Oh joy, salt-less, bland soups for four weeks. Many of them began getting pregnant a few years ago and discussing how they would practice this tradition, either … Some mothers choose to extend their confinement period in certain situations to receive more help and care. This not only applies to the physical appearance of a new mum, but also helps to ensure internal wellbeing after pregnancy. But postpartum confinement traditions can be found around the world. Confinement and postpartum blues. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website. Therefore, the design team set the design theme of “Hours of Shutdown”. New mothers must also avoid household chores, which is why family members or postpartum nannies stay with the mothers at their homes’ to do the cooking allowing mothers adequate rest. Within the Chinese tradition, specialist businesses such as Red Wall Confinement Centre charge up to $27,000 for one month. Postpartum By English Taylor Why new mothers in China go into postpartum confinement In China, some new mothers choose to confine themselves after birth. The confinement month is a period of 26-30 days of extended rest for new mothers. Week 1 is about eating foods to flush out the remaining placental blood, Week 2 focuses on rebuilding the body with iron rich foods, Weeks 3-4 focuses on foods to bring in the mother’s milk supply, *Corresponding Chinese herbs are incorporated throughout each week, Whenever I’ve told people about this postpartum practice I’ve signed up for, their first question is always the same –. As a Korean adopted American girl raised by Jewish parents in the midwest, the Chinese postpartum practice of “sitting the month” also known as “confinement month” or zuò yuè zi was a foreign concept to me when I first learned about it from my Chinese American girlfriends. Chinese Angelica Root. Postpartum confinement is the most critical period of postpartum recovery for Chinese mothers. [29] In Taiwan, postpartum nursing centres are … Ideally, they shouldn’t even have to deal with any cooking or household chores. Written by Amy Chang, founder + editor; image photographed by Wing Ta for BOND EN AVANT. But the common factor between the rumours is that Raymond reportedly shelled out a cool 368,800 yuan (S$74K) on a luxurious confinement package in one of the top postpartum care centres in the city. Turmeric Traditionally, Chinese women must observe a strict one-month postnatal confinement. Post-partum confinement should be fun, exciting, and rejuvenating. For a Malaysian-Chinese mum, the confinement period lasts for a whole month from baby's birth. Um, no. Do you know that an average baby will need 1057 nappy changes in the first 6 months? And my own practice, led by our Taiwanese postpartum nanny, will mean various soups made with liver, kidneys and chicken, no salt and no animal fat. [28] Within the Chinese tradition, specialist businesses such as Red Wall Confinement Centre charge up to $27,000 for one month. Many of them began getting pregnant a few years ago and discussing how they would practice this tradition, either with help from their mothers’/mother-in-laws or by hiring postpartum Chinese nannies. It is also very good for boosting energy, improving strength as well as nourishing the liver and kidney function. It’s not called ‘confinement’ for nothing! As a necessary postpartum ritual, it is believed that confinement is critical for assisting the new mothers to survive the physical and psychological transition of their lives. If you are worried about your own health, or your child’s well being, seek immediate medical advice. In the Malay community, a confinement practice is to hire a traditional masuese (bidan) who also binds the tummy with a special postnatal corset known as (bengkung). “Confinement meals” are prepared during the month, and postpartum mothers must only eat what is given and nothing else. A traditional Chinese confinement food practice includes fish soups, which are believed to boost low milk supply and improve breast milk quality. Read this interview with doula, Paula Mallis, from the archives on placenta encapsulation. Postpartum Confinement Confinement is commonplace in Malaysia and many other Asian countries. Private postpartum care centres were introduced to Korea in 1996 under the name of sanhujoriwon. KUALA LUMPUR: Popular Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi may be in the United States, but she is deeply concerned about the Wuhan virus outbreak back home. The duration of your confinement might also vary if you are recovering from caesarean. Eager for more affordable confinement assistance, many Chinese families hire a postpartum nanny, known as a yuesao, to live in their home for the month. It’s archaic, but I … All content and information provided by Moon Mama is for informational and educational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and does not establish any … I will adhere to a strict postpartum diet of organ meat and chicken soups prepared with Chinese herbs. "Sitting the month": 坐月子 "Zuò yuè zi" in Mandarin or 坐月 "Co5 Jyut2" in Cantonese. Similar to most confinement ingredients, chinese angelica root (dang gui) is “heaty”. Foods that cause ‘wind’ such as onions and jackfruit are also avoided during this period as they are believed to cause colic in your baby. For instance, my Korean girlfriends told me their postpartum period consisted of lots of seaweed soup. Kimberly-Clark and/ or its subsidiaries assumes no liability for the interpretation and/or use of the information contained in this article. What is the “confinement month”/ “sitting the month”? The duration of your confinement might also vary if you are recovering from caesarean. Cold air or water is a big no-no