Playtimes HK Magazine Winter Issue 2018/2019 | Page 32

maternity
reason for hiring a live-in pui yuet for
two months with both her babies was:
“To get enough rest myself, after the
birth, so that I could recover in time to
get back to work, and to ensure my
newborns received experienced care.”
A confinement lady is expected to train
new mums in babycare and to train
helpers where necessary too. Staying
inside the house for a full 28 days is not
always practical and like many modern
mums, Cynthia tweaked the advice
slightly. “I just don’t see the scientific
evidence for total confinement, apart
from not getting sick. I think the key
is not to over-exhaust the new mom.
For me, going out to run some errands
and get some fresh air, whilst avoiding
crowds was ok.”
Yuen Wai Chang, mother to a four-
year-old daughter and eight-year-old
son, hired a daytime pui yuet when her
second baby was born. “I wanted a
person who was knowledgeable about
the types of foods that would heal
the post-partum body,” she explains.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
teaches that the loss of blood, and
the changes that occur in a woman’s
body during the birth process, result in
a body that is damaged and requires
urgent replenishment. If left untreated,
the damage caused by the birth can
result in health problems later in life.
Pui yuets are trained in preparing
foods and herbal medicines that will
assist with healing, strengthening,
and rebalancing the body’s qi. “Dried
longan, red dates and goji berries are
usually made into a tea for replenishing
blood and nourishment; Fish maw and
chicken soup for the collagen; Chicken
or lean pork double-boiled with
Chinese herbs for nourishing the body;
Papaya and peanut soups are good for
milk production, ” Yuen Wai explains.
“Pig trotters in black vinegar is another
staple, if not favourite, of confinement
ladies which I quite enjoyed.” For those
without an experienced confinement
cook in the home, food delivery
services are another option – delivering
traditionally prepared meals and tonics
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it’s important to have an
honest discussion about
what she will and will not
do for you and the baby,
and the hours/days she
will be working.