Let’s talk about my meals for the 60-day confinement period.

Since my baby was born through operation, my meal is strictly address to heal the incision wound. No herbs (jamu) was allowed.

Breakfast (8am)

1. 4 slices of Gardenia Bread (Wholegrain Fibremeal/Toastem Raisin Oatmeal/Original Recipe)
2. A glass of hot Milo Gold (chocolate mix) or Anmum Lacta for Breastfeeding Mothers milk.
3. Pure Sea Cucumber Water (Pati Gamat Asli) - one table spoon diluted with half-a-cup of water
4. Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Folic Acid and Ferromed (iron) tablets

Lunch (12pm)

1. White rice with Black Fish (Ikan Haruan)/Ikan Tenggiri soup or grilled (no oil) - I prefer grilled fish.
2. Pure Sea Cucumber Water (Pati Gamat Asli) - one table spoon diluted with half-a-cup of water
3. A glass of plain water

Snack (in-between meals)

1. Jacob’s Hi-Fibre wholemeal wheat cracker
2. Dates (kurma)
3. Plain water

Dinner (8pm)

1. White rice with Black Fish (Ikan Haruan)/Ikan Tenggiri soup or grilled (no oil) - I prefer grilled fish.
2. Pure Sea Cucumber Water (Pati Gamat Asli) - one table spoon diluted with half-a-cup of water
3. Polleney Essence of Black Fish (stopped on the 7th day due to baby’s jaundice)
4. Wild Forest Honey  (Lebah Tualang/Apis Dorsala) - one table spoon diluted with some water
5. A glass of plain water

Supper (9pm)

1. A glass of Anmum Lacta for Breastfeeding Mothers milk
2. Dates (kurma)

So, you see, I don’t eat anything else not mention above. No egg, chicken, meat, vegie, fruits and seafood! Hopefully I get enough protein and carbohidrates for producing milk….

And, oh… they (hubby, mak, relatives and mak bidan) also don’t want me to drink too much plain water. The reason? The incision wound might rupture (rip open). Urgh!

I silently disagree.

In my knowledge, the incision was done to the uterus (rahim) down at the bikini line. Not at my stomach. Then, anything that goes into my stomach shouldn’t affect my wound at all.

And, if I want to increase my milk supply, I need to drink lots and lots of fluids (2-3 litres per day)!

So, I just follow the “drink to thirst” rule - to drink whenever I’m thirsty.

Baby Izzah was born on 31st March 2008, at 34 weeks gestational age (pregnancy).

Due to my amniotic fluid/water leaking (air ketuban pecah) with traces of meconium (greenish brown baby’s stool) @ najis baby, at 6 weeks early than the due date and Placenta Previa Major Stage II - I was rushed to the operation room for emergency cesarean-section.

I was immobilised (unable to move) for more than 18 hours post-operation. And, was hooked on an IV drip (containing sodium lactate/magnesium sulfate) and was catherized so I didn’t have to get up for any reason.

Water and food were not allowed for the first 6 hours. After the 6 hours fasting, I was permitted to drink a small amount of water. Only God knows how dry my throat felt.

Due to the IV drip, I didn’t feel hungry at all for the first 2 days!

On the second day afternoon post-operation, the IV was no longer hooked on me. And, I was starving like crazy that I ate whatever was given to me for dinner.

I remember eating some rice with vegie and chicken soup as my first meal!

On the third day, I ate some bread with butter. And, had rice with fish ball soup, ikan cencaru pindang and some fried vegie. I even ate some slices of guava.

Only later I was told by concern relatives that I’m not supposed to eat vegetables, chicken, meat, egg, oily food (including butter), fruits and almost all type of fish. Why? Because they said these foods can cause my incision wound (luka pembedahan) to itch!

Eh really? But, those were the meals that the hospital gave to both post-operation and normal delivery moms in the ward. The nurses and doctors didn’t mention anything about prohibited food.

Nevertheless, I obliged to the confinement rules (pantang). I’m eating lots and lots of ikan haruan!

The first week of confinement, my mother took care of me and my baby. Umm, actually more to the caring of the baby.

She bathed the lil’ baby, “tungku/tuam/demah” her tummy, dress her up and even wash her little clothings. Lil’ Izzah is her 28th grandchildren and as this is my first baby, my mom felt she needed to help over.

My mom also help with the cooking, both for me (the confinement meals) and for my hubby. I really appreciate her of been there when I was still in great pain due to the cesarean birth.

She also sewed two stomach binders for me and eight binders for my lil’ baby. The binders are perfect!

Before binding my baby’s stomach, my mom “tungku” her little belly. Some sands were heated in a sardine can and wrapped in few layers of hankies. Lil’ Izzah seems so content when the warm tungku touched her tummy.

According to my mom, the “tungku” could help to get rid of gases (angin) in baby’s stomach. Thus, preventing my baby from getting a colic.

There is not much confinement restrictions forced by my mom. She only asked me to sit properly with buttocks firmly on the chair/floor/bed. I shouldn’t “duduk bersimpuh or bersila”, bend down or even sit on my favorite blue birth ball.

And, I was also not allowed to go out for lining-up laundries on the cloth lines. She volunteered to do that. Fine with me mom!

There was no timing set for bathing the baby. As long as the baby is bathed once in the morning and once in the evening, it was fine to my mom.

During the second week, my baby was admitted to Selangor Medical Center for 10 days due to jaundice and intestine infections.

Since my baby was not home, my mother went back to my hometown and I was left alone to take care of myself. Sob! Sob! Sob!

I cooked for myself the “ikan haruan bakar” and my husband helped with household chores such as cooking rice, washing dishes, doing the laundries etc. Thanks honey!

I took the opportunity to have a very good rest.

During the forth week of confinement (when my baby is back home), my hubby decided to ask his mom to come over.

My mother-in-law cooked a lot of delicious meals for her son and herself. For me, it was just the plain ikan haruan soup! Huwaa…..

And, my hubby was the happiest person that week. Who will not be happy to taste one’s own mom’s cooking every day?

That made me thinking, he got his mom here to help me or to help him? Ha..ha..ha.. just a wild thought!

My mother-in-law bathed lil’ Izzah and also “demah” her. She used some type of leaves (daun sireh and daun turi) which were heated using a hot iron. My baby seemed to enjoy the warm massage.

For bathing, my mother-in-law didn’t want to bath the baby before 9 am in the morning. She said it is not good for little baby. Ummm..

I on the other hand, would like to give the morning bath possibly by 7 - 8 am, so that I can do whatever I like knowing the baby is already freshly bath and change.

My mother-in-law also told me not to wash the baby’s clothing too long using the washing machine. She wants me to hand-wash those cloths because washing machine could ruin the clothing easily.

I was like, oh?

But, my hubby said, “Ala mak. Kalau rosak baju/kain baby tu, kita beli lain je la...”. Ha..ha..ha!

My confinement has not so much restrictions or ‘pantang larang’. So, I was happy with that.

The only thing that I did not favor during my confinement was my kitchen in a great mess!

You see, I will always wipe clean the kitchen top, the sinks and the stove after cooking. And, wash all the used utensils and put back all the /tupperwares/spices/salt etc at the designated cabinets.

But both my mom and my mother-in-law didn’t!

I needed to literally closed my eyes whenever I went to the kitchen. It was sore to my eyes, really!