during the traditional confinement period. Chinese wolfberry is an antioxidant widely used during the confinement period among young mothers in China. **Read here for my full recap of following the month of confinement! Malay women usually observe a pantang period of 42 to 44 days. These ingredients are believed to help with the healing process and help new mums regain their strength faster. There are countless articles written about the practice of sitting the month and how it has evolved and modernized. (CNN) — The recent death of a Shanghai woman has put the spotlight on the Chinese traditional custom of “postpartum confinement,” a month-long period … A new mother’s confinement period includes traditional postnatal practices that are designed to help her recover from pregnancy, labour and birth. Very experienced traditional masseuses usually do this, with techniques and stones carefully selected for the purpose. If you live in the Los Angeles area and are interested in hiring a Chinese postpartum nanny, I Plan On Following The Chinese Practice Of Confinement Postpartum, My Pregnancy Story: The Good, The Bad & What Finally Worked, A Prenatal Tea, Based On Traditional Chinese Medicine, That Could Result In …, Sleep Training Part II – Temperature, Naps & What We Were Doing Wrong. Special tummy massage are popular during the confinement period. If you follow confinement practices strictly, a chicken a day should be consumed by the postpartum parent. This site uses affiliate links. During Zuo Yue Zi, the woman is not supposed to exert herself, so her mother or mother-in-law will often live with her to cook and clean. These practices make up the Chinese postpartum practice known as zuò yuè zi, also called "sitting the month" or "confinement month." I’ve definitely been chastised already for adding spicy chili to my cooking and eating cold foods like ice cream while pregnant so lord knows I won’t be able to do either postpartum. Among modern families, the practice now is to hire a confinement nanny or to choose a confinement meal delivery service. 6. My girlfriends who followed this practice definitely washed their hair, just not frequently, and even my mother-in-law was supportive of me washing my hair during my confinement month. As a Korean adopted American girl raised by Jewish parents in the midwest, the Chinese postpartum practice of “sitting the month” also known as “confinement month” or zuò yuè zi was a foreign concept to me when I first learned about it from my Chinese American girlfriends. During the postpartum period, it is used as a blood tonic to nourish the blood and to improve uterine function. Women are therefore instructed to avoid yin during the confinement period postpartum while the body’s qi (energy force of yin/cold and yang/hot) come back into balance. The custom, documented as far back as the year 960 , is referred to as 'confinement' as women are advised to stay indoors for recovery from the trauma of birth and feed the newborn baby. During the confinement period, new mums are encouraged to eat specially prepared meals with ‘warming’ ingredients such as ginger, black pepper, sesame oil and rice wine. ZuoYueZi—Chinese Traditional Custom of Postpartum Confinement February 28, 2017 In China, there is a tradition of “Zuo Yue Zi”, literally translated as sitting the month, where the new mom stays at home for one month with the baby, and doesn’t go out at all. In china it is known as zuo yue zi, which translates … Postpartum Confinement Read More » So stay tuned. Private postpartum care centres were introduced to Korea in 1996 under the name of sanhujoriwon. (Our nanny told me she’s going to remove all of the fat and skin from the chicken meat and add zero salt to allow my body to detoxify easier.) Origin & Importance of Confinement after Giving Birth in China. In eastern or Asian countries, that period is known as the confinement, whereas westerners simply call it the postpartum period. ... Malay, Chinese, Indians, and even Foreigners (SG, AU, UK, UAE)! Special ointments are used for massaging, after which your abdomen is tightly bound. *For more on the specific Chinese confinement rules read here. This tradition of confinement can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty which is more than 2,000 years ago. You are also expected to avoid ‘cooling’ foods such as cold drinks, cucumber, cabbage and pineapple. This not only applies to the physical appearance of a new mum, but also helps to ensure internal. If you have heard of this practice and don’t wish to follow it, you could still clean your hair with a gauze-like material dipped in alcohol and wrapped around the comb. Related research show that young mothers always been suffered from depression, monotony, physical trauma, and psychological discomfort. Foods that cause ‘wind’ such as onions and jackfruit are also avoided during this period as they are believed to cause colic in your baby. One mom, on day 17 of her “zuo yue zi” told me, “I’ve already eaten 17 chickens. Here is some more information about common traditional Asian confinement practices. It is believed this will help you avoid health problems such as rheumatism, arthritis, headaches and body pains later in life. During the confinement period, new mums are encouraged to eat specially prepared meals with ‘warming’ ingredients such as ginger, black pepper, sesame oil and rice wine. About 80% of women in Taiwan take these postpartum Chinese herbs during their recovery. You may be surprised to note that there are some exercises which new mums are encouraged to do during the confinement period. We live in a modern world after all, and this is one practice that feels antiquated. 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