Diet taboos for confinement children

Raw and cold foods that are too cold, medicinal foods that have too strong a blood-activating effect, foods that are too greasy tonic, and spicy foods that are high in sugar and salt. The rest of the taboos can basically be adjusted flexibly according to your own physical condition.

I'm not making this up. Last month, I accompanied my little sister who had just had an abortion for a review. Her mother forced her to stuff her with a thermos of longan, red dates and black-bone chicken soup. After just three days of drinking it, the lochia, which was almost clean, suddenly increased and there were blood clots. The doctor asked if she had been eating something to promote blood circulation.

First, let’s talk about the cold food that everyone is most concerned about. Many people say that confinement children cannot touch cold water or eat cold food. Is it really that exaggerated? Actually, no. The raw and cold food we are talking about here refers to things like iced milk tea, iced watermelon, and ice cream that are freshly taken out of the refrigerator and have a temperature lower than 10 degrees. In the week just after the operation, the pelvic cavity and gastrointestinal tract are in a state of congestion and stress. The introduction of ice can easily stimulate smooth muscle spasm, which can range from stomachache and diarrhea to severe lochia, which cannot be discharged and accumulates in the uterine cavity, making it prone to infection. Of course, there are different opinions. A Western medicine doctor I know said that if you drink ice water all year round and you don’t have stomachache or heavy bleeding after surgery, it’s okay to drink mineral water at room temperature or even slightly cooler. You don’t have to drink hot water. Your comfort is the most important thing. On the contrary, many elderly people regard fruits as raw and cold, and must steam them before eating them. In fact, mild fruits such as apples, strawberries, and oranges at room temperature have high vitamin content and can promote wound healing. There is really no need to cook them until all nutrients are lost.

What needs more attention than raw and cold food is actually the blood-activating food that everyone is most likely to miss. After my best friend had a medical abortion last year, her mother-in-law cooked her brown sugar, longan and red date soup every day, and also added some astragalus. As a result, the lochia was cleared up in 7 days, but it continued to bleed for 12 days. She went to the hospital for a follow-up B-ultrasound and there was no problem. The doctor said that she ate too much blood-activating food, and the wounds in the uterus were unable to coagulate and heal. Here is an important point: saffron, motherwort, red ginseng, longan and other medicines and foods with strong blood-activating effects. Unless the doctor says that you have residues that need to be promoted, you must not eat them blindly, especially in the first 10 days after surgery. The wound is already bleeding, and eating blood-activating medicines will only prolong the bleeding time and increase the risk of infection. There is a lot of controversy about brown sugar water. Traditional Chinese medicine says that drinking a small amount for 2 or 3 days will relieve the pain of uterine contractions. Western medicine believes that more than 90% of brown sugar is sucrose, which is of no use other than replenishing calories. If people who have high blood sugar or heavy bleeding drink it, it will easily increase their blood sugar and aggravate bleeding. In fact, it can be a compromise. If you usually have dysmenorrhea, drinking brown sugar water is useful. If you have postoperative pain, drinking it warm for a day or two is fine. Don't drink it continuously for more than a week.

By the way, I met a girl before who ate bird's nest all the time in order to replenish her body after the surgery. As a result, her face broke out with acne. She went to the dermatologist and was told that she had over-replenished her body and had overnutrition. In fact, the consumption during the confinement period is not as big as you think. Many people think that the confinement period hurts the vitality and requires a lot of supplements, such as hoof soup, old hen soup, and turtle soup, all of which are greasy. I heard complaints from nurses at the obstetrics nurse station before, saying that a sister gained 8 pounds in one week after surgery and was still constipated. She squatted on the toilet until her pelvic floor muscles ached for a review. She ate too much oil. She exercised less just after the operation, and her gastrointestinal motility was slow. She couldn't digest food high in oil. Not only was she prone to gain weight and constipation, but she could also have breast obstruction. Oh yes, if you are pregnant and induced, your breasts will naturally increase. Drinking too much soup will aggravate the pain of breast enlargement. It is really unnecessary. I used to accompany a friend to see a nutritionist. They said that the diet of a confinement child should be similar to that of a normal mother-in-law. Adding more high-quality protein such as eggs, lean meat, and milk is better than any supplement. If you really want to supplement, make a light fish soup or chicken soup, skim off the oil, and drink it two or three times. It is really not necessary to drink it all as water.

Finally, let’s talk about the heavy food. Many people are bored at home and just want to eat some spicy strips, spicy hot pot, and heavy-salt braised food to enhance the flavor. It’s not that they shouldn’t touch it at all, or they just don’t eat too much. Immunity is already low after surgery. Food that is too spicy or salty can easily irritate the gastrointestinal tract, causing diarrhea or constipation. It may also aggravate pelvic congestion and cause pain in the waist and abdomen. There is a girl from Chongqing who usually doesn't like anything spicy. She ate slightly spicy noodles on the third day after the operation. Nothing happened. But a girl who usually doesn't touch spicy food had diarrhea for two days after taking a bite of spicy duck neck, which was not worth the gain.

To put it bluntly, confinement children’s dietary taboos are never a rigid blacklist. Nothing is off-limits. The core is not to take supplements blindly, don’t be greedy for cold food, and don’t irritate the stomach. You will feel comfortable eating without any uncomfortable reactions. This is more reliable than any rules passed down from your ancestors. Of course, if you have underlying diseases, such as diabetes, stomach problems, etc., you still have to follow the doctor's advice and don't eat blindly.