What should I eat during confinement?

During the confinement period, a proper diet is a must. Otherwise, it will not only affect the health of the pregnant woman herself, but may also affect the baby's development to a certain extent due to insufficient milk or problems with milk quality. So, what should you eat during the confinement period? Next, I will introduce to you what kind of food can nourish the body during different stages of confinement.

What to eat during the first stage of confinement

The first week is the golden period for new mothers to discharge lochia after delivery. At the same time, prenatal edema and excess water in the body will also be discharged at this time. Therefore, do not eat too much in the first week to avoid complete discharge of lochia. Chinese medicine practitioners recommend that pork liver should be the main staple food, about 300 grams a day. Pork liver is warm in nature, sweet and bitter in taste. Its main ingredients are protein, fat, iron, vitamins B1, B2, niacin and vitamin A. Its effects can nourish the liver, improve eyesight, and replenish qi and blood.

What to eat during the second stage of confinement

In the second week, the lochia gradually decreases and the color is not as bright red as in the first week. In addition, postpartum women will suffer from back pain. Traditionally, people say that you are what you eat, so it is recommended to eat sesame oil kidney to relieve the discomfort of back pain. You can add Eucommia ulmoides when frying kidney with sesame oil to improve its effectiveness. Because Eucommia ulmoides is warm in nature and sweet in taste, it is a medicinal herb that protects the bones and muscles and strengthens the kidneys.

What to eat during the third stage of confinement

The lochia has been discharged at this time, and it is time to replenish qi and blood, which is also the time to take tonic. The most commonly used ingredient for tonic is sesame oil chicken. Traditionally, sesame oil chicken cooked during confinement period is mostly made from hens, but some people also use black-bone chickens. Because chicken is warm and sweet in nature, and is rich in protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E, and niacin acid, it can nourish the five internal organs, nourish blood and spleen, strengthen the spleen and stomach, nourish the kidneys, assist yang and replenish deficiency, as well as promote blood circulation and relieve pain. Even though sesame oil chicken has many benefits, it is easy to get tired of eating it every time. Some vegetables are cold in nature, so you often hear elders advising you to eat less vegetables. Otherwise, you have to choose leafy vegetables such as red amaranth that have blood-enriching effects.

Balanced diet is the most important

The dietary principle for postpartum mothers during the confinement period is actually to have a balanced diet. In particular, avoid greasy, heavy-tasting, spicy and other irritating foods. Although sesame oil chicken can certainly nourish the body, excessive intake of fat is the main cause of postpartum obesity. A workaround is to combine staple foods and vegetables in the same meal, and choose low-oil cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, and braising. Also, replace chicken with lean meat or fish, and eat less offal, so as to avoid taking in too many calories.