Is confinement necessary? We would say yes as the benefits and reasons for confinement after childbirth are plenty regardless if you are hiring nanny or confinement catering for support. A new mother experience great changes both mentally and physically during pregnancy as well as after giving birth. Her uterine function, energy, joints would take time to recover to the prenatal state. Confinement is necessary to allow mother to fully recuperate after child delivery. The key to a successful confinement recovery is to eat the right food and herbs at the appropriate time. All mothers are encouraged to have good quality rest during confinement period which is between 6 to 8 weeks ideally. The benefits and importance of confinement after giving birth are as followed.
Restoring uterine function.
A well balanced diet of confinement meals and tonics are needed to restore qi, blood, liver and clear the meridians to help uterus pass out all the lochia for uterine recovery.
Restore blood flow.
Women experience a deficiency of qi and blood and poor physical health during child delivery as she need to exert a big amount of physical energy. She needs to avoid cold food throughout the confinement period to help to clear and unblock the blood and qi in her body. Confinement nanny or parents would need to prepare warm food for her. Chinese TCM medicine helps to restore blood and qi as well which brings a quicker recovery for the mother.
Back pain issue.
Backache problems are common during pregnancy. Mothers should have quality rest and refrain from standing too long or lift heavy objects during her postpartum confinement. She should consume food that helps to strengthen liver, kidney and bones as it will help to improve on and prevent backache problems.
Avoiding postpartum depression.
It is believed that adequate rest, proper food consumption and tonics can help women from postpartum depression. Having good physical and mental health is essential. Herbal tea is strongly encouraged for consumption during the postpartum confinement month as it has many health benefits such as the reduction of heart palpitations, insomnia, irritability and chest tightness.
Successful breastfeeding.
Insufficient breast milk after childbirth or breastfeeding mothers suffering from breast tenderness are common problems. The confinement soups can help mothers in clearing ducts so that she can produce more breast milk and eliminate her postpartum breast pain.
Improve complexion and avoiding hair loss
Chinese TCM herbs and food ingredients that warm up kidney and blood can help improve mother’s physical fitness and complexion. Proteins and food such as seaweed and black sesame seeds, etc should be included in mother’s confinement diet. Mums should have good quality rest as adequate sleep can help to reduce postpartum hair loss problem.
Constipation prevention
Adequate intake of fruits and vegetables, high fibre food such as whole wheat bread, brown rice and traditional Chinese medicine during the third and fourth week after delivery can help avoid constipation.
Rheumatism and joint pains prevention
Traditional practice is to avoid contact with cold water and wind as mums after childbirth is vulnerable to colds. Confinement herbal bath packs are mainly used by mothers to expel wind from their bodies. It is very important to dry their body and hair after baths to avoid rheumatism and joint pain etc in future.
Restoration of body figure
Breastfeeding is a natural weight-loss method. Breastfeeding increases body’s energy consumption thereby restoring the mother’s prenatal figure. Confinement nanny can help mothers to prepare nutritious meals that is not only high on protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals but also soup that help promotes the secretion of breast milk.