My family very believe in Chinese medicine healing, so from young I’ve been educate to practice Chinese medicine, after all it been practice for 2000 years, but I also live in modern world, so now I have my own judgement on when to use Chinese medicine and when I need to see doctor.
I follow most of the confinement practise by after consult a ’shin se”, I bath and wash my hair with herbs, took a lot boiling plain water, red date water, ginger water, eat a lot ginger, and Appeton C18, B complex, and strictly no carry heavy stuff and not walk too much ( for the womb not to drop, yes, I believe that).
I believe all this really help me on my health, at least after my confinement I have very good complexion, even though I’m tired and run down by the girls.
the “shin se’ said even though if you don’t take a lot red date or ginger those thing, as long you rest well, and take a lot vitamins supplement, you’ll still doing well.
I have to said Malaysian is very lucky, we have all sort of healing, supplement for us to choose, Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western, sometime even though we already mix those method but we don’t realise it, like urut during confinement, how many mat saleh know about this? so, I’ll just follow it, and like my mom said because Chinese mom had confinement, that’s why we don’t age so fast like westerners, my mom no scientist, she can’t prove that, but being a good girl, I always listen to what my mom said .
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Maria (mother of twin girls–Isabelle & Annabelle, born 25th Nov 2002)

What I do during confinement… I bathed everyday in Chinese herb water, the water so hot that I sweat the moment I stepped out from the bathroom. I washed my hair 14 days after delivery. Before that, I tried the dry shampoo but yucks…it’s messy and would not use it again. The 2nd time I washed my hair is a week after the first one. Both time also I used very hot water that I think my scalp would come off anytime.

On the diet wise, I finished up all the food cooked by my confinement helper…oh, she’s a fantastic cook, that’s why I have hired her service again this time. But this time, I think I will ask her to cook smaller portion … don’t want to put on too much weight like the last time. I didn’t drink plain water for the whole 30 days period. I had vege. occasionally but can’t remember what type already.

I live in a double-storey, so I cannot avoid using the staircase everyday and I cannot stay upstair the whole day because the TV and hi-fi are downstair. I also ‘tak biasa’ having someone to serve me food in bed everyday… like a queen. When my mom came over, she would insist that I watch less TV…not good for the eyes and asked me to lie down. I got a recliner chair at the living room, so I lowered the chair and still watched TV.

My mom said I’m lucky to have someone to help around during confinement and I should make good use of it…rest more, otherwise like her, now always got back pain and knee pain. My ta-yi (mom’s elder sister) rested well during her confinement and until today, never complain of any backache and knee-ache. Very healthy…
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Mama to Jiann Yang (07/07/2002) and Jia Ee (15/04/2004) .

Lilian, you mentioned that your SIL who followed the rules and regulations of confinement also have joint pains? Aiyah…. then what for we follow so strictly? I had knee pain a few months ago, and I was convinced that its because of me showering (wash hair everyday since Day 1!) and sleeping in the aircond room every night postpartum. But it went away after one month. No more pain now (touch wood). Could it be that all women postpartum will suffer some temporary joint aches? Probably due to the changes in the body after delivering?

Another rule which I failed to observe during confinement month is to wear longs and socks. I mean this is Malaysia for goodness sake! I perspire like crazy even with a T-shirt and shorts. After having a meal of chicken cooked with wine and ginger, I will be totally soaked, so wet and sticky, how to bf? You know, already feel very hot tempered, plus the heat, feel like exploding!

I guess Lil, you offer very good advise: “to follow as much as a person can endure”. If I plan to have baby #3, I will do just that!
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Moommy to two little ladies (3yrs & 13mths).