I Didn’t Shower for 30 Days During Postpartum Confinement & My MIL Took Care of Me the Whole Time

@sammyqlee/TikTok

One new mom is sharing her story after practicing postpartum confinement after giving birth to her first child. Postpartum confinement is a traditional practice where the new mom spends 30 days resting and recovering immediately following giving birth. During the rest period, the woman’s mother-in-law fed her healthy homemade meals meant to promote healing, and helped with child care.

Postpartum confinement isn’t a particularly common practice in the US, but it can be a really eye-opening and interesting experience. The postpartum time is so intense, and many believe this practice of self-care is something that should be more widely available.

Postpartum confinement is a tradition in her husband's family.

@sammyqlee Have you ever struggled with post birth swelling? Because, same. Day 11 of being a white girl living out my Chinese confinement dreams! ✨ Here’s how I’m reducing fluid and reconnecting with myself naturally during my Chinese confinement journey! Post-birth recovery is all about reducing inflammation and fluid buildup—and let me tell you, the traditional Chinese foods I’ve been eating are promoting a massive decrease in fluid build up. Today’s star: turmeric and ginger marinated chicken. I gave it a solid 9/10, but hey, there’s always room for improvement, right? A little about me: I’m trained in postnatal rehab, so I’ve started easing into gentle movements to reconnect with my core and pelvic floor.  Having a cesarean can be highly disconnecting for us as women. Most women don’t even want to look or touch their scar. This can lead to further dysfunction not only physically, but also emotionally as we disconnect from self. These gentle movements are designed to help me reconnect and create a positive relationship with my postpartum body. Combining these healing foods with rest and rehab is giving me the best recovery possible! 💪💫 Todays menu: Ginger and Tumeric Chicken, Spinach and Rice. Codcyeps Flowers herbal soup to Tonify Kidney and Qi and Red Date Tea. See you on day 12 as I delve into how I’m increasing my milk production!  #PostpartumRecovery #Postnataljourney #postpartumrehab #ChineseConfinement #dailylifevlog ♬ Rule of Life - Verganio

When Samantha Lee found out she was pregnant in 2023, she knew that she would want to take part in her husband’s family’s tradition of postpartum confinement. Her mother-in-law, Alicia Lee, took care of her, making her fresh meals and looking after her newborn son, Xandre.

It allows the mother to really focus on healing.

“It’s all focused around eating, sleeping, and resting,” Samantha told SWNS, as published in the New York Post. She shared that the time allowed for “rest” and to “focus” on herself. “It’s definitely what I needed,” she shared. “I’m not someone who wants to take a lot of rest.”

During the first 30 days of the postpartum period, Samantha didn’t even shower because it is believed that it will cause the body temperature to go down. “I get a wipe down with ginger water, which really promotes milk secretion,” she explained.

For the first few days, the family also bathed Xandre in Guinness beer, which is “supposed to stop him from getting any rashes.”

There is a holistic focus on the mother's body and healing.

iStock

Samantha’s husband Aloysius is of Chinese Malay heritage. Alicia ordered food packs from Malaysia, which contain all the herbs, teas, and traditional foods typically given to a new mom during those first 30 days. Even though Samantha had Xandre via C-section and remained in the hospital for two days, Alicia still brought her food.

“It’s all aimed at warming the body,” Samantha said. “They believe if wetness stays in the body you’ll have a lot of health issues.”

Alicia handled a lot of the things around the house.

Alicia woke up every morning at 7 a.m. to make Samantha’s tea and soup for lunch; both of them require hours to prepare. Samantha explained that “Once I’m all settled, she comes and grabs baby, [changes] him and looks after him while I eat.”

Then Alicia would go off to get fresh produce for the day before giving Samantha her lunch. After that, she helped Samantha to put the baby down so they could both nap. While they nap, Alicia would do cleaning around the house or would take a break.

Samantha gave the process a lot of credit for helping her feel better after giving birth.

@sammyqlee Trust me, you need to try this dessert ASAP! 📢 It’s Day 15 of being a white woman living out her Chinese Confinement dreams—Week 3! After my ginger wash yesterday, I definitely needed a little sugar pick-me-up. You’ve seen me eat ginger, chicken, and almost throw up drinking herbal soup, but you haven’t seen this AMAZING dessert yet! It’s a solid 10/10 for me! 👍🏼 We actually make this dessert at home sometimes, and it’s one of my favorites. I love the mix of textures and that it’s not overly sweet. Plus, with the beans in it, I like to think I’m getting a little protein boost too! Can you catch the Malaysian slang from my mother in law while she makes the dessert? 😂 Today’s menu: Lotus Seed, Red Bean and Longan Dessert, Codnopsis and Astragalus Root herbal tea to Nourish Qui, Pure extract of Codyceps Sinensis to strengthen kidney, prevent back and knee pain. And of course my red date tea.  What do you guys think; would you try this dessert? Let me know in the comments! #dailylifevlog #postnataljourney #postpartum #chineseconfinement ♬ Raspberry Paradise - Prod. By Rose

After her C-section, Samantha said she felt “really weak,” and having Alicia as well as her own mother on hand to support her, gave her the space to heal. She said that the rest period allowed her scar to heal so well that you “can’t even see it.”

“It’s not the narrative we’re usually told,” she pointed out. “We’re normally told ‘you can bounce back,‘ ‘go back to work.’ Mom’s need mothering as well.”

Now that her confinement period is over, Samantha has no plans to rush back to work as a chiropractor. “My main focus is going to be myself for the next six months,” she said.