My Confinement Story

CONFINEMENT. The very word suggests immobility, trapped, caged, etc. If you googled the word and look at the images returned, 90% of them are really, really sad.

I am almost through my third week of confinement. Today is the 20th day. In the first week, I was still weak from the hard work on the 11th, the idea of total rest and inactivity is totally welcomed. Starting from Monday, 14th of February, I began my massage therapy session. For the first week, I am a body that needs recuperating.

Second week came, and it started to get tough. Though we had our first taste of outdoor after twelve days of “house-arrest” it just left me with wanting for more of the polluted air! Ha ha ha… How exhilarating it was to be able to be out there, and feel normal again! Within this week, I got a little bit emotional, especially when people started to criticising that I’m cheating on my confinement.

The rule was, to wear socks day and night, to cover the head day and night, to wear sweater day and night. Initially I was okay with it, but the weather got too warm and I started to feel suffocated. I am eating meals with black pepper every day, day and night, combined with the humid weather it got too much. I didn’t realise I kicked off the socks while I was sleeping or let the head scarf loosen. I was supposed to block my ears with garlic, but I didn’t get around to doing that; it is said that it will expel wind from the body and to avoid post partum depression, or meroyan as known amongst the Malays. I had to sleep with 4 pillows under my head for the same reason. I tried, oh, I did my best, but my coccyx started to ache and the pressure was too much for my back. So, I took it upon myself to only use two pillows earlier than prescribed.

Into the third week, I started to make myself comfortable, and I believe Mak does not want to put too much pressure on me. For I have been eating right all the time, with few exception where I asked her permission to eat a little sambal goreng… I do my berganggang (sauna) every morning, I do the hot stone therapy (bertungku) every day even when Cik Yati does not come for massage session. Instead of wearing socks I use a pair of hotel slippers. I have decided that for me to get through this confinement period, I need to feel comfortable and relaxed. So, I’m changing my mindset; My confinement period is my spa holiday and the time to bond with my beautiful daughter. It is working well so far.

What’s also helping is my massage sessions, which are continuous throughout the confinement period. I have 18 sessions altogether and have completed nine sessions so far. I’m also taking herbal drink at every meal; akar kayu that taste like tea without sugar. Luckily I’ve been sugarless tea drinker for quite some time (green tea, chinese tea, floral tea) so this herbal tea is just like one of those. I’m taking herbal pills too, three times a day. And every morning, I drink a shot of turmeric juice with a dollop of honey. Yummehhh!!! My tummy, hands and legs are also covered with herbal concoction in the morning, not to mention pilis for the forehead. I am allowed to remove the residue once they are dried. A plus, coz need to kiss my hubby before he goes to work, kan?

When I weighed myself at the doctor’s office last week, I have actually lost 8kg! 6kg more and I’ll be at my pre-pregnancy weight! When I look at my pictures during the first week, my face was so pale. But now, I can see the difference, my lips are getting redder (surprise!) and my skin is brighter. My tummy, is getting smaller and smaller every day, I know for sure because the corset (bengkung) I’m wearing is getting narrower every day. Mak has to alter the bengkung to make it smaller. And this is only after 15 days! So, whoever says that pantang is an old wives’ tale, they better get their facts checked.

All in all, my confinement is not so bad, as long as I don’t entertain the need to be out and about. The food, I’m loving it. I have baked fish, baked chicken, poached fish, all served with sour sauce. They are all cooked with black pepper, ginger and garlic. All my favourites! Only thing is, I miss eating spicy food, but apparently I can still eat curry (cooked with milk, not coconut milk), so seriously, confinement food, they are not bad at all! I’m following the rules where I cannot eat beans, potato, anything watery or windy, etc. So the only vege that I can take is sawi, pak choy, and their siblings.

I have 25 days left. 25 because I delivered Baby Hana at night. I’m determined to loose all the pregnancy weight, at least. Get healthier and be more vibrant. So I can take care of The Hubby and Baby Hana. :-)