The confinement period is the time for new mothers to rest and recover from the delivery and to bond with baby. During this period, you’ll receive nourishing food to build up your body.

Confinement nannies
For new mothers who needed extra help, they hire a confinement nanny to stay with them during the confinement period. This will give you time for ample rest.

Confinement diet
For the first two weeks of confinement, you are not encouraged to take anything too nourishing. The main concern is to rid your body of ‘wind’. Basically no plain water throughout the confinement period. You’ll be taking red date tea. All the food you take is cooked with ginger. Some of the confinement dishes are: fried eggs with ginger, chicken in wine and vinegar pig’s trotters.

According to the Chinese, pregnancy is considered to be a hot condition, while childbirth means losing the heat. That explains the taboo of touching water which is cold after birth, and having the red dates drink which warms the body.

Food taken during this first two weeks is usually the herbal soup. It will “cleanse the body after birth”, with the soups targeting to clean the uterus. Following this, you would then be allowed to take other energy giving food such as steamed black chicken, pig’s liver and kidney.

Confinement therapy
New mothers can indulge in Rustic Nirvana’s post-natal home confinement therapy immediately after natural childbirth. The professionally trained therapist will treat the new mother with post-natal recovery massage at her own home for five consecutive days.

This five days of intensive post-natal natural birth home confinement therapy consists of traditional jamu wraps, and unique post-natal massages, to help the body to recover and restore the abdominal muscle wall and the uterus to its normal state. The sea salt detox, and herbal steam bath help reduce the water retention and fatigue from the body. There’s complimentary baby massages for your newborn as well.

Mothers are encouraged to bathe with herbal water after the steam bath. The specially blended jamu oil from Rustic Nirvana generates heat to keep the body warm for at least 12 hours, so the Chinese believe “wind” will not get into the mother’s body.

Mothers who had cesareans can go for post-natal home confinement therapy 2-3 weeks after childbirth, but will not have the jamu wrap.

Personal hygiene
Contrary to popular belief, you can bathe and wash your hair with boiled herbal water (Da Feng Cao). However, be sure to blow dry your hair in high heat. Good ventilation in the house is important, with windows opened to allow natural airflow and no fans or air-conditioners. Even your feet have to be protected to prevent the coldness of the floor to seep into your body.

Confinement is a time to enjoy your baby, indulge in specially prepared food and recover from childbirth.