Due to the current Covid-19 situation, there is limited availability of confinement nannies at the moment. With the health concerns, some new mothers might also not be as comfortable having a stranger at home and are therefore looking towards DIY confinement instead. However, do keep in mind that whether you’ve had a natural birth or a Caesarean section, it is of the essence that new mothers maintain a well-balanced and healthy diet during confinement to rejuvenate the body. For those who are clueless on how to start this confinement process, read on for a week-by-week guide on how to best recover from childbirth! With simple confinement recipes included, you can take care of your newborn child and yourself with ease.
Week One – Hydrate and increase the appetite
Due to the loss of blood and water during the delivery process, new mothers tend to be weaker, thirstier and may experience a lack of appetite. Hence, in the first three days after giving birth, do not rush to consume stews, soups, or foods that are too greasy. Tea is also not recommended.
Dietary recommendations
Nutritious foods that are light, non-greasy, easy to digest and absorb.
Consume a moderate amount of porridge or semi-liquids such as Fish Porridge, Longan Millet Porridge, Lean Meat Congee, Egg Custard, Brown Sugar Eggs, Stir-fried Vegetables, Celery with Meat slices. These have the effect of supporting the qi and regulates the body.
Drink more Red Dates Tea, or Brown Sugar Ginger Tea, which can help to enrich and replenish blood. You can also drink warm milk and soy milk.
Confinement Recipe: Spinach and Pork Liver Congee
Ingredients: 100g of rice, 100g of pork liver, 100g of spinach
步骤:
- Boil spinach in water and dice pork liver.
- Cook the porridge, add pork liver and mix well.
- Simmer for 10 minutes
- Add spinach and season with a little salt
Week Two – Replenish qi and blood
After a period of rest, the wound from childbirth would be healed and the new mother’s appetite will improve significantly.
Dietary recommendations
To replenish blood, you can eat more foods that are rich in iron, such as black fungus, pork loin, pork liver, pork belly, jujube dates, longan, brown sugar water, sesame paste.
Can also include herbs such as Wolfberries, Yam, Poria in your diet which help accelerate the recovery of physical strength.
Recipe ideas:
- Sesame Oil Ginger Chicken
- Pork Ribs & Peanut Soup
- Red Bean Sweet Soup
Ginseng can also help increase vitality, whilst longan and wolfberry nourish blood and encourage hair growth. It is suitable for women with postpartum qi and blood deficiency.
Week Three – Breastfeeding
The child’s appetite would have increased significantly at this point in time. Therefore, foods that boost breast milk supply should be consumed.
Dietary recommendations
After replenishing qi and blood in the previous week, the new mother should have recovered her physical strength by this week. You can thus shift the focus to a diet that helps promote milk supply and stimulates breast milk secretion.
As you tend to rest more on your bed and exercise less during the confinement period, it is recommended to take small meals to prevent indigestion. You may start consuming fruits, such as apples and papaya, at room temperature.
Recipe ideas:
Week Four – laying the foundation for your health and beauty
At this time, physiological functions have been restored. The mother will be more radiant and the pregnancy spots will gradually disappear. However, do continue paying close attention to nourishing the qi and blood.
Dietary recommendations
If you are breastfeeding, you should still pay heed to a milk-promoting diet and abstain from consuming cold foods. This week, continue to consume foods that nourish qi, blood, and beautify the skin.
Recipe ideas:
- Pig Organ Soup
- Sesame Oil Chicken
- Energising Tonic Soup (Shi Quan Da Bu Tang) etc.
If you are experiencing water retention, you can choose to pair your meals with barley rice.
With this week-by-week confinement guide, we hope that new mothers will have a better idea of how to care of their bodies after childbirth.
One easy way to restore your strength and nurse your body back to health is through Huiji’s specially curated confinement bundles featuring its best-selling Huiji Health Tonic. The alcohol-free product harnesses the essence of natural herbs, making it an extremely easy-to-consume health supplement during post-natal care. Besides nourishing vital energy, it is effective in improving blood circulation and alleviating backaches – two vital points for someone in confinement.
Additionally, the Huiji Fatt Choy Tea (Red Date Wolfberry Tea) is also ideal for new mothers as it enriches and tonifies the blood and helps keep the body warm.
Check out our specially curated confinement bundles here to find out more!