish that contain fewer calories and less saturated fat. Your chicken must be well-cooked and prepared, and then you would have to worry about it.
- Stay home and do rest
New moms must stay indoors to get safe from outdoor pollution and wind. They are also recommended to lie in bed and avoid walking and moving around. Rest is the must for a mother who has just given birth.
- Drink Much Water
Water is very helpful in digestion and flushing out toxins. Red date tea in place of water is also good for the mother. A mother can have at least 10-12 glasses of water a day. It will be best if she takes fresh juices to improve her immunity. Try to avoid drinking cold water. You can have warm water or ginger is best for preventing dehydration. Garlic milk and a drink called “jamu” are for preventing wind and helps the new mum keep her body warm.
- Do Have A Regular Massage
Massage is the best thing to get rid of all the stress and aches of shoulders and back. It gives relaxation to the mother and helps her regain her figure by shrinking the uterus with the practice of tightly binding the tummy. A female helper is engaged to help the mother by giving her oil massage for maintaining the shape of her body.
DON’TS TO FOLLOW
- Avoid Taking A Bath
It is to be said that avoid taking a shower or washing your hair for as long as possible, especially with cold water. Otherwise, you will risk getting headaches, diseases and aches in the back for the rest of your life. For the sake of being warm for her recovery, it is an excellent don’t follow.
- Avoid Taking Hot And Spicy Food
For the spices lover, it can be a nightmare to avoid spicy foods for some time. However, there is a solid reason behind taking this break. Eating spicy food can cause inflammation, burning, and constipation. As your gastrointestinal functioning is also weakened after baby birth, and it can lead to abdominal pains. Just for avoiding yourself from putting into the pain, it is necessary to follow this rule.
- Avoid Caffeine & Alcohol
Especially if you are breastfeeding and want to give your baby healthy feed than avoid taking coffee or alcohol, it has a dangerous effect on the mother as well as the baby. Sleeping problems like insomnia will be there, baby’s sleep and growth will also get disturbed, heart problems will take place in your baby and the baby can also be extra fussy because of this. For the sake of the baby’s health, do not have coffee or alcohol for some period.
- Avoid Taking Stress And Weight
It is safe for the new mommy if she would not take extra weight on her shoulder or avoid doing the workout. These physical activities are discouraged to prevent further muscle fatigue. Likewise, avoid taking mental fatigue, be happy in your confinement period and enjoy it by spending time with your baby and yourself.
- Avoid Taking Raw Food
The raw foods like sashimi, cheese, under-cooked eggs or undercooked meat will be harmful to the mother as it can cause body imbalance and digestion problems. So prefer to eat properly cooked meals.
- Avoid Taking Cold drinks and Food
All our focus is on keeping the body warm for fast and better recovery, and for that, you also need to avoid cold foods and drinks. Ice-creams, soft drinks, cucumber, and many more, all of these must not be eaten during this phase. That can complicate your childbirth recovery and affect the immune system by creating an imbalance in your body.
Now, as there is no scientific correlation between many of these confinement practices, but there is a reason why these practices are in place. The important thing is, as far as they are safe for you and your baby, do follow them by negotiating with doctors and elders. It is perfectly okay to follow the confinement rituals. However, it should not hinder your or your baby’s safety. Lastly follow these confinements but wisely. We hope this article will be informative for you and help you in your confinement period.
Visit here to read more info about confinement practices.