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The 3 Stages of Confinement: How Confinement Food Helps to Nourish Your Body

Most Asian mothers have to go through confinement, which is a period of time believed to be crucial for recovery and mothers must consume healthy confinement food in order to boost their immunity and recuperate. However, how nourishing can confinement food be and how does it help with recovery after childbirth? 

In Chinese culture, there are three stages to confinement, each stage focuses on helping a mother recover from different bodily issues while strengthening her body. 

Stage 1: Uterus Recovery & Wound Healing

During childbirth, every woman will experience heavy blood loss. Even after delivery, the uterus may continue to bleed until it contracts back to its normal size. There may also be vaginal tears, blood clots, and other wounds sustained while giving birth, causing pain to the mother. This is why it is important for you to help your wounds heal, promote blood circulation and discharge to reduce diastasis recti as soon as possible after giving birth. 

At this stage, mothers should consume protein and iron-rich maternity food to replenish lost blood and promote wound healing. Some of these food items include pig’s liver, multi-grain porridge, dang sheng tea, sheng hua soup, ginger, red dates tea, ginger and kidney. Herbs such as Schisandra berries, which are rich in antioxidants and polyphenols, can fight off infections that enter the body during this period and aid with postpartum bleeding and healing. 

Stage 2: Digestive Well-Being & Tissue Repair

A woman’s body will produce 50% more blood during pregnancy because of the baby. Not all the blood is expelled upon delivery and can result in fluid build-up. During this period, mothers must strengthen their gastrointestinal system through the maternity food they eat in order to flush out excess fluids, repair tissues and improve the quality of breast milk. 

Pork loin, pig’s feet, ginger, sesame oil, green papaya, fried eggs, barley, and other whole-grain products are some foods that new mothers should eat. Herbs such as ginseng root and moringa are great during this period. Ginseng root replenishes energy once the bleeding stops, while moringa has anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in nutrients that can help boost your milk supply and aid in healing. 

Stage 3: Strengthen Physique & Nourish Body

The last stage of confinement focuses on strengthening your physique and improving your immune health. Good nourishment from confinement food is important in helping you regain your vitality, fight premature ageing and prepare you for any future pregnancies. 

Mothers may experience muscle strain around the abdomen area, cold limbs, and may feel fatigued. During this stage, focus on improving your blood circulation, maintaining body warmth, and nourishing the body with essential nutrients

Some confinement food you should consume include vegetables, kelp, fruits, lotus seeds, dried longan, seafood low in mercury content, and kidney tonic soup. Herbs such as Chinese angelica root, wolfberries and red date tea can be consumed to help promote the circulation of Qi and blood. 

 

 

Confinement is an important period for mothers and it is extremely important to properly nurse yourself back to health such that you have the energy to care for your newborn child and slowly get yourself back to work. However, putting together a nutritious meal for yourself while juggling infant care can be challenging. This is why NouRiche is here to help you.

NouRiche is a confinement catering company in Singapore that provides nutritious and delicious confinement meals to recovering mothers. We wish to help new mothers in recovering well by combining the health benefits of traditional Chinese medicine and the expertise of our chefs to provide the best confinement food. Click here to check out our menu. Visit us today!

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Confinement Food

4 Ways Soup Can Help During Your Confinement Period

Asian families are often familiar with the concept of postpartum confinement. This is the period after a new mother has gone through childbirth, and is said to be at their most vulnerable. This is because childbirth is believed to drain the mother’s body of energy, or “qi”, and involves a loss of blood which can weaken their bodies. Lack of proper care can even result in future ailments such as arthritis or rheumatism. It is crucial then, to replenish their health with good nutrition to aid in their full recovery. Certain foods, especially confinement herbal soups, are recommended for quick restoration of health and should be included in your confinement food menu. NouRiche is an established provider of confinement meals, and we share some ways soups can be beneficial during your confinement period. Increase liquid intake Increase liquid intake confinement meal The good thing about adding confinement herbal soup to your confinement meals is that it helps to increase your liquid intake, which is especially important at this time. Keeping yourself hydrated not only aids in improving circulation and good gut health, but also supports sufficient milk supply for your little one. If you’re unsure about the necessary ingredients or techniques required in preparing soups suited for your body, consider engaging a company that can provide you with affordable confinement meal deliveries in Singapore. Bear in mind that certain Chinese herbs can be toxic to the mother or the child, thus there may be a need to use them sparingly or seek the expertise of a professional. Good for digestive system The confinement period is when new mothers should strengthen their digestive systems in order to flush out excess fluids and repair tissue. Opt for a nourishing chicken soup with ingredients that are rich in fibre like black fungus to aid bowel movement and replenish lost nutrients. This also serves as an excellent source of warmth and blood circulation, especially on a cold evening. Weight loss Incorporating soups into your confinement meals serve as a good alternative if you’re trying to cut down on carbs without compromising on energy and breast milk production throughout the day. That said, this would greatly depend on the types of ingredients included in the soup. Professional confinement meal companies like NouRiche have an extensive confinement food menu for nourishing post surgery meal deliveries. If you’re looking at achieving a weight loss goal, having a bowl of soup along with your meals is always a good option. Strengthens immunity Strengthens immunity confinement meal A mother loses a lot of blood during childbirth, leading to a weakened immunity and leaving her susceptible to diseases, viral attacks and infections. A bowl of soup can help to boost a mother’s immunity, on top of restoring warmth and energy in her body. In addition, most soups are gently simmered while cooking which helps to extract a good amount of vitamins from the ingredients used. All in all, there are far more advantages to having soups during confinement than one might think. Confinement herbal soups not only helps strengthen a mother’s constitution, but also ensures that there is sufficient breast milk for their baby. At NouRiche, we are a team of specialists in confinement meals for mothers in Singapore, and we’re here for all your nutritional needs. Speak with us to find out more!
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Confinement Food

