Sheryne (who’s 37 weeks pregnant) sent me the following questions:
After my delivery;
- is it not advisable to take bath? I was advised to do so after & every the 12th day.
- Can i wash my hair everytime i gets 2 shower? Is that anyting I should add in the bathing water?
- I mustn’t expose to the wind or switch on the fan & must not leave the house?
- I was advised to use only salt water to wash my vagina instead of Dettol which can darken the skin colour. Is it true?
- How long i’m prohibited to leave the house?
- What are the herbs i should take to regain my health & energy?
Hi Sheryne,
First of all, congratulations on the forthcoming baby and thank you for being with us here at Baiboo. Before I get to answer your questions, here is little tip on your sleeping problem. Now that your abdomen is quite big, the best position to sleep is on your side but have a pillow under the abdomen to support it so that the weight does not drag the abdomen down and pull on your abdominal muscles which causes discomfort and difficulty in sleeping.
Now to your questions:
- Is it not advisable to take bath? I was advised to do so after & every the 12th day.
- Can I wash my hair everytime I get to shower? Is there anything I should add in the bathing water? According to traditional confinement practices, you are not allowed to have a bath for 30 days. The reason being that, if you bath during the confinement month you will develop joint pains in your old age. I have seen women who adhere strictly to this rule and yet they complain of aches and pains and there are those who bath and are fit and active in their sixties and seventies. The good news is that the period for not bathing has been reduced to 2 weeks. Who decreed this, nobody knows! During this 14 days period you may practice what we call “mandi kerbau” whereby you just wipe yourself with a wash cloth. Most Malaysian houses now are air-conditioned and the mothers come out of a hot shower into a cold room which is not good as you can get chilled easily . If you do have a bath turn off the air-conditioner and let the room warm up a little before you bathe. Very traditional bathing requires you to use boiled water with a whole concoction of herbs in the water such as serai, limau perut, daun kunyit etc to prevent ‘wind’ in your joints. You should be able to get this from a Chinese Medical Hall. Apparently, you will get headaches if you wash your hair during the confinement month. So far there is no medical evidence to support this and I have not met anyone with this problem. Just to be on the safe side, my recommendation is that if you do wash your hair do blow dry it immediately.
- I mustn’t expose to the wind or switch on the fan & must not leave the house?
- I was advised to use only salt water to wash my vagina instead of Dettol which can darken the skin colour. Is it true? If you have an episiotomy, it is recommended that you use salt water to wash the area because salt water is soothing and helps the wound to heal quickly. It is best to use cool water as this will help to reduce the swelling due to trauma to the tissues. It is not true that Dettol will darken the skin area but it is best not to use it as it may cause a stinging pain to the wound during the early days.
- How long I’m prohibited to leave the house? If you eat a lot of traditional confinement food which is very ‘heaty’ you will sweat a lot which is why you are not allowed to have the fan on. The reason is that sweating expands the pores allowing ‘wind’ to enter the weakened body. This should not be a problem because nowadays most houses have air conditioners which are ok to use. The question of not leaving the house is because it is believed that a woman during confinement is ‘unclean’ and may bring bad luck to people she comes into contact with. This is absolutely untrue. It is perfectly alright to go out provided you feel strong enough because childbirth is very stressful on the body, and that your wound either from a ceasarean section or an episiotomy is completely healed which takes about 10 – 14 days.
- What are the herbs I should take to regain my health & energy? Firstly, I recommend that you do not take ginger for the first 10 days after delivery because ginger delays healing of your wound and sometimes may cause the wound to break down. If you are breast feeding, ginger may cause your baby to become more jaundiced. Once you have passed the 10 days, then it is safe to eat as much as you can. Also avoid fish during this period as it causes foul smelling lochia or discharge
Recommended food/herbs
- Boxthorn fruit or Chinese wolfberry used in conjunction with other herbs is effective for improving energy and strength
- Chinese angelica root or dong kwai is supposed to nourish the female organs, alleviate menstrual pain and prevent haemorrhage
- Chinese yam (wai san) used in conjunction with meat and other herbs aids digestion, regulate sugar level and control inflammation of the uterus.
- Solomon’s seal (yok chuk) is used to alleviate many ailments especially those affecting the throat and lungs
- Cordyceps is an excellent strengthening tonic for convalescing patients, and those with reduced appetite and anaemia.
- Sesame oil, besides being rich in Vitamin E, Iron & Calcium, helps heal the womb and rid it of “dirty residual blood”.
- Black vinegar is made from glutinous rice and lowers ph of food. It leaches calcium from bones cooked with it, therefore it is used to prepare high calcium food especially for breast feeding mothers and it also relieves a windy abdomen
- Dill has antibacterial and antispasmodic properties. It is a warming herb which aids digestion, gets rid of gas, encourages lactation, freshens the breath and soothes colic
- Gallanggal is a member of the ginger family and it functions as an antibiotic. It warms the body, cleanses the blood, improves appetite, reduces wind and energises the muscles.
- Kani seeds contain antioxidants to promote youthfulness, tighten vaginal muscles, prevents excessive discharge, odour and itchiness. It firms the breasts and promotes healing of the reproductive system after childbirth
- Ginseng is a cure all for every ailment. Best to take pau sam as it is not too heaty. Korean ginseng is the heatiest of all.
Depending on who is looking after you, it may be easier to comply with the elders’ advice for the sake of peace but at the end of the day it is you who decides what you think is best for you and your baby.
All the best and Good luck with your baby’s delivery.
Cecilia
