Preparing for Confinement

With many of my close relatives having given birth either more than 7 years ago or recently but outside Klang Valley, and being the partial “banana” that I was, most of the advice and guidance came from my surrounding colleagues, high-school friends-turned-moms and online forums and blogs.

In the course of my research I came across a blog post by Ms Zay Aw regarding items to be prepared for confinement, which I personally felt was really helpful as a checklist to ensure I have as many things as I can covered. Her post can be checked out on her site: http://thediaryofzay.blogspot.my/2013/07/what-to-prepare-for-confinement.html?q=confinement.

From my understanding, confinement periods for us Chinese families can be a minimum of 30 days, but it is recommended to continue with it till at least 45 days for a better recovery period for both mum and baby. Most post-natal packages, be they herbal soups, recovery supplements, or herbal baths are usually sold up to a 30 day period as some of them can only be used starting from the 4^th, 7^th or 10^th day after delivery, depending on the circumstances of the delivery and condition of the mom.

So to start off, the basics usually considered during confinement would be:

1. The herbs and liquor used for cooking of the confinement meals

2. Supplements to aid the mum’s recovery

3. Long sleeved tops & bottoms (and maybe even hats?) for mums to keep the “wind” out

4. Miscellaneous clothing such as maternity pads, disposable panties and medical pads

5. Abdominal binder or Bengkung for those opting for a malay massage during recovery

6. Herbal Baths and massage oils for mum and baby

7. Breast pump and accessories for those planning to breastfeed during this period

Food Stuff

Your pantry should be stocked with various liquor and seasoning oils for cooking and double boiling, whilst your confinement room should be stocked with beverage mixes, some light snacks (and lactation cookies?) to nibble on during confinement. More details on this can be referred to in Ms Zay Aw’s blog post above on the same.

In addition, your fridge would need to be stocked with lean pork shoulders, chicken, selected fish and vegetables once you have delivered for the confinement meals to be prepared. Best ask the person who will be doing the cooking for you to manage on what and how much to buy on this as you would be busy recuperating and managing the new addition to the family.

Chinese Herbal Post-Natal Packages

Nowadays, many Chinese herbal shops provide post-natal packages and would have pre-packed the herbs and labelled them according the day it is to be boiled and consumed during the confinement period. Stepping into the 2 rather well-known Chinese herbal shops aside from Eu Yan Sang, i.e. Yin Onn (Ipoh)Sdn Bhd in LG Floor Mid Valley, and Taimal Herbs & Medicine Sdn Bhd (also known as Effective Herbs & MedicineSdn Bhd) in 1U, both outlets would have a staff who would be able to show the pre-packed confinement herb packages, as well as provide a brochure/ booklet on the types of soups to be prepared according to schedule for consumption. Yinn Onn’s 22 day post-natal tonic herbal soup starts from RM760.00, whilst Taimal’s 30 day herbal soup package starts from RM750.00. All soups are normally cooked together with a choice of chicken or pork.

Eu Yan Sang’s 21 day post-natal package costs about RM600.00++ for member price, and RM845.00 for non-member. Being a pregnant mom, you would be entitled to sign up as their member for free. However in my opinion, the supplements provided in this pack such as the So Hup Pills and Pak Foong Pills would not be sufficient for confinement and you may need to purchase a separate pack for them.

Another opinion shared by other moms and moms-to-be that I have come across is that should you or a relative be more familiar with the local Chinese medicine shops, you would be able to procure the confinement herbal packages at a more lower price, and maybe even be able to mix & match the amount of herbs according to preference. A note of caution however is that if you are not familiar with the shopkeeper/owner of the less reputable Chinese herbal shops, it would be difficult to guarantee if the herbs sold are “clean” or original when it originates from China.

A tip to note here is whichever herbal package that you would be purchasing, do get it at most a month before your due date to ensure that the herbs are fresh and your fridge will have enough space to store them as these herbs have to be stored chilled or they may actually attract weevils.

Traditional Herbal Post-Natal Packages

Post-natal packages catered for the general public regardless of race would normally be derived from tropical herbs and contain consumable supplements or teas, herbal baths and massage oils to help calm and speed up recovery of the new mother, and care for the new baby as well. The 2 main packages I have come across are Amway Post Natal Care Package, purchased at member price of RM280.00 (N/P RM365.00 I think), and Tanamera Post Natal Care Set, which has been priced as per their website of RM335.00.

For the Tanamera package, I have liaised with several malay massage ladies who have specified that their massages will only be carried out if their client purchases the Tanamera package, and that they will not be able to carry out the massage if other brand products are used. Same goes with the massage/spa services offered by Tanamera’s masseurs.

Hence, due to this inflexibility and higher cost involved, I have opted for the Amway set. The Amway set has been recommended by several other moms as the most comprehensive and value for money package set, and includes the following items and instructions on how to use them as well:

For Oral Consumption

1. Herbal tea (10 sachets)

2. Supplement - After Birth 1 (60 capsules)

3. Supplement - After Birth 2 (80 capsules)

For External Use:

4. Herbal Wash (20 sachets)

5. Herbal Bath (20 sachets)

6. Firming Herbal Blend (20 packets)

7. Warming Herbal Blend (15 packets)

8. Calming Herbal Blend (15 packets)

9. Herbal Massage Oil (60 ml)

10. Baby Massage Oil (60 ml)

11. Bengkung (1 unit)

Amway Box set and Binder/Bengkung

Contents of the Box Set

Eventhough the malay massage lady that I will be hiring during my confinement would be able to provide her own herbal blend and oils for the massage, she also recommended this package as most of her customers would normally purchase this for use during the massage, and the herbal blend baths which can be used when she is not around. I have also come across posts from other new moms that if their spouse or relative is willing and knowledgeable in how to carry out the massage, purchasing this set would be sufficient for their confinement needs already.

