BaiBoo

Hi Ms Koh,

Currently I am 16 days into my confinement and my confinement lady prepared black chicken essence boiled with dan gui.  From the chinese herb shop, the owner advised me that we should take dan gui only after my menses end, and if i take now, my menses will be irregular. I hope you can advise me if I should take it. My confinement lady is quite insistent that I take it cause she said i only have 28 days to 'bu' and my menses can be as long as a month. Thanks for your kind help.

Kind Regards,

Noelle Chee

Hi Noelle

It is true that you should only start taking dong quai after you have stopped bleeding therefore the best time to take it is during the last 2 weeks of your confinement. Dong quai has anticoagulant and anti-platelet effects which may increase the risk of bleeding and this may be unsafe for your baby if you are breast feeding.

Kind regards

Cecilia

Hi Ms Koh,

I feel lucky to find your website since I have a  lot of question to ask :

I will have my caesarean on this coming friday 5th of February and I am married to Australian, it is hard for them to follow the chinese confinement, I will try to make my husband or my mother in law easy that can follow a bit their style, but I wonder if I can eat Mutton cook with Dong Kwei (Angelica root) ? According to other info, Dong Kwei should avoided if I have C-section ??
Beside can I eat beef too? I couldn't find any confinement recipes regarding mutton & beef, please advice me if I can cook these two meat with any chinese herb

Appreciated your kind assistance, thank you.

Best regards,
Ping

Hi Ping

Good luck with your C Section.

Please avoid ginger for the first 10 days after the C Section as this may delay healing of the wound. It is ok to eat beef, mutton or lamb but you do not have to add herbs because these type of meat are already very heaty and adding herbs especially dong guai may make your body too heaty. Use dong kuai with chicken or pork. Ideally, you should take some dong guai because it is supposed to strengthen your uterus.

I hope that you have visited my blog:

http://www.yummyconfinementfood.blogspot for some ideas of the types of food that are suitable during confinement.

Do feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Regards

Cecilia

Hi Ms Koh,

Good day to you.Thanks for your reply on the coconut water. I have recently developed an itchy skin around my abdomen that is getting more and more irritating esp when it disrupt my sleep at night.I unconsciuosly scratched it during my sleep and red bumps developed. Now the bumps have much reduced as i tried to reduce scratching. I also tried anti scratch mark cream and baby oil but it did not stop the itching . Please advise me on any natural remedies.

Thanks.
Jen

Hi Jen
My apologies for not being able to give you an instant reply. An itchy skin is due to the skin being stretched and an increase in pregnancy hormones.

Creams and oil may work for some and not at all for others so it is a matter of trial and error until you find one that works. At the end of the day you would have spent a small fortune.

When the itch starts, you can try wiping the itchy area with a cold wet towel. This sometimes work for some people.

You can also try mixing sodium bicarbonate (used for baking) into a paste. Leave it on for about 30 minutes then wash it off.

If it is very bad at night, you should see your doctor who may prescribe some antihistamine to stop the itch.
In addition, make sure that you have enough vitamin C and E in your diet as these 2 vitamins are good for the skin. Try eating an apple a day.

Good luck and let me know hoe you get on.

Regards
Cecilia

Hi Ceceilia,

I am 34 weeks pregnant now and been advised by my doctor that I should go for c-section as my child is already weight almost 2.8kg now.

How accurate would you think on the ultrasound result as my weight has only increased 10kg since pregnant. What would you recommend?

Try for vaginal delivery first or opt for c-section. This is my first pregnancy.

Thank You.

Regards,
LYF

Hi Reeny

There are several reasons why a doctor would recommend a caesarean section.
1. The baby is too big to go through the mother's pelvis
2. The mother has a medical problem such as high blood pressure whereby it is safer to deliver the baby by CS
3. The mother has an obstetric problem such as a low lying placenta which makes it impossible for a vaginal delivery.
4. The baby is lying in a wrong position such as breech
5. The placenta is not functioning well therefore it is safer for the baby to be delivered by CS

Usually, the ultrasound results are quite accurate and your doctor may predict that your baby may become too big for a vaginal delivery. Did your doctor tell you the reason for wanting to do a CS? If you have any of the reasons mentioned above than it is best to follow your doctor's advice.

