While carrying my first baby, my mother told me stories of her postnatal confinement which resulted in good health in her golden years. Despite no medical recommendations and the absurdity of some practices, I accepted it as gospel and thought, “It’s only 44 days, what’s there to lose?”
It was the worst six weeks of my life.
I’m writing this at the tail-end of my second confinement period and I’m coming out better than before, simply by doing some things differently this time:
Repeating What Worked
Then: I observed confinement for 44 days. Literally meaning to not leave the house, the idea is to give the body the much needed rest on the road to recovery. Like other new Malay mothers, I was cared for by a female family member, wore bengkung with tepel (postpartum belly-bind over a lime and limestone mask to slim down rapidly), had sengkak (postnatal massages to get the womb back into its original position), took herbal baths, used tungku (hot compress), drank herbal concoctions and kept to a strict “warm food” diet. Some women practice pilis and param (forehead and body masks); salai (lying on a warm, wooden apparatus) and bertangas (sitting or standing over coal embers or steam mixed with herbs) too, which I gratefully did without.
Now: I was flexible with the length of confinement, following it strictly in the early weeks but let it taper off towards the end when I felt better. Like before, I’d limit rigorous activities, carrying heavy objects (like two-year old toddlers) and abstained from sex. I loved the massages best. It’s said to be effective in weight loss and rejuvenation through improved blood circulation and muscle tone, aids stress relief and speeds up recovery periods. But mostly because it was the only break I got from the round-the-clock new-mother duties.
Postpartum Belly-Binding
Then: I have a love and hate relationship with my bengkung. My first bengkung was a 2-metre long cloth, which was wrapped from below my breasts to my thighs. On a good day, it would hold up well, forcing me to sit straight and avoid the “nursing slouch”. But sometimes, when tied too tight, it caused breathing difficulties and skin lesions from the knots. My tummy flattened fast but not without pain.
Now: Today, I have four different bengkung. The traditional one I used in the first few days after birth; a modern one that looks like a corset tied up the front instead of the back which I used during the rest of the confinement period; a Velcro belly-binder for nights and half-body girdles for going out and days I didn’t want to be wrapped up but still needed the support to “hold everything in”.
Keeping Warm
Then: After my firstborn arrived, my mother made sure I was always warmly clothed so I didn’t “catch wind”. I used the tungku to melt fat and shrink the uterus. Keeping warm improved blood circulation and sped up the healing process.
Now: I believe the long sleeves and blankets are meant to provide comfort, not burns. So when we forgot to find stones this time round, I’m surprised how upset my mother got when I declined her offer to use the electric iron as an alternative.
Eating Well
Then: Medically, there are no postpartum diet restrictions different from the usual “eat healthy” advice. But many cultures believe that the body requires special nourishment to regain lost strength. During my first confinement, I was served rice and fish cooked the same way three times a day for 44 days and hated it! No fruits or vegetables; constipation was a nightmare.
Now: When I discovered that a variety food could still be enjoyed during confinement, I made sure the kitchen was stocked with different types of confinement-friendly dishes. With black pepper, turmeric and ginger as the base, meats – chicken, fish or beef – were rotated accordingly while my mother advised on which “warm” fruits and vegetables I could have and the “cold” ones to avoid.
Staying Hydrated
Then: My water was rationed because I was told that “bloating interfered with shrinking the uterus” and not going to the loo meant avoiding unraveling the tight bengkung thus keeping it on longer. I thought this piece of advice was rubbish. I was breastfeeding, had lost a lot of blood in the birthing process and was constipated too. I needed water.
Now: At the hospital, the nurses explicitly told me not to abstain from water. Passing urine after birth indicates postpartum bladder health and the kidneys are expected to produce more urine in the first few weeks after baby’s birth to remove the excess fluid accumulated during the course of pregnancy. I drank as much as I wanted and felt great.
None of these practices have been scientifically proven to work but is logically beneficial as long as they’re practiced in moderation guided by common sense. After all, postpartum care isn’t just about nursing the physical self but also mental and spiritual health.
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Khairun is mum to two kids and owner of Recovr Resources Sdn Bhd, a growing social enterprise in the recycling and equal employment industry. She and her husband Max are currently living in Jakarta.
Image Credit: Chutima Therapy