Herbal Bath & Massage Oil Post Natal Packages

Some Chinese medicine shops do also sell their own mix of the herbal bath/soak sachets, but TYT was the herbal brand I noticed at all 3 baby fairs that I had attended that catered for confinement herbal baths (ginger variety available), baby herbal baths, herbal foot baths and herbal medicated oils. Their products have been certified HALAL by JAKIM and can be purchased online or at selected Chinese medicine and pharmaceutical outlets. Courtesy of a family relative, I have received a set of the 1 month’s Confinement Set +ginger variety, and 2 packs of the Herbal Foot Bath (x 4 sachet per box).

When enquired at the baby fair, the promotion price for confinement set is the same as their current gong price online of RM180.00 per set. However, purchases made at the baby fair will entitle you to some additional freebies, such as a free bengkung, some herbal medicated oil sample bottles or even a few more sachets of herbal baths/soaks.

To the moms-to-be who are wary of post-natal massages and would not be getting the traditional herbal post-natal packages but would still like to enjoy the benefits and convenience of a warm herbal bath/foot bath without the hassle of mixing your own herb leaves and flowers, this would be a good alternative as they are all pre-packed in easy to use and dispose sachets.

Post-Natal Complete Package

Another brand I saw at the recent Today’s Baby Expo held on 15 September 2016 in Mid Valley was Perfect Women Wellness House Sdn Bhd. I haven’t seen or heard much about this brand, and as I was in a rush I did not stop to listen to their promoter’s explanation. When I checked online, their write-up on their Complete Post-Natal package seemed to include drink supplements, pre-packed herbs and enzyme essences for cooking, and herbal baths. Their website also posted many positive reviews about it, but it costs RM3,398.00??!!

Personally this is definitely outside my budget, hence I leave it to my readers here to consider this package and to provide their review on it.

As for the confinement clothing, breast pump and other miscellaneous necessities and accessories, these should have been purchased and ready for use post-delivery and not just for during confinement. My checklist on these can be found in my earlier blog post on “Checklist for New Arrival”.

Confinement Ladies and Confinement Centres

To the moms-to-be who need a helping hand in house chores, caring for the newborn and mom herself, cooking the food and herbal tonics, giving massages, and someone to provide an overall medical/ traditional advice on what to do and what not to do, hiring of a confinement lady to stay, occasionally visit for a stipulated number of hours per week, to just drop the cooked meals, or even opting for staying at a confinement centre instead in the KL/Selangor area can go for a rate from RM3,500 – RM10,000, depending on the vicinity and type of service required. This amount may not exclude the costs of purchasing food materials for cooking of the confinement meal and soups, the “ang pao” at the end of the service, potential surcharges for services provided during holiday periods such as Christmas and Chinese New Year, as well as any medical consultation and medicine fees that may arise.

The Mummy Notebook had posted her reviews on 4 surveyed confinement centres under her blog posts in August 2015. The 4 centers surveyed include CareNanny Malaysia, Mom’s Paradise Postnatal Retreat, Gina’s Place, and Serenity’s Confinement Centre.

Malay massage ladies/ Tukang Urut

If hiring a tukang urut is your thing, then searching for a well-reviewed and affordable urut lady online or by word of mouth is crucial to ensure that your confinement massage arrangements are well organised and stress-free. One such active forum thread can be found on Lowyat.Net at https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2579445, whilst a summary of urut ladies can be found on MalaysiaBrides.com at http://www.malaysiabrides.com/forum/topic/16241-malay-urut-lady/?page=2.

Prices can range between RM70.00 – RM130.00 depending on the type of services provided (i.e. massage for the mom, massage for the babies, herbal baths and wearing of the bengkung), the hours involved and location of the urut lady and her client. It also may or may not include transportation and massage materials/bengkung costs, which can go up to RM10.00-RM20.00 per trip, and RM35.00-RM50.00 for 1 bengkung.

To me, the factors i considered in choosing my kak urut were if their package service offered the basic of massage, tukul/ hot stone and bengkung wrapping, and if their price also included:
1. Their transportation costs

2. Costs for the materials used during their service, including bengkung

3. Massage for baby (optional)

4. Herbal Bath (optional)

5. Breast massage to ease engorgement (optional) 

In addition, just like choosing my O&G, i would try chatting with them first to see how upfront they are with their package services and how well we could get along (afterall, you will be hiring this person over to care and touch you when you and your family are most vulnerable). Understanding their background, years of experience, and how their package works would definitely make you more assured.

Some moms have voiced concern that hiring of these freelance urut ladies may not hold them as accountable as hiring a masseur from a spa service centre. To me this is a personal and delicate choice, as most spa masseurs might not offer home services and the mom would need to drop by the spa centre to carry out the massage later in their confinement period/ after, which some say would slow the process of recovery as the post-natal massage can be conducted as early as 7 days post-delivery (for vaginal delivery) or 14 days post-delivery (for caesarean delivery). In addition, if the massage costs are going to exceed RM150.00 per session, then a spa service massage could be considered.

Save for the confinement meal recipes which is best left to the person who will be doing the cooking for you, I believe I should have covered almost all aspects to be considered during confinement. I’ll share my experience on this once it’s my turn. Until then, all the best!