A new mum followed ''postpartum confinement'' - being fed and looked after by her mother-in-law and not showering for a month so she could "rest".
Samantha Lee, 28, was told about her husband's, Aloysius Lee, 27, family tradition of confinement and decided she wanted to follow it after falling pregnant.
Postpartum confinement is a traditional practice where the mum spends 30 days resting and recovering after giving birth.
After Samantha welcoming her son, Xandre, one-month-old, her mother-in-law, Alicia Lee, 58, cooked fresh meals everyday and looked after the baby so she can sleep.
Samantha Lee, 28, was told about her husband's, Aloysius Lee, 27, family tradition of confinement and decided she wanted to follow it after falling pregnant.
Postpartum confinement is a traditional practice where the mum spends 30 days resting and recovering after giving birth.
After Samantha welcoming her son, Xandre, one-month-old, her mother-in-law, Alicia Lee, 58, cooked fresh meals everyday and looked after the baby so she can sleep.
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FunTranscript
00:00Day 11 of being a white girl living out your Chinese confinement dreams.
00:03I've started combining my knowledge around postnatal rehab with an anti-inflammatory effect of the healing Chinese confinement foods.
00:09Today's favorite is ginger turmeric chicken.
00:20Having a caesarean can be highly disconnecting for us as women.
00:22Most women don't even want to look or touch their scar and that can lead to further dysfunction not only physically but emotionally.
00:29These gentle movements are designed to help me reconnect and create a positive relationship with my postpartum body.
00:35Catch you on day 12.
00:38It is day 8 of not showering or washing my hair and I am disgusting.
00:43It has officially been one week since I gave birth to Sandra.
00:47I have not got out of my pajamas so today I am gonna get into something that is not pajamas.
00:53Brush my hair and we're going for a slick back look at these maternity clothes.
00:58So luckily, they are very steamy and friendly.
01:00According to Chinese tradition, touching tap water after birth can introduce wind and cold into your body.
01:06Avoid water for 30 days but I'm cutting it short at 14 with a traditional hot ginger bath.
01:11So stay tuned for that.
01:14It's to strengthen your waist for blood circulation.
01:17It's like a Chinese herb shop.
01:19Yes, that's like a herb shop.
01:22It's potent.
01:24Oh, I just say it like a Chinese citizen. It's like a six.
01:27Okay.
01:28Do it.
01:29Do it.
01:39Bath our baby in Guinness with us.
01:41And yes, it does look like poop but for reference, this is actually Guinness.
01:48It's Guinness.
01:51Mum, why do we use Guinness?
01:53To give it a preciousness.
01:55An old baby's tail.
01:57And that's what grandma did.
01:59I actually never asked her why.
02:01That's what grandma did.
02:03Yeah.
02:05But we never ever ask questions.
02:07We just do it.
02:09Yeah, maybe I should have asked.
02:11But some traditions, you don't really need to ask why.
02:13It feels really special to be continuing this unique family tradition.
02:16See you on day seven.
02:20Hey everyone, it is day five of being a white woman living out her Chinese confinement dreams.
02:25And I'm not going to lie, today has been rough.
02:27Pretty sure all the birth hormones are crashing down on me because everything feels extra hard right now.
02:33I have foot.
02:38Supporting my little putty party was my sweet mother-in-law serving up some confinement goodness.
02:42She even bent the rules a little bit and she gave me two strawberries because she felt so bad for me.
02:47Oh, and here's my husband milking me because my nipples feel like razor blades and there was no way that I was touching them.
02:52Having my boobs out in front of my mother-in-law and my husband at the same time has been a strange experience.
02:58We wrapped up the day with some pork and ginger meatballs, spinach, rice, and some herbal soup.
03:02Okay, day five.
03:04Catch me not crying on day six.
03:07We like an eight out of ten?
03:10As a new mom married into a Chinese Malay family, I'm following the beautiful tradition of confinement.
03:16And today is day number one of that journey.
03:19In case you're not familiar with confinement, it's 30 days focusing on rest, recovery, and nourishing your body.
03:24This is my mother-in-law and she will be the one who looks after me for the next 30 days.
03:30Saying I love this woman would be an understatement.
03:32So let's get started and rank all the food.
03:35Feels like a nine out of ten.
03:41Nine out of ten.
03:46What?
03:47Oh, it's genuinely like drinking Jager.
03:51What?
03:52Like Jager bombs.
03:53You rate it?
03:54Oh, like a, like a one.
03:57Well, you got a bit of sap.
04:00Last one. Are you ready?