Don’t foreigners observe confinement after childbirth?

For many Chinese women, confinement is an inevitable process in life. Confinement is mainly for women who have just given birth. During this stage, the main focus is on some body supplements and postpartum care. Almost every Chinese woman has the habit of confinement after giving birth. But many people will find that foreigners often do not have the habit of confinement after giving birth, and basically they go back to work or do other things as usual after giving birth. At this time, many people will have questions: Don’t foreigners need to observe confinement after childbirth?

There is a Chinese saying: "The land and water shape the people." This could not be more accurate in explaining the differences in adaptability of human body functions between Chinese and foreigners due to differences in living habits and living environment.

For example, Westerners have thick body hair and thick joints, so they have more opportunities to expel cold air, so they are not too afraid of cold evil. This kind of physical condition means that they don't have much impact on drinking cold drinks or taking cold showers on a daily basis.

Westerners consume high protein and exercise a lot all year round, and their physical constitutions are stronger than Chinese people, so Western women do not pay much attention to postpartum care. But this does not mean that Western people will be fine if they do not observe the confinement period.

"Relevant data show that many Western women are more likely to suffer from various gynecological diseases after entering middle age than Chinese women, especially the proportion of breast cancer." These indirectly prove that whether the rest and maintenance of the mother during the postpartum recovery period are correct or not is closely related to the woman's health throughout her life.

Why do Chinese people have to "sit on the month"?

But that's not the case for us Chinese! Since ancient times, we have mainly eaten fibrous foods, and mostly whole grains and vegetables. Because of our light diet, our body hair is very light, our skin is tight and delicate, our pores are very small, and our joints are particularly fine.

Some Chinese medicine practitioners believe: "Under normal circumstances, the Chinese people's joints are closed, and after childbirth, as the pelvis opens, the muscles, bones, and skin of the mother's entire body are in an open and relaxed state. At this time, it is easy for wind and cold to take advantage of the opportunity to enter. At the end of the confinement period, the mother's pelvis and the muscles, bones, and skin of the whole body will gradually return to their normal closed state." Therefore, if cold evil enters the body during the confinement period, it will naturally be locked in the body, leaving serious consequences.

In addition, if we pay good attention to confinement, our internal organs will recover faster and better, we will also lay a good foundation for the consumption during breastfeeding, and our own figure and complexion will recover faster.

10 scientific and reasonable suggestions for "confinement":

Suitable indoor environment. The room for the mother and baby should be quiet, clean, well-lit, with moderate temperature and humidity, and good ventilation. When the temperature is high in summer, you should pay attention to cooling down to prevent heatstroke. When the weather is cold in winter, you should pay attention to keeping warm and preventing coolness.

Keep quiet. When the mother and baby are resting, the bedroom should be kept quiet and noise-free to prevent sudden noises from causing involuntary reflex movements in the baby.

Keep the air circulating. The most taboo for women during the confinement period is poor air circulation. For example, keeping doors and windows closed and wrapping the head and legs together will cause the indoor air to be turbid, which can easily make the mother and baby sick. In winter, you can open the windows for ventilation regularly every day, for about half an hour each time, to avoid drafts and direct wind. Alternatively, the mother and baby can go to another room when opening the windows for ventilation.

Confinement does not mean staying in bed for a month. Pregnant women should ensure adequate sleep and rest on the first day after delivery. Women who have undergone cesarean section can get up and do light activities within 24 hours, which helps accelerate blood circulation, promote intestinal peristalsis, and make urination and defecation smooth.

Dress clean and comfortable. Postpartum women have a high metabolism, sweat a lot, and have a lot of lochia. Milk often overflows and stains clothes, which can easily cause bacteria to multiply and lead to various infections. Therefore, the mother's clothes should be washed and changed frequently, and dried in the sun to sterilize and prevent disease.

Brush your teeth normally. You should also brush your teeth and rinse your mouth healthily during the confinement period. Postpartum gums are delicate, so it is recommended to use a soft-bristled toothbrush, avoid cold water stimulation, and use warm water to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth. Be gentle to avoid damaging the gums.

Wash your hair normally. Proper washing and combing of hair during the confinement period is good for your health. The water temperature for washing your hair should be around 37°C. After washing, dry your hair immediately or use a hair dryer to avoid being blown by cold air. You cannot go to bed immediately before your hair is dry, as this will cause the invasion of dampness and lead to headaches and neck discomfort.

Take a normal shower. You can wipe the body part 24 hours after delivery. You can take a shower 1 week after giving birth. Avoid sitz baths. Control the water temperature properly, adjust the temperature in the bathroom, and grasp the bathing time. It should not be too long, about 10 minutes is appropriate. Be careful not to get water on unhealed perineum and abdominal wounds.

Eat moderately. You can eat small meals frequently, and combine dry and liquid foods, meat and vegetables, and keep the food light.

Keep a happy mood. The body's endocrine hormones change significantly after childbirth, which can easily affect the mother's mood. She should pay attention to maintaining a cheerful mood and avoid worries.