Confinement Preparations

For my first confinement, I did not prepare anything for myself and just let my MIL and my mum buy all the necessities like Chinese herbs, wine etc and I let them plan with my confinement lady regarding my meals. Those dishes were really nice and I could polish off every last grain of rice and last drop of soup.

During my second pregnancy, I became very interested in Chinese herbs and I studied each type of confinement meals to know the benefits of each type of foods like turmeric chicken, kacang-ma chicken, pig trotter in vinegar etc. I bought many types of Chinese herbs and labelled them properly so that my confinement lady would know which types should be consumed during first half of confinement and some to be consumed after 14 days.

Some of Chinese herbs bought for my second confinement like Chong Chau-Cordyceps, Dang Shen-Codonopsis Roots, Kao Li Shen-Korean Ginseng, Pao Shen-American Ginseng, Ren Shen-Ginseng, Yi Mu Chau-Herbal Leonuri or Kacang Ma for Sarawakians, Chuan Xiong-Rhizoma Chuan Xiong, Du Zhong-Eucommia Bark, Dang Kui-Chinese Angelica Root, He Shou Wu-Polygonum, Yu Zhu-Polygonatum, Kei Chee-Wolfberries, Bei Qi-Astragalus Root.

Additional stuff: Dried Longans, Red Dates, Black Dates, Wu Jin Wan, So Ho Wan, Sesame Oil, Sweet Vinegar, Rice Wine, Ginger Wine, Yellow Wine, Red Yeast Wine (Foochow Style), Martell, Dome, Black Beans. (Due to breastfeeding, I would ensure my confinement lady steamed the wines long enough to ensure no alcohol left in my dishes, soups and double boiled chicken essence)

Ingredients for afternoon tea-time: Red beans, glutinous rice, tangerine peel, brown sugar, black sesame (to be ground).

Rice were all replaced and alternate between millet rice, brown rice and multi-grain rice to ensure more nutrition and less starch (ie. fattening).

For bath, I bought pre-packed herbs from Chinese Shop and requested my confinement lady to add lemongrass, ginger and eucalyptus oil. Kiasu, I admit. I also bought 2 types of pre-packed herbs for baby, first type to be used during the first few days to prevent jaundice and second type to be used after that to prevent heatiness in baby.

When I referred to my list of things to buy (yes, I am a hoarder), it seemed like I had bought a lot but I finished most of the herbs because I had confinement food for 40 days and more. I love confinement food and that was why I could happily polish off whatever my confinement lady cooked and she said she seldom saw new mum who would always finish her meals. No wonder my colleagues were shocked to know what I have consumed during my confinement period. I will post more pictures of my meals in coming posts.

I miss my confinement period

Most people thought that I was crazy when I told them I enjoyed my confinements a lot. That was because I was being pampered like an 'empress'. I had my confinement lady, my mum and my parents-in-law to help out and they had unspoken job delegation.

1) Confinement Lady: Cooked confinement food (breakfast, tea time-missed if I had late breakfast, lunch, tea time, dinner, supper), helped out with baby (bath, changing diapers, feeding milk (formula and expressed milk etc)), slaughtered chicken (yes, we bought live chicken and the auntie would slaughter the chicken and cook it immediately so that I could have fresh chicken), washing baby and my clothes, boiling red dates drink, preparing herbal water for taking bath.

2) My Mum: Helped to take care of the baby when confinement lady was busy so that I did not have to touch cold water to clean baby's bum, helped feeding baby and washing my pump for expressing milk. When baby no.2 came, my mum also helped to entertain elder girl, Tian so that she would not disturb me.

3) My parents-in-law: Helped to buy food for the family and for me like pigs' stomach, liver, kidney, chicken, kampung eggs, pomfret fish, additional Chinese herbs etc.

4) My job: Tried to express milk as much as possible for the baby before she learned how to suckle. I took care of the baby at night but my mum and confinement lady would take care of the baby from morning around 7:00am until baby slept at night around 9:30pm.

I had a lot of rest but I did not treasure the time I should be resting. I kept on reading magazines and surf net when my mum asked me to rest my eyes.

I will be writing some posts regarding confinement as a record for future references in case my sister or friends need them.