What is Post-natal Confinement?
The first month immediately after giving birth is commonly known as post-natal confinement during which mothers need special health care and extra rest,
and to feed the babies. The mothers should also remain emotionally relaxed.
For women, confinement is a valuable chance for physiological restoration. Any inadequacy on health condition before pregnancy could be improved through
appropriate care during post-natal confinement. Mothers need a strong mind and physique to take care of the babies and to prepare for returning to the workplace.
On the contrary, inappropriate healthcare of the mothers during the post-natal confinement period may lead to some far reaching side effects.
Therefore, mothers should not miss this golden opportunity of recuperation.
Why is Post-natal Care Helper Necessary?
As post-natal mothers need to take sufficient rest, professional and competent post-natal care helpers can help take care of the newborn babies and prepare meals for the mothers during confinement.
The Chinese are very serious about post-natal diet. The way of recuperation and tonic menu can be varied for mothers of different physical constitution and mode of delivery, etc.
Post-natal care helpers who are experienced in preparing nutritious and tonic menu can ensure good recuperation for the mothers during confinement.
Post-natal Recuperation
Chinese medicine practitioners see physiological changes of postpartum mothers as feeble and stasis. As the mothers experienced sudden deficient in "Yinxue" (陰血) and
easy lost "Yangqi" (陽氣), some phenomenon like fear of wind, lochia, light fever, sweating, etc. will occur on the first few days after delivery. Feeble and weak immunity
due to negligence in post-natal care will induce diseases which can be hard to cure. Therefore, stepping up post-natal care and nutritious recuperation is very important.
Experienced post-natal care helpers will strengthen nutritious recuperation for post-natal mothers. Nutritional food will be arranged to accelerate the "Qi"(氣) and "Xue"(血),
and to promote secretion of milk. In different phases of recuperation, the post-natal care helpers will prepare suitable nutritional dishes and tonic food to facilitate best recovery of the mothers.
Caring for the Newborn Baby
Post-natal care helpers will clean the umbilical cord of the babies, shampoo and bath them, sooth them to sleep, feed them and change their napkins every day.
Newborn babies need extra care, especially when their neck muscles are not strong enough, and the umbilical cords not yet shed. Weight loss, milk spitting, minor rashes,
etc. are very common on the newborn babies. Professionally trained post-natal care helpers can provide assistance for the new mothers in taking care of newborn babies.
Preparing Milk
Pour in the bottle suitable amount of cool water, followed by suitable amount of hot water, before adding the milk powder. Place the sterilised teat and cap on the bottle and shake well till the powder fully dissolved. Test the milk temperature which should be around 37-38°C.
Bathing
Pour cool water into the bathtub before adding hot water. Use the elbow to check the water temperature which should be around 37-38°C.
Immunisation
The following documents are required in the first visit to the Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) for immunisation:
- Parent’s Hong Kong Identity Cards (Copies are acceptable)
- Immunisation record
- Birth identity documents (e.g. Birth certificate)
- Newborn hospital discharge record
- MCHC Antenatal Registration Card of mother