Cecilia

Hi Ms Koh,
I am advised to drink young coconut water weekly to reduce heat starting from now.from boby as I always heaty. I used to have mouth ulcers every month. Now I am 5months pregnant.

My frens tell me not to let my body gets to heaty, avoid spicy food because it will cause baby to have jaundice, is it true? But I am concern about the effect of the juice. Old people say it is too "han liang', baby will have asthma and colic later. Is it true.

Thanks.

Hi Jen

It is true that young coconut water does reduce body heat as it is very cooling. Like every type of food it is ok to drink in moderation.
Taking too much 'cooling or cold' food during pregnancy may cause over cooling of the baby's lungs which may lead to respiratory problems later.
Jaundice in the baby is not caused by the food that you eat during pregnancy. Most babies develop mild physiological jaundice during the first few days after birth. This is very normal provided that the jaundice level does not go too high. If you tend to breast feed then it is best not to take ginger during the first 10 days as it can make the jaundice worse.

Hi Cecilia,

Good day to you, read all your articles on BaiBoo. I delivered my second baby on the 11th April 2008 and will be delivering my 3rd baby by 1st week of July thru C-Section. I cared for myself and baby on my own during my second delivery as I didt have anyone to help me around and I recovered pretty fast.

I would highly appreciate if you could advise me on the type of foods e.g: Fish, vege that I could consume during the first 10 days of confinement to assist on the wound healing as I need extra energy to take care of my children.

P.s: I will be breast feeding.

Regards, Puspah

Hi Puspah

Congrats on the pregnancy.

As you are going to have a caesarean section, you need to prepare your body during pregnancy so that healing will be faster. Make sure that you take your iron supplements to maintain a haemoglobin (hb) level above 13 so that if you lose any blood the level will not drop too low as a low hb level can delay healing. 2 weeks before the delivery, start taking vitamin C, about 1000 mgs per day as this will also aid healing.

Food to avoid during the first 10 days are: ginger, yam, oily fish, pineapples, mango, excessive chilli and spices. Some people include chicken but this is not proven.

Continue to take your vitamin C especially if you cannot eat too much vegetables and fruits as most of them contain oxalates which can interfere with milk production. 2 vegetables which are 'allowed' are kai lan and french beans.

If you want more information on other types of food ad the recipes please visit my blog : http://www.yummyconfinementfood.blogspot.com

All the best

Cecilia

Hi Cecilia,

I am going to deliver in a week and I have lot of questions on hygiene issues during the confinement month as we are not suppose to bath/wash hair.

• Since I'm not allowed to touch water, in the first 14 days, can I wipe my body with warm herbal water? What about washing my hands?
• Do I also need to brush my teeth with warm water?
• Can I wash my face and use skin-care products? Or should I wait until the 14 days are up?
• Can I also wipe my stomach and use stretch mark oils?
• Is it true that I can only wash my hair after 14 days? If yes, warm water also? Some people have told me that I can only use water which has been boiled, and hot water from the heater is not considered boiled. Can I use shampoo?
• How often should I clean the episiotomy wound? And how do I do it?
• Can I apply anything on it which will help it to heal faster?
• I understand that we are advised to not consume ginger during the first 10 days if we are breastfeeding? Do you mean consuming ginger directly? What about dishes cooked with ginger?

Thanks!

Sylvia

 Hi Sylvia,

 It is ok to wash yourself with warm water. You need to keep yourself clean to prevent acquiring any infection especially your perineal area and after using the toilet so that you do not pass any germs to your baby. The recommended practice nowadays is that after 14 days, you can shower every day using boiled herbal water. This includes washing your hair which you should dry thoroughly immediately by using a hair dryer. It is ok to apply some lotion if your skin is dry.

If you have an episiotomy, soaking it in salt water will help the healing process and prevent infection. You should do this twice a day using cool water. Herbal water does not have the same healing effects. Instead of using a rough towel to dry the wound, it may be less painful to use soft toilet tissue which is also more hygienic. Take extra vitamin C to help promote healing. Finally, do not apply anything on the wound. Ginger is known to sometimes interfere with wound healing and increases the risk of jaundice in the baby if you are breast feeding therefore it is best to avoid it altogether for the first 10 days. You can use pepper which has the same heaty properties as ginger. Once you have passed the 10 days it is quite safe to eat any amount of ginger.