Confinement Food Recipes For Mothers

Confinement is a traditional Chinese practice in Singapore that is seen as an extremely important time for new mothers to recuperate their bodies after childbirth. During this period, mothers are advised to observe various routines that will aid their recovery. One of which would be taking in confinement food that are supposed to address the nutritional needs of the mother, with some even designed at boosting milk supply. This allows the new mother to get a much needed immunity boost and a quicker recovery from the delivery of her baby. As such, we’ve listed some recipes that will be helpful for mothers going through their confinement period. Read on to learn more about these recipes that are both healthy, and tasty.

#1 Sesame oil chicken 麻油鸡

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg4jUnio3z8

Sesame oil chicken is a popular confinement food among women during their confinement period. The recipe usually contains sesame oil, ginger and hard liquor because it is believed that “heaty” foods are beneficial for women recuperating from childbirth. While chicken needs no introduction as one of the best sources of protein, it is also able to promote heart health and boosts metabolism. A great source of vitamin E, this recipe is sure to leave you wanting more!

Ingredients

  • 300g chicken

  • 100g black sesame oil

  • 25g red dates

  • 25g wolfberries

  • 100g old ginger

  • 250ml rice wine

  • A pinch of salt

  • A pinch of sugar

Directions

  • Slice old ginger and add into a heated pot

  • Add in black sesame oil, saute till the edges of the ginger turns brown

  • Add in chicken

  • Add salt and sugar

  • Saute for 5 minutes

  • Add in rice wine

  • Add red dates and wolfberries, simmer for 15 minutes

  • Serve with hot rice

View full recipe here.

#2 Black vinegar pig trotters 猪脚醋

Source : https://youtu.be/qwTXFlvmvM0

A popular Cantonese dish for postnatal mothers during confinement, black vinegar pig’s trotters is a traditional confinement food believed to help replenish collagen, warm the womb and purge “wind” generated during childbirth. The gelatinous pig trotters in sweet black vinegar is a highly appetising and mouth watering dish that is now also commonly seen on the tables of many families.

Ingredients

  • 300g pig trotters

  • 100g old ginger

  • 100g rock sugar

  • 300g black vinegar

  • 10g black sesame oil

  • 2 eggs

Directions

  • Lightly blanch the pig’s trotters for 3-5 minutes

  • Wash the foam on the surface and set aside

  • Boil 2 eggs for 6 minutes, then peel and set aside

  • Smash large pieces of old ginger

  • In a heated pot, add in smashed old ginger and rock sugar

  • Add in black vinegar and saute until aroma is released

  • Add in blanched pig’s trotters, stir-fry until it has been well coated

  • Add hard boiled eggs and simmer for 45 minutes

  • Add in black sesame oil for seasoning

  • Serve with warm rice

View full recipe here.

#3 Nourishing cordyceps flower with threadfin fish soup 虫草花滋补午鱼汤

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZGQbQVsUTY

Cordyceps flower is a herb that helps to reduce fatigue, boost immunity, and is especially beneficial for a mother’s body after delivery. If you’re searching for nutritious confinement food to boost your stamina, look no further. This soup takes just one hour to simmer on low heat, making it so easy to prepare. A wholesome and nourishing meal best served with hot rice.

Ingredients

  • 20g cordyceps

  • 5g solomonseal rhizome

  • 10g codonopsis root

  • 5g astragalus root

  • 5g dioscorea

  • 3g wolfberry

  • 5g poria

  • 300g threadfish

  • 20g old ginger

  • 2 teaspoon rice wine

  • A pinch of salt

Directions

  • Slice old ginger into thin strips.

  • Lightly blanch the threadfin for 1 minute to remove fishy smells.

  • Run all herbs under running water gently to remove impurities.

  • Add washed herbs, rice wine, threadfin and ginger slices into boiling water.

  • Boil over low heat for an hour.

  • Add salt to taste.

View full recipe here.

We hope this article has provided you with some inspiration for tasty and nourishing meals during your confinement period. NouRiche understands the importance of good nutrition for new mothers. Browse our extensive confinement food menu, or reach out to learn more about our confinement food delivery services in Singapore today!

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