Confinement Do’s and Don’ts during Chinese New Year

Confinement Do’s and Don’ts During CNY

In Asian culture, confinement for mothers is vital and should not be skipped. It’s a must for all mothers in order to recuperate and recover during this postpartum phase. But how to make it possible for Chinese mothers to have confinement during Chinese New Year?

Here are the do’s and don’ts:

DO’s:

1. Include good source of quality protein & anti-oxidants – Lean meat, fish, dairy products, fruits & vegetables able to promote body healing and recovery. Apart from that, they will also help in breastmilk production and minimize risk of constipation.
2. Priorities’ resting period – It’s a happiness worth celebrating for welcoming a new- born to this world. However, prioritize resting period, allocate time for both resting and visiting hours for family and friends.
3. Plan ahead/ get family and friends informed visiting time to avoid everyone coming at the same time. Also, avoid people touching the new-born before washing/ sanitizing their hands. Most importantly, avoid people kissing the new-born to minimize risk of getting unnecessary infections.

DON’Ts:

1. Indulge in all the energy and calorie dense –  Foods such as bak kwa, deep fried fish crackers, mini popiah, deep fried nian gao etc. These foods will slow down the rate of recovery.
2. Be overwhelmed for celebration and ignore on resting, ended up with exhaustion and jeopardize recovery. After the long hours of contractions and pushing, in addition with sleepless night to feed your new-born every two to three hourly, mothers should get more rest to recover the weakened body.
3. Mix around with crowds. Although it may be a little bit disappointing, do not mingle around with crowds to reduce risks of infections especially during this Covid-19 endemic. New-born’s immune system is very weak and should not get in touch with too many people.

SUMMARY:

Include quality diet, prioritize resting and avoid crowds during your confinement period during CNY.