Some of you may have heard about traditional postpartum confinement concept, such as mommies are not allowed to shower for a month, stay indoor and don't catch "wind", don't drink plain water, eat strong herbal food, no vegetables and fruits etc.
Sounds absurd, isn't it? But if you look at it in the context of ancient medical, it does make sense.
In those days, people may have to fetch water from a well for bathing. For postpartum mothers, this task can be tedious especially if the weather was bad. That could be one of the reasons why they were advised against bathing.
Also, transportation wasn't as convenient, travelling from one place to another can be tiring and time consuming. Furthermore, communicable diseases were too common back then, the best way to prevent mommies from getting a virus is probably to stay at home.
So, is the traditional confinement concept still relevant? As medical advances and our living standards improved, it gives us the flexibility on how we can practice confinement, there is no reason to give up showering or your usual healthy diet.
The idea of confinement was the ancient form of quarantine, to prevent postpartum complications and to nurse mothers back to health.
After all, a woman's body undergo tremendous changes during and after pregnancy, such as hormonal adjustments, weight changes and uterus expansion. Even in an uncomplicated delivery, there is still a significant loss of blood, fluid and energy for the mother.
Child birth is exhausting. There is no harm to have a postpartum healing program to pamper ourselves, so long it is customized to fit each mother's needs. =)
