A new mother followed “postnatal isolation” – being fed and cared for by her mother-in-law and not showering for a month so she could “rest”.
Samantha Lee, 28, was told about her husband Aloysius Lee, 27,’s family tradition of seclusion and decided she wanted to follow it after becoming pregnant.
Postpartum confinement is a traditional practice where the mother spends 30 days resting and recuperating after giving birth.
After Samantha welcomed her son, Xandre, one month old, her mother-in-law, Alicia Lee, 58, cooked fresh meals every day and nursed the baby to sleep.
Samantha also followed the tradition of not showering for this month – as they believe water can cause the body temperature to drop.
The new mother says the 30 days allowed her to “rest” and “focus” on herself.
Samantha, a chiropractor, from Auckland, New Zealand, said: “It’s all centered around eating, sleeping and resting.”
“It’s definitely what I needed.
“I’m not someone who likes to rest a lot.
“Every chance she gets, she will get it [her mother in law] take care of the baby.
“I don’t have to stress too much and I can just focus on myself.
“Going through isolation forced me to rest.”
When Samantha, originally from South Africa, married into Aloysius’ Malay Chinese family, she was told about their traditions and treated like a daughter.
After finding out they were expecting in December 2023, Samantha decided closure was something she wanted to pursue.
Alicia prepared for isolation by ordering food packages from Malaysia with all the herbs, teas and traditional foods given to a new mother for 30 days.
Samantha gave birth to her son, Xandre, by caesarean section on September 7, 2024 weighing 7lbs 2oz.
She spent two nights in the hospital, but Alicia still brought her food before she could go home.
For the rest of the 30 days, Alicia woke up every day at 7 a.m. to start making Samantha’s tea—a herbal concoction of red dates—that must be brewed for two hours.
She would then prepare the soup for lunch which is simmered for five hours – and helps to cleanse the uterus and promote digestion.
Then she served Samantha’s breakfast – ginger fried egg rice or chicken liver noodle soup.
Samantha said: “Once I’m calm, she comes and grabs the baby, changes him and takes care of him while I eat.
“All this is aimed at warming up the body.
“In Chinese food there is wet food and dry food.
“Warm food drives away moisture or dampness.
“They believe that if moisture stays in the body, you will have many health problems.”
Alicia then goes to get fresh produce for the day before she comes back to give Samantha her lunch and then she helps put the baby down so they can both sleep.
Samantha said: “She puts the baby down and I have to go and sleep too.
“She then takes a break or does a cleaning.”
Alicia then focuses on making Samantha’s dinner – like ginger chicken, Sheng Hua soup or black chicken.
The first few days they left Xandre in Guinness.
Samantha said, “That’s supposed to stop him from getting any rashes.”
Even the mother followed the tradition of not washing for 30 days.
She said: “You must not touch any water.
“It’s not meant to be absorbed into your body.
“You are not meant to shower. I decided to respect its full tradition.
“I wipe with ginger water, which really stimulates milk secretion.”
Samantha’s mother, Linda Quezet, 53, also helped where she could with cleaning and cooking.
Aloysius also took a month off from work to be ready and spend bonding time with his son.
Samantha said she was “really weak” after having a caesarean and having mum and Alicia on hand meant she was able to rest and said her scar has already healed so well that “even you can’t see it.”
She said: “It’s not the story we’re usually told.
“Normally we are told ‘you can come back’, ‘go back to work’.
“They forget mom. Even a mother needs a mother.
“I can’t imagine not having people around me.
“Having nutrient-dense, high-protein food – it’s really helped me heal.
“I’m getting more sleep and rest and my body is thanking me for it.”
When Samantha finishes seclusion on October 6, 2024, she will have a ‘full moon celebration’.
She said: “You’re celebrating that you’ve had a baby, you’ve been through prisons and you’re more rested.
“I will introduce my child to the rest of the family.
Everyone brings money for the child.
Once her 30 days are up, Samantha will try to keep drinking red date tea as long as she can and won’t be rushing back to work anytime soon.
She said: “My main focus is going to be myself for the next six months.”
Samantha hopes that by sharing her experience, she can help promote the need for maternity leave.
She said: “A lot of women feel completely isolated – you’re told to have a baby and you should be happy.
“You are a shell of yourself.
“Your body is going through all these hormonal changes.
“If a woman has someone taking care of her or the baby, it can seem a little more internal.
“I believe it reduces the chances of postpartum depression.”
Sample menu:
Saffron Tea, Date Tea, Ginger Chicken, Sheng Hua Soup and Chinese Yam Si-Shen Soup.
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Image Source : nypost.com