My confinement journey (part 2)
2. Recovery
Speaking from the natural birth perspective, I was very thankful that my recovery was rather smooth as I had only a minor tear. Immediately after delivery, I was of course very lethargic and tired due to the blood loss. Going to the toilet was also scary at first due to the fear of infecting/cleaning my wound below. What helped me most was:
- Wearing good quality and thick maternity pads with disposable underwear so that each day I could just throw everything away without worrying about staining or laundry (postpartum bleeding is to be expected and lasted 5-6 weeks for me).
- Earth Mama Perineal spray (must-have!)
To prevent infection from the stitches around my tear, after every toilet trip I would spray this down below and gently dab dry with a tissue. This helped cool the wound down and kept it clean
- Lactulose
I took this very regularly especially for the first 2 weeks! It is very important to prevent constipation so that the risk of your stitches tearing open is minimal during pooping. This really made my toilet journeys a lot smoother and less traumatic
3. Hygiene
I do not believe in traditional confinement mindsets such as not showering/ wearing long sleeves especially in the hot Singapore weather. The day after my delivery, I showered immediately (there will be a bloody smell and stickiness everywhere) and I washed my hair every alternate day as well.
However I did purchase the confinement bath package from PEM confinement, so my nanny would prepare a big pail of TCM bath water for me to pour over myself. She told me to use it purely for showering without washing off, but I still washed it off after soaking in it for a while 😅
4. Postnatal massage (10 home sessions)
I did enjoy the back massage and leg massage, but the lactation and ovarian massage was honestly quite painful for me. I did not have full blown mastitis then, but there were some areas of engorgement and my masseuse had to help me relieve the engorgement. It was seriously painful but it did help increase my milk supply and relieved the clog ducts. I also had binding done which probably helped reduce my tummy pooch a little, but I wasn’t strict about the binding because it did get quite hot and unbearable after a few hours.
5. Sleep
The most common advice given by others would be to: “sleep when the baby sleeps.”
As someone who doesn’t take day naps regularly, I could only truly fall asleep when it was night time. Hence throughout the day, even while baby was sleeping, I would either be pumping or just scrolling my phone and zoning out as I couldn’t fall asleep knowing that I would need to be awake again in a while. Hence the lack of sleep was honestly the worst part of my confinement. It did help to sleep as much as possible after 10pm, and I would usually clock in sleep from 10pm-1am then wake up and pump (while nanny feeds baby), and then sleep till 4am and wake up and pump, and sleep again till 8am. Eventually I managed to get at least 5-6 hours of (disjointed) sleep each day.
6. Food
This was of course the favourite part of my confinement everyday. As stated in my previous post, despite her flaws, my nanny was undoubtedly good in cooking. I would have nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday, with a soup to accompany either lunch or dinner. She would boil a big jug of red date tea for me as well (although she told me to ONLY drink red date tea, I didn’t listen to her and still continued drinking water because the daily tea felt too heaty for me..). Breakfast would either be oats or noodles, and lunch and dinner would have rice with vegetables, meat and soup. My nanny would frequently make meals containing salmon or meat which also helped increase my milk supply too. Of course the grocery bills were not cheap as well 🥲 If I recall correctly, the bill would be about $400 each week for all the meals (for me , my nanny and my husband).
This pretty much covers the areas of my life during confinement! Honestly the days were very very long, and the repetition did get quite boring after a while (especially as someone who loves venturing out). But staying home to rest really helped me recover faster and regained energy to prepare for when the confinement nanny leaves. Pumping is another huge chapter which I will probably post about another time.
From my personal experience, managing the postnatal recovery period effectively requires balancing rest, self-care, and nutrition carefully. One tip I found incredibly helpful was prioritizing perineal care with natural soothing sprays like Earth Mama Perineal Spray, which helped minimize wound discomfort and reduced infection risk. Additionally, preventing constipation with gentle stool softeners such as lactulose is crucial because it protects delicate stitches and eases bowel movements during recovery. Regarding hygiene, I also chose to break traditional confinement taboos and maintained daily showers to feel refreshed and prevent unpleasant smells, especially in Singapore's warm climate. The use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) baths provided by confinement services adds a comforting element, though I personally preferred rinsing off afterward for cleanliness. Postnatal massages, while sometimes painful especially when addressing breast engorgement and clogged ducts, were beneficial in improving milk flow and relieving tension. The binding practice was less comfortable for me due to heat but may offer benefits in reducing abdominal size and providing tummy support. It's important to listen to your body and adapt these practices to your comfort. Sleep deprivation was a major challenge; however, creating a pumping and sleeping schedule that allowed me to get fragmented but sufficient rest was essential. Many new mothers struggle with sleep due to newborn care demands, so strategic rest during nighttime when possible is vital. When it comes to food, balanced, nutrient-dense meals featuring protein-rich ingredients like salmon and soups cooked by my confinement nanny significantly supported my milk production and energy restoration. Drinking red date tea, commonly recommended for its blood-nourishing effects, was complemented by water intake as well to avoid overheating. Though the cost for confinement food was considerable, investing in quality meals made a notable difference in my recovery. In sum, the confinement period is unique for each mother, and finding personalized methods to maintain hygiene, nutrition, rest, and gentle care profoundly influences postpartum healing and wellbeing.
