Rebecca wrote to us:
I’m a baiboo member and I’ve recently delivered a healthy baby girl and I’ve just a few questions on the confinement dos & donts.
- I’ve been adviced not to drink plain water as it will cause a bulging tummy? The only drinks I’m currently allowed is the black date tea & milo .. which makes me rather thirsty after drinking it.
- Can I cut my nails as they say cutting your nails will allow “wind” into your body.
- The only vegetable I’ve had on my diet is brocolli and after a few days, it does get rather boring. Are they any other alternatives?
- Can we take fruits? I heard rumours that fruits are rather cooling so it’s not advisable. When I attended the pre-natal class organized by a local hospital, the nurse mentioned that boiling green papaya with fish bones promote breast milk for breastfeeding mothers. Is this advisable as we’re not allowed to take fruits?
- I read on baiboo.com.my that we can shower after 14 days. Does that mean I can take a shower everyday after the 14th day? or would I have to wait till the 30th day to take a shower again? My house is not airconditioned and I usually close the windows & doors to avoid the outside wind from coming in, instead I turn on the ceiling fan as I get really hot & sweaty easily .. is this recommended?
Thanks in advance..
Rgds Rebecca
Hello Rebecca,
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter.
What is her name going to be? If she is your first baby you will probably spend a lot of your time admiring her that you forget to rest which is very necessary in order to be able to produce sufficient breast milk.
To answer your questions:
It is not true that you will have a bulging tummy from drinking plain water, therefore yes you can drink plain water but it must be warm. However, it is advisable not to drink too much plain water as there is no nutritional value in it. It is best to drink nutritious soups or red/black date tea as it contains a lot of iron which you need to replace the amount that you lost during the delivery and for your baby’s health.
- You can cut your nails because they are actually dead cells and there is no connection to any part of your body to allow ‘wind’ to get in.
- Other vegetables that you can take are kai lan, choy sum, spinach, French beans, bayam and cauliflower. Yes it is ok to have green papaya soup but you must add ginger slices and boxthorn fruits to make it ‘heaty’.
- Most fruits are cooling according to Chinese beliefs but it is alright to eat apples and pears. If you are breast feeding you must definitely avoid oranges as it can cause a lot of phlegm in your baby.
- Of course you can shower every day after the 14th day but do make sure that you do not sit under the fan immediately after the hot shower because your skin pores are open and you will get chilled easily. This principle applies even for those who are not in confinement. You can turn the fan on after about 20 – 30 minutes.
If you have any further questions please feel free to write to me again
Cecilia