Regards, Cecilia

Lydia wrotes,

I'm 12 weeks pregnant, can I take green tea and can I take raw honey daily?

Appreciate if you could come back to me on this matter.

Hi Lydia

It is best to limit the amount of green tea during pregnancy, and be careful about taking any green tea supplements. Some doctors are concerned that green tea may affect the body's folic acid (also called folate) levels. Folic acid is an important nutrient during pregnancy. One study linked neural tube defects in babies, such as spina bifida, to women drinking a large amount of green tea at around the time of conception. Spina bifida is a serious condition, which occurs when the tube around the central nervous system - the neural tube - fails to close completely. Neural tube defects such as spina bifida are usually associated with folic acid deficiency. Finally, green tea, like other teas and coffee can also make it difficult for our bodies to absorb iron from food, which is another reason why it should be drunk in moderation.

So far there are no reports of adverse problems from taking raw honey. Some benefits of taking honey is that it may help to relieve heartburn and constipation which are common during the late stages of pregnancy. However, it is best to take in moderation.

Regards

Cecilia

Joanne wrotes us,

Dear Cecilia

I'm now pregnant 32 weeks, i would like to ask does coffee harm my baby development or not? Because i drink coffee about 3 times per week. Now I'm worried that my baby will be abnormal. And i also like to drink cold drinks and sometimes i will drink gas drinks, will it harm my baby.

Dear Joanne

At 33 weeks, your baby's development is complete and nothing can affect it now. From now until delivery, your baby should be growing bigger ready for life outside the womb.

Many studies show that you can still enjoy coffee and other caffeinated drinks such as tea during pregnancy as long as you do not overdo it (three cups a day). Any more than that may possibly lead to babies having a low birth weight or even miscarriage.

Cold and fizzy drinks do not cause any harm to the baby but may not be so good for you. During pregnancy, your stomach may not have much room to expand because of the growing uterus pressing on it therefore taking fizzy drinks may cause buildup of gas in your stomach leading to indigestion. In addition, fizzy drinks especially the diet variety contains espartane, which can be carcinogenic if taken in large quantities or over a long period. It is best that you stop taking fizzy drinks but have fruit juices or milk instead which are more nutritious for you and your baby.

Shereen wrote us,

Dear Cecilia,

I'm expecting and going to deliver in Sept 2008. There are few questions I would like to ask:

1. I was advised not to start taking Chinese herbs (ginseng, tang kui, etc) and wine for the 1st week as it will blog the discharge of dirty blood. Is that true? When do you think I can start taking those Chinese herbs, wine, ginger?
2. During confinement, can I sleep with air-conditioning.
3. Can I use cold / normal pipe water to wash my face, brushing teeth during confinement? Heard that we have to use warm waters for all washing. That sounds really troublesome.
4. Can I let my baby to sleep face down. My friends were saying it is to aviod the baby get frighten easily and it will keep the shape of the baby head round (looks nicer). I'm just worried. Pls advise.

That's about it and hope to hear from you soon.

Thank you in advance.

Hi Shereen

Let me answer the easy questions first. Yes, it is ok to sleep in an air-conditioned room provided it is not too cold. There is no harm in washing your face and hands with tap water but if you have a bath, it is best to use hot water.

What you eat will depend on whether you are breastfeeding or not. If you are breast-feeding, it is best to avoid all kinds of herbs for the first 10 days as the baby's liver is not fully mature and the herbs may worsen if your baby has jaundice. After the 10 days, you can take the herbs and ginger but do so in moderation. If you are not breast-feeding, then there is no problem in eating whatever you want provided the food is nutritious for your health.

Concerning your baby's sleeping position, I would recommend that you swaddle your baby and let him/her sleep on the side. Sleeping on the side will ensure that your baby does not choke in case he vomits and the head will have a nice shape, provided you alternate the sides. Put a bolster or rolled towel behind his back to prevent him rolling over onto his back. There is no need to use a pillow for your baby. Once your baby is over 2 months old, it is quite safe to let him sleep on his tummy as he can lift his head if his nose becomes blocked.

I hope that this has been of help to you. if you have any further questions please feel free to contact me again. Good luck with the delivery and confinement