Roni Kayan, a mother of two, remembered that her mother cooked ginger fried rice for her to eat in place of plain rice and that one of the must-have dishes during her confinement was pig trotters in vinegar and ginger. Pig trotters are said to promote blood circulation and are high in gelatin and collagen to fight hair loss.
In Singapore, the length of confinement time varies. For Chinese mothers, confinement means staying home for 30 days. During this period they cannot wash their hair, must avoid contact with cold water, not go outdoors, not burn incense, read, cry, or have sex. According to Dr Peiling Goh, a nutritionist and the author of Falling In Love With Confinement, “Washing your hair will affect the detoxification of the womb. When the lochias in the womb become clots, it will be very difficult to detoxify them, therefore the imbalance of hormones and internal secretion will cause health complications.”
It’s not readily comprehensible, but aren’t we glad to know there’s a scientific explanation behind the advice not to wash our hair? The mother of four recommends using dry shampoos, or if you really have to, washing hair with water only after 15 days post-pregnancy and drying it immediately.
All confinement rules consist of myths and facts, therefore it is best not to follow them blindly. For example, according to Dr Goh, new mothers can still enjoy the cool air from fans and air-conditioners (23ºC to 26ºC) as long as the appliances are angled away from them.
The wine used for cooking confinement food must be limited to 20 per cent alcohol content or below, and properly boiled. And although half-boiled eggs are nutritious, they may contain germs. So, stick to the thoroughly cooked ones.
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