The concept of ‘Confinement’ (Zuo yue zi) has been long existed in Chinese culture for over 2000 years. Traditional Chinese Medicine believe postpartum period is the time where a woman turns from a ‘hot’ state to ‘cold’ state and they enter a vulnerable state. Women body underwent huge physiological changes during pregnancy and delivery therefore confinement period is for them to rest and to replenish Qi and blood that have lost in the process of delivery.

Traditionally, women are told to stay at home and adhere to many traditional rules and regulations after they deliver their babies. Some of the old beliefs include no washing of hair and body, to stay in bed all time, avoid wind, fan and air conditioner, eating traditional confinement food made with ginger and sesame oil, can only eat meat, liver and herbs, cannot drink plain water etc. These practices have been followed by our ancestors and are deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Modern mothers and younger generations find it difficult to adhere to it as most of the practices are very restrictive and rigorous. Young mothers often undergo a lot of stress and emotional instability when they are forced by elderly to adhere to all these traditions, some might even get postnatal depression due to this.

So there comes a new term called ‘scientific’ confinement (科学坐月) where people combine the modern medicine and traditional medicine for confinement care. This modern concept is currently more widely accepted by the young population especially in Asian countries like Taiwan and China. Most modern confinement centres also follow this scientific confinement care. Different from traditional confinement care, scientific confinement care is more reasonable and has a scientific explanation to what can do and what cannot do and what to eat and what cannot eat.