In many Asian countries, women have to stay at home after giving birth, and the time varies from ten days to forty or fifty days in different countries. This custom is called "confinement" in China society. During this period, women usually eat some special traditional foods and herbs, and observe some dietary and behavioral taboos, such as Yuezi in Taiwan Province Province, and special foods that women eat, such as fried kidney with sesame oil and chicken soup. The characteristic medicinal materials taken are Shenghua Decoction, Siwu Decoction, Eucommia ulmoides, Shiquan Dabu Decoction and so on. And special taboos that must be observed, such as eating less cold and overheated food, not going out, not going to temples, not doing housework, not lifting heavy objects and not touching cold water.

Although the custom of confinement seems superstitious at first glance, many items in this custom are actually beneficial to pregnant women.

First of all, after pregnancy and childbirth, the maternal hemoglobin is lower than before pregnancy. Traditional dishes in Taiwan Province Province, such as sesame chicken, chicken soup, fish soup, ribs soup, etc., usually contain a lot of meat, including iron which is made by human body to make hemoglobin, which can make pregnant women recover from anemia as soon as possible. In addition, these broths contain a lot of calcium and protein, which is the nutritional basis for the repair of maternal wounds. These nutrients also provide enough raw materials for breast milk.

Moreover, women will have many uncomfortable symptoms after giving birth to their children. The most common symptoms are sore bones and muscles, such as backache, sore feet, sore buttocks, numbness in hands, numbness in hands of mothers, etc. If pregnant women need to do a lot of housework and their bones and muscles are sore, besides suffering from these soreness on the spot, these bones and muscles will definitely recover more slowly than those who rest.

In the traditional custom of confinement, the symptoms of aching muscles and bones are relieved by "resting" and "taking Eucommia ulmoides". During confinement, it is stipulated that the parturient should not go out, lift heavy objects, touch cold water or squat down. This is to reduce the workload of the parturient in housework and achieve the purpose of rest. Taking Eucommia ulmoides Oliv, which is a traditional health care for bones and muscles, will make these sore symptoms disappear as soon as possible.

In addition, the custom of confinement will reduce the chances of maternal infection. Mothers who are confined at home go out less and don't contact outsiders, so the chances of exposure to germs are reduced. Even if they give birth during the flu season, they don't have to go to public places, so the chances of getting infected with germs are not great. Moreover, because confinement mothers don't eat out, gastrointestinal infections that generally eat bad stomachs rarely occur, so mothers who abide by confinement regulations go to see a doctor because of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.

After delivery, there is another very important thing: uterine recovery. The puerperal period of postpartum uterus recovery is six weeks, which is exactly about 40 days for people in Taiwan Province Province. During this period, if the parturient has a moderate rest and does not work, the uterus will be * * *, and the time will be a little longer. After six weeks, there will be a good uterus involution. In addition, the traditional Chinese medicine Shenghua Decoction and Eucommia ulmoides Oliv, which are used by people in Taiwan Province Province for confinement, are traditionally used to help discharge lochia, as well as Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.

It is often said that if a woman is in poor health, she can become better through good confinement. As can be seen from the above, in fact, confinement has many advantages, and a woman in poor health does not have to be confined. Healthy women who have confinement after childbirth will also be of great help to their physical condition.

The diet and daily life precautions of confinement are as follows

Dietary precautions

1. Raw and cold food is an absolute taboo. This kind of food includes: ice products, cold drinks, pears, grapefruit, grapefruit, watermelon, honeydew melon, coconut, hard persimmon, mangosteen, lotus root, mung bean, white radish, Chinese cabbage, bitter gourd, cucumber, loofah, wax gourd, tomato, tofu and kelp.

2. Baked, fried and spicy are not allowed to eat. This kind of food includes: sand tea sauce, pepper, garlic, coriander, ginger and so on.

3.* * * Don't eat hot and dry food. This kind of food includes: coffee, curry, pickles, etc.

4. Eat less acidic food, such as sour plum, vinegar and lemon.

5. Eat less salty food such as salt and soy sauce.

6. The food must be cooked and eaten warm. Don't eat lettuce and sashimi.

7. If the wound is red, swollen and painful, it is forbidden to eat food cooked with sesame oil and wine.

8. Don't eat crustaceans such as shrimps and crabs before the wound heals.

Matters needing attention in daily life

1. Don't wash your hands with cold water and don't blow.

Eat well, sleep well and work less.

3. Don't climb stairs, bend less, sit or squat.

4. Use the abdominal belt to prevent the viscera from sagging and help the caesarean section to heal.

5. Regular defecation.

& lt This column reflects experts' opinions and does not represent our position >