Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Confinement Diva Style!

My new baby, Daria Basyarah is 6 weeks plus today (born on the 15th May 2013). Alhamdulillah. I don't use the Malay style of confinement, where their time of confinement takes 44 days to 60 days. My mom is a Chinese (but her mom is a Bidayuh) so I use the Chinese confinement duration of 30 days.

I will list all the items that I use during my confinement days, that will guarantee you the satisfaction and benefits for your health and beauty. But it also needs discipline and also, with Allah's will (Insya Allah). 

1. Sendayu Tinggi Amme 60's Days set and Pati Haruan

I've been using this product since my 3rd baby, Darwisyah, that was during 2007. It's the best confinement product that takes care inner and outer of a postnatal woman. They've been upgrading their product this year and it is so much easier to use and I can guarantee you the best result! I warn you, even you're husband would be tempted to 'touch' you. Hehehe... It costs around RM430+- for one set (can't remember the exact price) and you have to buy the Pati Haruan together which cost around RM30+-. When you drink the Pati Haruan, you can feel your uterus contacts strongly, to fasten the process of shrinking. Bear in mind that a woman's original uterus is the size of a fist and during our pregnancy, the uterus grows bigger and bigger to accomodate our baby. Breastfeeding really helps a lot to shrink the uterus faster and it also shortens the length of time of our postnatal bleeding.



2. GNC Fenugreek

Fenugreek is widely known to boost breast milk and I've been consuming since my 5th baby. Before that, I always struggle to keep my milk supply adequate but now, by taking fenugreek regularly (3 in the morning and 3 at night), milk supply is always more than enough! Alhamdulillah! But always remember that the key of successful feeding is breastfeeding on demand and regularly, You cannot simply rely on supplement alone.



3. GNC Women's Ultra Mega

This is a supplement especially made to cater women's nutrients need. It is boost with calcium advance formula that is very important for someone like me who keeps on losing of calcium, which I lose during the continuos process of pregnancy and breastfeeding (10 years of marriage with 7 babies, do the math!).

4. Kacangma (Motherwort)

This is the Chinese's postnatal herbs. It is used to get rid of winds and helps us to get rid of excess water  that accumulate during pregnancy too. The way to cook is by frying the leaves without and oil until it is  dry enough. Sieve the leaves to get rid of the hard parts. Cut of chicken pieces, blend lots of ginger and mix it with the kacangma. Steam the chicken, kacangma and ginger until it's cook. Add in a little bit of water to make enough broth out of it. The broth tastes so nice and refreshing. Do not add in any flavoring! The Chinese usually adds in Chinese wine to warm the postnatal women. But I'm a Muslim and alcohol is prohibited in Islam but the ginger is enough to warm up my body.

This photo is taken from Google search

5. Bath herb

These bath herb consists of different kinds of dried leaves. If you have any of these leaves in your backyards, you may dry it and use it to boil your bath herb. The leaves are daun sembung (Blumea balsamifera), serai wangi, daun pandan, daun limau purut. Just boil it in a large pot and mix it with cold water just to make it lukewarm, to make a very refreshing bath for you. I always hear that a postnatal woman cannot wash their hair but in Islam, hygiene is very important. I always wash my self including my hair whenever I feel sticky or not comfortable. Then I blow dry my hair with hair dryer and continue to cover my head like other woman in confinement days. No problem!


6. Bengkung / corset

I use this after I spread Sendayu Tinggi's Tummy Tone (tapal in Malay) on my stomach. I use Sendayu Tinggi's bengkung which cost RM30++ after discount. After 2 weeks, I use the normal corset (Audrey's brand) which is far more easier. 

7. Head cover, socks, cardigan/jacket

These are essential garment to be worn during the whole confinement days to keep our body warm.

8. Lactating milk, plain water

I drink Anmum Lacta to produce quality breast milk for my baby besides supplementing me with enough nutrient. Plain water is also important to keep me hydrated.

9. Spirulina, chorella, fish oil

These are also essential supplements to supplement my baby and I with enough nutrient. In fact, if you take Chorella regularly during pregnancy, you will have the cleanest and most nutritional breast milk for your baby! Try it and you will see it yourself! I take Elken's Spirullina,  Cosway's Chorella and any brand of Fish Oil.

10. Enough rest

I cook, I clean the house, I do the laundry, I take care of my 7 children during my confinement days but I always make sure to take enough rest to restore my energy. 

11. Massage

I've known a very soft spoken, kind middle age lady that's been introduced by my late mum since baby no.2. I've been calling her every time I need a massage and during my confinement days, she will massage me 3 times, during the 7th days, 14th day and the 30th day. Every time I went for my postnatal check up with my gynae, Dr Lee at MCMC, he always praised the condition of my uterus which looks brand new as if there were no kind of pregnancy before. Alhamdulillah. Maybe that makes me very productive.


Everybody have their own way of confinement but this is what I've been doing for all my confinement times. Let me share you a story during my labor of baby Daria, my 7th baby. I went to Miri City Medical Centre at 8pm, after feeling very painful for the whole day. The nurses asked me to fill in the form but before that, they asked me, whether this was my first pregnancy. When I said that this is my 7th child, they quickly rushed to do everything to make sure that I don't end up giving birth over the nurse's counter. They said that usually women with many children will give birth very easily. After laying on the bed in the ward (not yet on labor), one of the nurses asked me,"Kak (sis), everybody out there asked me to ask you what's your secret to maintain looking young and fit, despite heavily pregnant with baby no.7". I answered, "Taking care of yourself during confinement is very crucial or you will look very old before your age if you didn't do it the right way".

I even go out with my family 2 weeks after delivering my baby, and lots of people condemn me for going out during my confinement days but I know my own body and I know how to take care of myself. Insya Allah. So dear readers, this is only a guideline for you. You may follow it exactly the way I do it or adapt it to your own confinement styles.

5 weeks after delivering baby Daria