Are Confinement Foods Healthy? A Comprehensive Guide

Are confinement foods healthy? This is a question that many new mothers have when it comes to their postpartum diet. It is important to understand the role of confinement foods in the recovery process and how they can help to restore balance within the body.

In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that the body needs to be kept warm during confinement.

Therefore, if the constituent of your body is warmer

(for example, more vulnerable to a sore throat), you would need to reduce certain ingredients in the kitchen, such as ginger and sesame oil. On the other hand, “hot” foods such as longan, red dates, black dates, Medjool dates, apples, papaya, grapes, kiwi, peach, strawberry, blackberries, cherry, peach, guava and mangoes can be consumed. It is also recommended to take pills to soothe your throat and drink plenty of water.

In general, cooling foods should be avoided during confinement as they can damage the spleen and stomach and make it difficult for the body to recover. Examples of cooling foods include bamboo shoots, bananas, crabs and oysters. On the other hand, a special diet consisting of warming up food is recommended. This includes products such as milk, cheese and yogurt if you are breastfeeding.

Traditional recipes for confinement foods are well-planned and varied and can be beneficial for both mother and baby. It is important to include dietary fibre in your diet as it is not uncommon for new mothers to become constipated during confinement due to less activity and also a myth that vegetables should not be eaten during confinement.

It is also important to avoid unhealthy snacks and processed foods during lockdown. If you need help with your postpartum diet plan, you can approach a confinement agency or hire a confinement babysitter who will prepare red date teas during her period of confinement to speed up her healing process without causing other worrying issues to arise.

The special diet consists of confinement food ingredients aimed at specific functions such as dispelling the “wind” from the body, calming the feeling of heat, increasing blood circulation, increasing the mother's milk supply and revitalizing strength. These include frozen foods such as meatballs, sausages, pickles and canned foods such as lunch meat and sardines.

As part of the services offered by Singapore Confinement Centre, you will be served daily confinement meals prepared to meet your needs as a nursing and postpartum mother.

In conclusion, it is important to understand the role of confinement foods in the recovery process and how they can help to restore balance within the body. Eating a well-planned and varied diet consisting of warming up food while avoiding cooling foods can be beneficial for both mother and baby.