Postnatal 'Confinement' Food Part 1

During pregnancy, the baby is like a parasite and will take all the nutrients it needs from you. If your diet is nutritious enough for both, it won't cause any problems. If your diet is inadequate for both, then your recovery after birth will take a long time and if you still do not fill your body stores during the bracket period, you may remain weak for a long time. This may be why our elders make so much of a fuss about eating well during brackets.

No matter where you are in the world, everyone will try and tell you what to eat and where possible to eat it. The most important thing to do is to follow your own body's needs. Whatever you eat, make sure you have the right balance of protein, vitamins, minerals, fat, carbohydrates, and water in each meal.

Remember the following instructions:

1. If you breastfeed whatever you eat will be transferred to your baby through breast milk, then it is important that you eat a well-balanced diet so that your baby can get proper nutrition for optimal growth and development.

2. Some foods cause the baby to be 'windy'. or have loose stools. If you find that your baby is suddenly a little uncomfortable, try and think about what you have been eating for the last 12 hours. Avoid these foods for a few days and then try again. If the same thing happens again, you should temporarily avoid certain foods and reintegrate them into your diet by taking very small amounts and seeing how the baby reacts and then slowly increasing the amount of food that the baby gets used to.

3. You may find your appetite is low especially during the first week. This is normal because your body is adapting to the physical and mental deficiencies, so it is better to eat small meals instead of eating 3 meals a day.

4. You need to drink plenty of fluids to make enough breast milk and if you are prohibited from drinking water, you can get a lot of fluids from other sources such as soups.

So what should you eat?

Most Eastern cultures believe that your body is cold after delivery so you should avoid cold or cold foods but eat a lot of 'hot' foods. to warm the body. However, if you are usually the same person, eating too much 'hot' food can cause rash and fever. In this case, it is best to reduce the amount of food that is 'hot'. and eat more neutral foods. If you are normally a Yin, you shouldn't have trouble eating 'hot' food. (lucky devil). The following table gives you a quick review of what foods to eat or avoid.

Types of foods to avoid

'Cooling food' examples: banana, cabbage, cucumber, coconut and Chinese cabbage

Contributes to poor mother's blood circulation and abdominal pain if you breastfeed. Salt as a seasoning and salty food will generally be rejected as well, with the belief that its use will reduce mother's milk production

'Acid foods' examples: pineapple, mango, lemon, lime

Contribute to excessive lochia in the mother and diarrhea in infants.

Too much 'warm food' such as: chilli, pepper, spices, tonics, spirits and medicines.

Contributes to diarrhea in the baby and headache

'Windy food' examples: jackfruit, sweet potato, pumpkin, onion.

Contribute to babies who are colicky and can cause constipation for both mother and baby.

Poisonous foods like shrimp, clams, crabs, eels, ginger

Delays in healing of the mother's wounds can cause allergies and eczema in the baby. These foods can cause stomach upset and vomiting

Recommended food type

To increase milk production

Chicken, squid, shellfish (small type), fish (especially goldfish), cereals, goats, pigs, rice wine, sea slugs, soy milk mixed with powdered powder, wheat cakes, wheat noodles with eggs,

Give mom the strength to recover quickly from hard work.

Chicken, frog, Panax ginseng, liquid extract and razor clam

What you eat also depends on what you believe and what you cook for. If your mom or MIL may not have much choice. I've seen women fight and not talk to each other because of this issue. Try and resolve compromises that are acceptable to both parties. Use a persuasive and logical approach instead of confrontation.

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