During pregnancy, the baby is like a parasite and will take in all the nutrients you need. If your diet is nutritious enough for both, it does not cause any problems. If, on the other hand, your diet is inadequate for both, then your recovery after birth will take longer, and if you still do not replenish your body’s stores during the confinement period, you may remain weak for a long time. This is why our elders make so many misconceptions about eating confinement food menu during the period of captivity.
Just remember the following pointers:
- Anything you breastfeed will be replaced by your baby’s milk, so you must eat a balanced diet so that your baby gets the right nutrients for maximum growth and development.
- Some confinement food menu causes the baby to ‘wind up’ or have a stool. If you think your child is suddenly quite unsettled, try and think about what you ate during the last 12 hours. Avoid those foods for a few days, and then try again.
- You feel that your appetite is a little less during the first week. This is normal because your body adjusts to its non-pregnant state physically and mentally, so it is better to take a small confinement food menu a day instead of the usual three large meals.
- You need to drink plenty of fluids to make enough milk for breastfeeding, and if you are forbidden to drink water, you can get fluids from other sources like soups.