Natural Herbs and Spices To Make Delicious Confinement Food

Whether you are pregnant or have just given birth, we congratulate you and your family on such a major life event! What an exciting journey — you welcome the arrival of your little one, who is now possibly the most important person in your life. But wait…there’s somebody else you might be neglecting at this point; yourself!

The first 30 days after delivery are crucial for every new mother in Singapore. Everything that you eat or engage in determines your health in future and your body’s ability to recuperate quickly. If you are like many new mothers in Singapore, you may plan to stick to a strict confinement diet consisting of heating foods and herbal soups to restore your strength and blood levels to normal and protect yourself from future ailments such as rheumatic arthritis.

Some can get really overwhelmed at the whole idea of  confinement foods and what naturals are needed during such a time to support postpartum recovery traditionally. Below are some commonly used herbs for confinement in confinement soup and dishes.

Ginger

Among many Chinese herbs for confinement, ginger is an especially common root in most traditional confinement dishes and soups due to its heaty properties and delicious taste. A mother’s body retains some wind during childbirth that would lead to rheumatism or body pains in future if not dispelled from the body. Adding ginger to your food removes all the wind from the body. However, moderate your ginger intake, especially if you are taking any blood thinning medications as ginger has a blood thinning effect and may cause food-drug interaction. .

Black Fungus

The herb traditionally aids in the removal of any dirty blood and other waste in the body, leaving your blood free of toxins. This promotes proper blood circulation, leading to healthier and more functional organs. You can use black fungus with chicken to prepare confinement soup or add it to your dishes for nutritional value.

Red Dates & Black Dates

Dates are not herbs, but you will find them in most Chinese herb shops due to their warming properties. Chinese dates combined with dried longan are nutritious drinks commonly recommended to have during confinement. New mothers tend to retain a lot of water in the body, thus adequate hydration is essential to reduce water retention. Black dates are also popular tonics for the spleen, stomach, and pancreas, while red dates will replenish vital energy and improve circulation in the body.

Turmeric

Turmeric will add an attractive colour to your food and aid in the fast healing of postnatal wounds. The herb also contains curcumin which is a potent antioxidant that is beneficial to health in various ways when paired with a balanced diet. 

Fennel Seeds

This is a common seed in the preparation of confinement foods. They are popular galactagogues, making them ideal for a mother who is breastfeeding for the first time. However, you should keep your fennel seeds at a minimum since high intake may affect breast milk production. The spices also contain high levels of fibre and antioxidants that will help ease your baby’s stomach problems. The vitamins and minerals in fennel seeds will also help restore the blood lost during childbirth.

Herbs and spices make the food taste delicious and rich in nutrients that you would require as a new mother to restore your healthy body condition. If you do not like how certain foods taste, you can consider adding herbs to your dishes. You just have to figure out which herbs fit your preference best.

That said, we at Tian Wei also allow customisation to a certain extent to our confinement meals that cater to every mother according to their needs and preferences. The benefits of each herb were taken into consideration, as each of these herbs plays a significant role in restoring a new mother’s body. 

Red Dates

Familiar with Longan red dates tea? They are considered the ‘Confinement Beverage’ for a reason! 

Red dates carry extensive health benefits that can greatly boost your birth recovery. They are rich in Vitamin C and iron and are well-known traditionally  for blood-building and replenishing red blood cells. 

In fact, Traditional Chinese Medicine practices would highly encourage women to consume dried red dates or boiled red dates tea regularly to help restore the lost blood, promote better blood circulation, and prevent anaemia. 

Red date tea for confinement has a high potassium level and is also helpful in maintaining the blood vessels to improve blood pressure. 

Lastly, talking about red dates without mentioning their sweet taste wouldn’t be fair! Why do you think red dates tea is so widely-favoured by new mothers? Simply because it is so tasty that it becomes easy to love having it on a daily basis!

Green Papaya

Green papaya is an excellent source of Vitamin C, fibre and water content, and is well-known as a big helper for digestion. For a mother recovering from birth, these elements are crucial in her food. 

On top of that, green papaya can boost the oxytocin hormones, which will regulate breast milk production in your body, thus increasing the milk flow. 

New mothers are generally encouraged to have green papaya or dishes with green papaya, such as our own Green Papaya Fish Soup for confinement to increase lactation.