Pregnancy is an arduous 9-month process that drains a lot of your energy, and childbirth results in an excessive loss of blood, which can be harmful to a mother’s health. This is why, in Chinese culture, families place a lot of emphasis on proper confinement in order to allow mothers to rest and recuperate. Besides plenty of rest, mothers should also consume highly nutritious Chinese confinement food to replenish the water, blood, vitamins and minerals lost during pregnancy and birth, as well as nurse their bodies back to health. Whether you’re about to give birth or have just given birth, here’s a list of confinement foods and nutrients that you should consume for better health.
1. Low-Fat Dairy Products
Low-fat dairy products provide vitamins B, D and protein. Vitamin B12 is essential for the development of red blood cells, energy production, and breastmilk production. Vitamin D supports your immune system, brain, nervous system, and reduces the risk of new mothers developing postpartum depression and anxiety. As you’re recovering, protein helps to keep your cells healthy while rebuilding and repairing tissues and muscles.
2. Lean Beef
Lean beef is an excellent source of iron.Your body needs sufficient amounts of iron to produce haemoglobin, which is the iron-containing protein in your body that transports oxygen to your tissues. Iron deficiency can affect your mood, increasing the risk of postnatal depression. Breastfeeding mothers can also supply their babies with iron through breast milk, which is essential for their proper development and thyroid function.
3. Fruits
Fruits with bright colours, such as papaya, grapes, and blueberries contain high amounts of antioxidants, while oranges are high in vitamin C.Both vitamin C and antioxidants aid in protecting your cells from being damaged by free radicals, boosts your immune system and prevents diseases. Consuming plenty of fruits may also help to relieve constipation.
4. Broccoli & Spinach
Broccoli and spinach are high in vitamin A, antioxidants and fibre, and contain calcium.Vitamin A is essential for the healthy function of the eyes and skin. Fibre helps to improve bowel movements and ease constipation, which is important after delivery to prevent bowels from aggravating the pain in the anal area.During pregnancy, your body draws calcium from your bones to support the growth of your baby. Your body will continue to draw calcium into breast milk when you’re breastfeeding. Hence, it is important to consume confinement foods rich in calcium to prevent long-term bone loss and osteoporosis.
5. Salmon, Tuna & Mackerel
Salmon, tuna and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids. They have anti-inflammatory properties that can benefit the brain, skin, and immune system. Healthy fats also aid in the absorption of other nutrients, boost your energy and stabilise hormones. It also contributes to breast milk production. While some fatty fish are good for consumption, you should avoid adding seafood with high mercury content into your confinement food as they can cause gastric problems for you as well as your baby if you are breastfeeding.
6. Oats
Oats are high in minerals, vitamins, fibre and protein that boosts your energy levels and prevents constipation. It can also help you increase and maintain your milk supply while breastfeeding.
7. Almonds
Almonds are rich in vitamin E, which can help reduce postpartum pain and blood loss, as well as itching in your stretch marks. They also contain vitamin B12, omega-3 acids and high amounts of fibre, which has a lot of benefits such as helping with lactation.In addition to the foods listed above, there are plenty of other confinement foods and Chinese herbs that can help boost your immune system, promote recovery and replenish what you’ve lost during your pregnancy and delivery. NouRiche is a Chinese confinement food caterer in Singapore that provides the best confinement food for recovering mothers. We have a variety of meal plans available for you to choose from, depending on your dietary preferences and recovery needs. Order your confinement food today.
After 9 months of pregnancy and hours of gruelling pain, the month following the birth of a child is for mothers to rest and recuperate from all the stress that has been placed on them thus far. Despite the fact that mothers should be allowed to fully rest and recover from giving birth, many of them are unable to do so because they must still care for their babies, cook, and even clean the house.In order to help you enjoy a smooth and comfortable confinement month, we’ve compiled a list of tips, things to note, and resources for your use.
1. Confinement Food Catering
Consuming confinement food is important because each dish is packed with nutrients that can help you recover faster and replenish your body with the energy you need to return to your normal life.The most convenient way to keep yourself fed is to look for confinement catering so you never have to worry about missing meals, not getting enough nutrients, or having to cook and clean the kitchen yourself. At NouRiche, we offer confinement meals tailored to each mother’s needs in order to keep you nourished. Our dishes do not contain any light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, or other seasonings that will hinder your body’s recovery, allowing you to enjoy your food with ease.
2. Order Packaged Herbs
Herbs are also an important component of Chinese confinement. They can be used as shower herbs to improve blood circulation and strengthen your muscles and joints, or they can be cooked into soups or teas for consumption to promote recovery or nourish your body.Mummamia offers a variety of prepackaged confinement herbal soup packs and herbal teas that you can easily prepare for yourself instead of going to a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) store and having to portion out the herbs yourself. Our confinement catering meal plans also include a serving of herbal soup and tea to keep you nourished after each meal.
3. Enlist the help of Family & Friends
If possible, new mothers should enlist the help of family members or friends for a few hours each day for tasks such as cooking, babysitting, or cleaning so that they can focus on resting as much as possible.
4. Engage Part-Time Help
If you are unable to get help from a family member or friend, you can always hire part-time help from Helpling for daily household chores while you spend more time resting or caring for your child.
5. Enjoy Postnatal Massages
Postnatal massages are very relaxing and beneficial for new mothers because they help to heal the body, expel wind, reduce uterine swelling, and clear clogged milk ducts. If possible, set aside time each day for some postnatal self-pampering so that you can get at least an hour of time to yourself for relaxation.
6. Prioritise Self-Care
Prioritising self-care during confinement isn’t selfish because your primary goal is to ensure that your body heals from all of the stress it has endured during your pregnancy. Avoid physically or mentally taxing activities, get plenty of rest, watch your favourite shows and do whatever you can to de-stress.
7. Consume Foods High in Nutrients
A natural birth results in approximately 480ml of blood loss, whereas a caesarean delivery can result in up to a litre of blood loss. A well-balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals is critical for replenishing your blood and restoring your body. Some of the essential vitamins and minerals include iron, vitamin A, vitamin B and vitamin C. If you are not sure how to make a proper meal plan to ensure that you get all the nutrients you need, you can order from a confinement catering company and tap on their expertise in this area.
8. Prepare a Kit with all the Essentials You Need
Before heading to the hospital, there are a few things you need to prepare, one of them is a kit of essential items you’ll need after giving birth. From baby diapers to nipple creams, keep all the things you need in one place and have them easily accessible so you don’t have to scramble all the time to find what you need.
9. Monitor Your Health
After giving birth, don’t just pay attention to your newborn. Instead, give your body attention and monitor your recovery too. You can only properly care for your child if you are strong and healthy. If you experience any severe pain, bleeding, swelling, fever, headache or other abnormal symptoms, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Although the confinement period is intended to allow mothers to rest and recuperate, it can quickly turn into a tiring and hectic month if mothers are not well-prepared. Easily get through your confinement with NouRiche, a confinement catering company in Singapore that provides proper confinement meals to support you through your recovery. Check out our meal plans here.
