Why confinement?

The term and practice of confinement has been around since the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. The so-called confinement means taking a good rest in the month after giving birth to a baby, allowing the organs in the body to slowly recover.

Therefore, confinement is also a custom that has been handed down.

However, ancient confinement was not as comfortable as modern confinement. In the past, during confinement, you were not allowed to wash your hair, brush your teeth, drink water, open windows, etc. There were many taboos, so...

Nowadays, confinement is no longer necessary.

I often hear people say that foreign women don’t have confinement period, why do people around us have to confinement period? Confinement period is also the puerperium period, which is a good time for the mother to recover in all aspects of her body. It usually lasts six weeks, or

It takes 42 days for the mother's uterus and other organs of the body to recover, so why not confinement?

Why confinement?

1. Body organs need to recover.

In fact, after pregnancy, some organs in the pregnant mother's body undergo great changes.

For example, the buttocks become larger, the breasts become larger, the pubic symphysis separates, etc., but the biggest change is the uterus. During pregnancy, the uterus expands 20 times in size to prepare for the fetus, changing from a small egg to a watermelon.

It takes time to recover after delivery. Of course, the most important thing is the recovery of the uterus. The recovery of the uterus includes the uterine body, endometrium, and cervix. It will take about 42 days for the uterus to fully recover. If the uterus has not recovered well,

Then it will definitely be harmful to women's bodies, and it may even affect the fertility of the next child.

Others will slowly recover as time passes.

Confinement is to give time for these organs to recover.

2. The pelvic floor muscles need to be restored.

Many mothers may think that only mothers who have given birth vaginally will suffer damage to their pelvic floor muscles.

In fact, this is not the case. During the pregnancy, the pelvic floor muscles may be damaged to varying degrees due to the weight of the fetus pressing down. Some are mild and severe, and some are relatively light and cannot be felt by the pregnant mother.

Even mothers who had a C-section may have damaged pelvic floor muscles.

The functions of the pelvic floor muscles include controlling urination and defecation, maintaining vaginal elasticity, etc. If the pelvic floor muscles of the mother are damaged, she may have involuntary defecation, vaginal relaxation, uterine ptosis, etc.

This is because in the body, the pelvic floor muscles are located under the uterus, bladder, and rectum, and maintain certain functions of these organs. If the pelvic floor muscles are damaged, they will not be able to hold them, and these functions will not be maintained.

, so constipation, uterine prolapse, leakage of urine, etc. will occur.

The best recovery time for the pelvic floor muscles is within three months after delivery, especially during the confinement period. Taking a good rest during the confinement period is very important for the recovery of the pelvic floor muscles.

After confinement, 42 days after delivery, the mother should go to the hospital to check the condition of her pelvic floor muscles. If the recovery is not ideal, the mother should undergo pelvic floor muscle repair.

3. Postpartum lochia makes it difficult to move.

Regardless of whether the mother has a caesarean section or a vaginal delivery, a lot of lochia will be discharged after delivery.

This is because after the baby is born, the uterine decidua begins to fall off and be discharged, including necrotic tissue, blood, etc., all of which are discharged through the lower body. These are lochia.

The amount of lochia is generally 500 to 1000ml and lasts for 2-4 weeks.

If it was in ancient times, it would be equivalent to having menstruation every month. It was really inconvenient to go out, so you could only have confinement at home.

Even now, it is very inconvenient to go out with so much lochia discharge every day.

4. Postpartum resistance decreases and requires rest.

Pregnant mothers are greatly weakened during childbirth. Mothers who give birth naturally may suffer from tears or side cuts, and the constant uterine contractions will consume a lot of physical energy of the pregnant mother.

If it was a caesarean section, it would be even more damaging.

Therefore, the immune system of pregnant mothers is very weak during the confinement period and it is easy to get sick.

In order to allow the body to recover as soon as possible, the mother needs to be in confinement. During the confinement period, take good care of the body, prevent colds and keep warm, and do not let diseases invade when the body is most vulnerable.

Therefore, pregnant mothers need to confine themselves after giving birth to allow their bodies to recover as quickly as possible.

What should I pay attention to during confinement?

1. Pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene.

During the confinement period, the mother can wash her hair and take a bath. You can choose the time according to your body's recovery.

Because there is a lot of lochia, you must change sanitary napkins frequently, keep your private parts fresh and clean, and pay attention to wound care to prevent infection.

2. Pay attention to insulation and prevent catching cold.

Postpartum immunity is weak and it is easy to get sick. The mother should dry her body and dry her hair as soon as possible after washing her hair and getting dressed.

Try to wear long-sleeved clothes and pants at ordinary times, and do not expose your hands and feet to the air to avoid the invasion of cold air.

Although it is said that heat preservation is required, windows should also be opened to allow air convection. If it is winter, open the windows when the sun is relatively strong.

3. Pay attention to rest and use less force.

Confinement period is originally used to rest and recuperate the body. Mothers should rest as much as possible.

Do not do anything that requires physical exertion to prevent uterine prolapse and wound rupture.

If your physical strength allows, you can move around indoors appropriately.

As for women in some Western countries who do not have to undergo confinement, we cannot compare this. Everyone has different living environments, different eating habits, different customs, different climates, and most importantly, different physical constitutions, so there is no need to compare with others.

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In short, confinement is used to recuperate the body, so it is best to seize this golden time during confinement to allow the body to recover as soon as possible, so as not to regret it later.