Confinement

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It is a Chinese tradition for women to go through 30 days of confinement after child birth. During this period, she needs to follow a certain lifestyle and diet which is believed to not only help her recuperate but also rid her body of any prior illnesses. It is a belief that she will then emerge with a stronger and healthier body after the 30 days.

If you ask my mum, she will probably ramble on about how disobedient I was for not following the confinement rules. To be frank, for both confinements, I did try my best to stick to the rules, BUT, failed miserably. I figured out that to adhere to the stringent lifestyle and diet requires more than just plain perseverance and determination. Without some kind of faith and belief, it is impossible for me to stick with the practice of NOT bathing, NOT drinking water, NOT leaving the house, NOT washing my hair. I can’t imagine the physical discomfort that one has to go through without bathing and washing hair for a month and I think it may just aggravate any post natal depression.

But because my mum is a strong believer in the benefits of doing confinement, I was served like a empress during this 30 days period. I was spared the washing, the cooking, the cleaning. She even helped to bath the baby because I should not touch water.

You can read more about confinement practices and confinement myths busted

It was good to have help during this period when I was sleep deprived and when the wound from the operation still hurts. And when my husband volunteered to help with the cooking during the first week, both my mum and I got a little worried as we knew that it was his virgin attempt in cooking confinement food. But thanks to the internet, he managed to find some really good recipes and served some really authentic traditional confinement food.

So for 1 week, he cooked 6 meals a day, with each meal nicely planned out and written in his diary. I was impressed with how well organized he was and I even thought that he would fare better as a househusband if  and only if he could keep this enthusiasm going, continuing his effort 24/7.

Apart from the usual Red Dates and Longan confinement tea, he tried something called the Fried Ginger Rice Tea which is really simple to make and reminds me of Sikhye, a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage usually served as a dessert. I totally love it !

With my 30 days of confinement coming to an end, on one hand, I may not feel any sense of achievement or triumph for having completed the stringent regime, on the other hand, I no longer feel guilty about flouting all the rules. Perhaps like what my mum said, I will be stricken with rheumatism and a thousand other maladies when I hit 50 years old.

Meanwhile, enjoy this refreshing tea recipe.

Fried Ginger Rice Tea

Ingredients:
300g white grain rice
150g fresh ginger shredded
Sugar to taste

Method:
1) Stir-fry the rice and shredded ginger until dry and golden brown.
2) Remove and keep in a bottle
3) Soak 1tbsp in a cup of boiling water. Cover for 30 minutes.
4) Add sugar to taste
Serve hot.