Chinese confinement practices: what exactly is this?

If you managed to find this blog, you probably also would have Googled up "confinement ladies" and have a general idea what the Chinese confinement practice entails. This being my very first confinement, along with experiences shared by my friends, I will briefly share what the typical Chinese confinement means to me.

I am a Malaysian of Chinese ethnicity. Chinese culture and beliefs are deeply rooted in me by way of lifestyle and upbringing. When I found out I was pregnant, one of the first few things I did was to secure the services of a confinement lady (when I was 2 months pregnant). I am glad I found Auntie Ah Tai (also through another blogger who had sung praises of her services). I figured I really needed the services of a confinement lady (CL) as this was going to be the first grandchild for both sides of the family, and it has been ages since anyone in our family took care of a newborn. My mother-in-law, who was going to be our daycare cum babysitter when both my husband and I were at work, insisted on a CL in order to re-learn how to bathe, feed, burp, change and care for her grandchild. So that was my primary reason for hiring Auntie Ah Tai.

Little did I know that I would later find that there were many reasons I was glad I hired Auntie Ah Tai.

• She was knowledgeable on which herbs or foods were to be consumed by a woman recovering from a major operation - particularly which foods were off limits to ensure that the wound healed properly. (For example, no chicken and eggs were to be eaten in the 1st 12 days).
• She knew the traditional confinement practices to ensure the mummy regained her strength and was not exposed to "wind" which would weaken her constitution (something to do with the Chinese belief of "yin" and "yang" balance in the body). An example would be that she boiled water and let it cool so that I could use it to wash up in the morning, and she would boil herbal water for me to bathe in the afternoons. [I still can't believe I managed to survive 12 days before washing my hair!]
• She knew exactly what to do with my precious baby - I merely had to supply her with the necessary baby items. The first time I watched her after she'd bathed my baby, she methodically massaged baby all over with baby lotion, Buds' organic infant massage oil and the Chinese Yu Yi oil before proceeding to swipe the alcohol swab on baby's navel, put Drapolene on baby's butt, then diapering and clothing baby warmly.
• Having had plenty of experience with many mummies and babies, she knew exactly which product / item to be used for what purpose. (I introduced her to Lucas Papaw's ointment for dry patches on baby, and she now loves this product - me too, because I much prefer Lucas Papaw to other lotions as it is organic and natural).
• She taught me how to bottle feed baby, as baby refused to latch on for breastfeeding - how to ensure the teat was filled with milk to reduce gas, how to burp baby midway thru the feed, etc. I am now an exclusively pumping mummy - and will provide expressed breastmilk for my baby for as long as she wants. (I'm still hoping that one day she will learn to latch on and I can then reduce the amount of sterilizing I have to do for my breastpump and bottles).

Indeed, you will hear many stories as to how the Chinese confinement has restrictive practices that you may choose whether or not to follow. I tried to follow as best as I could, most of the time using logic and common sense to determine if a particular restriction was rational or not. I definitely did not want to blame a debilitating migraine or severe back ache or rheumatism in my old age on my stubbornness during my confinement.

Auntie Ah Tai stayed with me for 28 days (exactly 4 weeks). My C-section wound did not hurt so bad after 1 week at which I stopped my painkillers. By 2 weeks I could climb up and down the stairs - although Auntie Ah Tai told me to try not to do that so much as the uterus / womb would fall! By the beginning of the 3rd week, I felt rejuvenated from all the nutritious home-cooked food Auntie Ah Tai diligently prepared for me (for which my mother, my husband and my mother-in-law regularly supplied the fresh ingredients to) and so here I am now, typing this blog for Auntie Ah Tai with my re-energised self. Indeed, I am enjoying my confinement month quite a lot - and all thanks to Auntie Ah Tai who has made it an enjoyable and restful one. I truly would not hesitate to recommend her exemplary services to anyone who asks :)