What to do during confinement? Rest, and rest more! That is number one, but there are also other things that should be done without conflicting with you resting. One of them is eating proper postpartum meals. Why?
The few weeks after childbirth can be challenging for any new mother who has never delivered another child before. The mother is learning how to take care of the baby and battling many emotions too. It can be very hard to function properly at this time, and sometimes taking a proper meal can be close to impossible. Especially for working mothers or those whose family members are too busy to help them out, it is a good idea to get a confinement nanny or get a Chinese confinement food catering in Singapore to get a proper diet during this period.
Hiring a confinement caterer or a live-in nanny can be challenging for people who are not earning a stable income. This means that the mother will have to take care of herself during the confinement period, which is can be very tiring and harmful to her health and that of her child. Sometimes the lack of time may result in poor eating habits that may have serious health effects on the mother such as:
Low Energy
Understandably, there may come a time when you are thinking of following any weight loss diet. But the important thing is to do it only when you (and especially your body) is ready. There is no rush to it. Remember, it took you nine months plus to grow the human being that is your child. It is going to take some time before you can tone up your body, and it deserves that time and break. (pic: woman on weight scale)
Rather than planning and thinking of how to lose weight during confinement, spend this time to rest your body and focus on your postnatal recovery and attending to your newborn. If the people around you are contributing to making you feel like you have to lose weight fast, reduce the amount of time you spend with them – unless it is your professional medical doctor and it is due to health conditions.
High Risk of Anaemia
Mothers lose a lot of blood during childbirth, meaning that she is at high risk of getting anaemia if she does not eat food rich in iron. Additionally, her body requires blood and energy to produce milk for the baby meaning that it is using any trace of iron left in the body. A Chinese confinement food menu is customized to meet the mother’s needs and restore the blood to normal levels. Therefore, you stand at a high risk of getting anaemia if you do not follow a proper diet.
Low Milk Production
Your baby will always consume whatever the mother eats, even when you follow a poor diet while breastfeeding. Therefore, failure to take nutritious food will lead to poor milk quality and low milk supply that does not have all the nutrients that are best for the child’s development. Your child is highly likely to suffer from various malnutrition disorders due to lack of proper nutrients that are essential for proper growth. Frail children also have low immunity levels that leave them susceptible to many diseases.
Weak Bones and Joints
Confinement soups and food are rich in mineral elements such as calcium, iron, and magnesium that are all crucial for strengthening bones. The body utilizes the nutrients present in your diet to perform various functions such as the production of breast milk and restoration of the body to its original condition before birth. If there are no nutrients present for the body to use, it will draw nutrients such as calcium from bones to produce milk, leaving the mother’s bones to be weak and frail.
Weakened Immunity
A mother’s immunity is always at its lowest from the pregnancy period to a few months after childbirth, leaving her highly susceptible to illnesses. A proper confinement diet consisting of various herbal soups and foods will boost the immunity back to normal. However, lack of proper nutrients in the body leaves the mother and the baby at a very high risk of catching illnesses.
Impacted Growth
If your baby is not adding proper weight and height, then you may consider reviewing your diet. The baby relies on the mother’s milk from birth up to six months of age to grow and perform other functions in the body. Therefore, you must maintain a healthy diet if you want to maintain a healthy growth curve for your child.
A proper diet is essential for pregnant, confined, and lactating mothers since they are the best source of nutrition for the baby. You should consider getting a confinement nanny to help you prepare these meals or engage in confinement food catering to ensure you obtain all the nutrients you need for you and your child.
