In Malaysia, we certainly practice “sitting the month”. Straight from the hospital after giving birth, the Chinese among us sit out the month in our pajamas. Only most of us don’t call it “sitting the month” but by another more commonly-used term known as: confinement.
All Malaysian mothers, regardless of culture and religion go through confinement. The Malay culture have their confinement practices too, only it’s not a month they sit out but 44 to 100 days! Oh my! And in that 100 days, they have to practice abstinence (no postpartum coitus), wear socks, drink jamu, bind their bodies and submit to plenty of post natal massages and herbal baths.
In Indian culture, the confinement period is 40 days. They too have to wear socks, bind their bodies with pounded old ginger, go through plenty of vigorous baths and scrubs and grind through massages using ginger oil.
That’s quite an ordeal but at least, mothers of the other cultures are allowed to bathe.
In Chinese culture, “sitting the month” does not allow baths, cold drinks or stepping outside the house for the entire duration of 30 days ─ it is almost like house arrest and in many ways it is because you also cannot have visitors. But every year tens of millions of Chinese mothers around the world, including Malaysia, submit themselves to “sitting the month”.
What is ‘Sitting the Month’?
The tradition of “Sitting the Month” or Zuo Yuezi (坐月子) which literally translates to “Sitting the Month”) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dates back thousands of years to the Han Dynasty in China where it was recognised that what happens in the month immediately after childbirth is crucial to the future health of the mother and her newborn.
The underlying theme of the programme is to protect the mother and newborn from exposure to pathogens and negativity. Pregnancy and childbirth are already stressful. A new mother is obviously in a depleted state making her system more vulnerable. This month is therefore used to prioritise recovery through the creation of a calm environment where demands on mother would be minimal, so that it can quicken recuperation and prevent postpartum depression and other health problems. At the same time, remedies are given to promote healthy milk production and a healthy immune system for the betterment of both mother and baby.
The programme, therefore, involves strict rules, some of which are still followed as closely as they were 2000 years ago.
Of course, things have changed somewhat over the centuries and modern day mothers have adapted some of the more “old fashioned” rules to suit the current environment.
A Thriving ‘Sitting the Month’ Industry
What’s interesting is that now, “Sitting the Month” in Malaysia has become a thriving industry with five-star luxury confinement centres that offer bedrest, as well as nurses and confinement ladies to cater to all of mother’s post-natal needs as well as 24/7 babycare which includes bottle washing, formula/milk prep, burping, rocking, putting to sleep, changing diapers, clothes, washing baby, baby laundry and more.
Because of demand, these confinement centres are mushrooming all over the place. Most of them cater to all the cultures in Malaysia.
The idea could have originated from China where “sitting the month” is practiced most. Some enterprising entrepreneur could have observed how it was doing so well and brought the idea back home where it is now, also a thriving industry.
However, the choice is still up to the couples themselves. Families who don’t want to spend large sums on confinement centres can carry out their confinement practices at home where the new mother stays the term with the in-laws or her own parents or the mum’s mother or mother-in-law comes over to stay with the new mother. If the said relatives are not available, then a confinement lady is hired to help with cooking the necessary confinement foods and take care of the baby.
Sticky Rules
Even though help may be available, probably one of the hardest things that a new mother will have to handle in “sitting the month” is the prohibition to bathe and wash her hair. Our humid Malaysian weather just does not do a thing to ease the situation. Two days into confinement when you’re feeling sticky and sweaty, you might wonder if the practice is hygienic at all. Those dry shampoos don’t help after the first few days.
The rules probably work better in China because it is a cold country by comparison. It has four seasons and winters that go below freezing point, sometimes with blizzard and all, so it would seem that the no-bathing rule would make perfect sense. And 2000 years ago, when “sitting the month” was first formulated, China was an agricultural country where everyday life revolved around toiling the fields in damp soil and chilly air.
But rules are rules. Here are some of what they entail.
1.Avoid contact with any kind of coldness and wind
Cold and wind are pathogenic factors in Chinese medicine, meaning they can trigger a disease process. Two thousand years ago, TCM understood germ theory and said that weather and temperature can affect our immune system. Only in recent years did Harvard publish a research paper confirming the theory and said that cold weather and respiratory diseases go hand in hand. “Cold temperatures suppress the immune system, so the opportunities for infection increase.”
- “Sitting the month” proposes bundling up, even indoors and not go outside at all. Socks must be on at all times and it is preferable to wear long-sleeved everything such as pajamas or long-sleeved t-shirts and long trousers.
- While bundled up, there should also be no air-conditioning or fans on. However, in our Malaysian weather, this would be called roasting ourselves alive.
- And then of course ─ no baths or showers are allowed for the full 30 days.
- You are also discouraged to touch tap water, even to wash your hands, because it is cold, lest you be warned of getting rheumatism and arthiritis in later age.
- Similarly, you are also not allowed to drink cold water. Only hot or warm is permitted.
2.Eat only warm, cooked, bland foods
Childbirth is draining and often, there is a fair or sometimes large amount of blood loss. In Chinese medicine theory, there are certain foods that help replenish the qi and blood circulation which are depleted after birth. In western medical thought, cold raw foods are more likely to carry bacteria, so this is not bad advice. In TCM, cold is yin. The postpartum period is a yin period. TCM is always about balancing yin and yang. Therefore, warmth or heat is needed bring the body back to a balanced state. Warm and cooked foods are easier to digest too, so everything cooked is preferable, which makes perfect sense.
In the same line of thought, mothers should only eat “heaty” or “warm” foods like:
- Chicken, mutton, pork, ginger, garlic, oats, walnuts, leeks, and pumpkin to counteract the “coldness” of the postpartum month.
- She should not eat “cold” or “cooling” foods such as fruits (No fruits!), raw vegetables (Not even a carrot stick), wheat, millet, crab, celery, cucumber, asparagus or seaweed.
- No sambal belacan or any other spicy foods and no salt.
- Emphasis is on bone broths (the marrow is best) and of course ginger, dates and goji berries. Prime meals are lactation-stimulating soups made with ingredients such as pork trotters and peanuts, or fish with sesame oil, green papaya and goji berries.
- Herbs that should be used often are Dang Gui and Huang Qi (Astragalus)
3.No TV, books, or other distractions
She should not read, watch TV or DVDs, send or receive WhatsApps, take calls on her cell/mobile phone or landline, or play on her iPad or laptop.
This may sound difficult and boring, but focusing on resting and low mental stimulation can be helpful for healing. It’s a little like Zen.
It is wise to be mindful of how the things we think of as “entertaining” elicit emotional responses and can make our bodies respond like we are experiencing whatever is happening on the screen or book. Most women have deep empathy during this time from the change of hormones. Not being sucked in by the noise and dramas of the outside world helps us become more attentive to the needs of the baby. It keeps our attention away from the emotions of others which could come through the phone or the TV or book.
At the end of the day, the idea is to let down those shoulders, lie back with feet up and recuperate.
4.No visitors
People bring germs.
And people can also stress out the new mom in various ways (bringing drama, gossip, giving unwanted advice, criticising, judging, etc), further depleting the mother’s precious qi.
5.No Sex and Binding
- No sex during this period. It makes sense. Mother is still postpartum bleeding at this stage.
- She is advised to wear a post-natal girdle or binding in order to flatten the stomach.
At the end of “sitting the month”, new mum will have her bath with pomelo leaves to wash away all “dirtiness” and be groomed to emerge a new rejuvenated woman just in time for her baby’s Full Moon celebration. At the grand occasion, she will proudly introduce the new family member to her all her relatives and friends.
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