https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 05:12:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1415686 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 16:39:58 +0000 snowjewelz 1415686@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was looking at the blogger bee's profiles and after some random clicking came to this! </p> <p><a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2011/12/22/sitting-the-month/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2011/12/22/sitting-the-month/</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414441 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:56:59 +0000 regberadaisy 1414441@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: My SIL had a C-section and she "sit month" and kept it infection free. I'm sure she was able to still clean the stitches. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414434 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:55:12 +0000 ShootingStar 1414434@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can't imagine not showering for a month after having a baby. Especially having had a c-section, it's important to keep yourself clean, I think. And I lived on giant jugs of ice water. I was so thirsty and needed tons and tons of water. TBH, I'm a lot more concerned with my own comfort than my mom's opinions. Maybe I'm a bad daughter, haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414265 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:15:58 +0000 snowjewelz 1414265@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: I always wanted to go to a chinese doctor for the reason that they seem to have a lot of rules to follow that will benefit our health in the short and long term. But I am always afraid I won't be able to (more like I don't want to) meet their demands! </p> <p>My mom told me that I have a "cold" base and we're supposed to avoid certain foods while my sister is "heat" based and that's why she had way more pimples than me when we were young or something. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414222 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 12:02:20 +0000 chopsuey 1414222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I ate all the food my mom made me, but showered, walked around, did chores, etc. With DS I took a walk to Target in the cold. Oops. Mom was not pleased. Haha. :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414090 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:25:17 +0000 spaniellove 1414090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I read that the showering thing isn't for your benefit but so that the baby can smell you? </p> <p>@Mae: Traditionally men aren't involved in this; it's the woman's family's job to care for her. But times have changed of course!</p> <p>My family lives on the opposite coast but they're adamant that I observe this tradition and tragedy will befall me if I don't. Not sure how I'm going to work that out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414053 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:14:25 +0000 regberadaisy 1414053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: DH was definitely still very involved the first month. And he is still a very much present husband and father. You will never hear me complain about him being an absentee parent!<br /> But I will admit my mom is a very hands on, vocal woman. She has her way of doing things and we were both learning our way. So there were many frustrating moments. But we both agreed that it was SO helpful to have her here. She was a lifesaver because DH took only a week's vacation time. As much as there were tense moments we plan to have her come again with #2. Mainly because she really wants to and we really in the long run did not mind having her here.</p> <p>But every family/couple dynamic is obviously different! In my brother's case he is definitely very much not involved in the day to day of his kids' life. My nephew is the same age as LO (21m) and he has only washed bottles 3x!!! Yet my other brother washed bottles, etc more than his wife did! So I think it just depends.</p> <p>But "culturally" speaking men are typically expected to be less involved. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414040 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:12:06 +0000 Foodnerd81 1414040@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I ever heard of this until HB but I can see the benefits of many parts of it. In a way I do wish I had someone really encouraging me to take it easy, so I didn't feel like I was just being lazy- I DID make a point of resting a lot but sometimes I felt like I should be trying to do more, where if someone was pushing me to take it easy I might have get better about it? It was all in my head though, and I did heal very quickly and was really happy to go for walks outside after a week. </p> <p>That said I had C at the height of the summer and had major night sweats so no way could I have not showered or washed my hair. Showers were my luxurious indulgences! And soup wouldn't have been very welcome when it was 90 degrees r more. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414031 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:09:44 +0000 Mae 1414031@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So interesting! I always think its really cool how a lot of asian cultures (from what I've read?) have similar arrangements and how much the mom's mother is involved. I think the no-showering thing I wouldn't be cool with though, I'd be up at 3am sneaking a shower ;) </p> <p>I sort of wonder though, in cultures where this type of thing is more prevalent, are husbands/dads expected to be less involved? Or is that the norm? On one hand having your mom sort of wait on you and nurse you through the first month sounds kind of awesome. But on the other hand, I feel like that would take a lot of bonding time away from my husband and LO. We plan to hole up, just the 3 of us, for the first week to figure out our lives as new parents… and I'm not sure that is the best course physically, but emotionally it makes the most sense to me to have some private time for our new family without intrusion from our parents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414021 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:07:01 +0000 regberadaisy 1414021@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@prettylizy: haha tbh I'm not sure how much of it I believe. I'm doing it more for my mom. And the belief is really about long term benefits not necessarily just immediate pp healing benefits. ie some believe that if you don't do these things in later life you have a higher chance of acquiring arthritis.</p> <p>Again, I'm not claiming there's any medical backing to these beliefs. But it's very much ingrained into our culture and it means a lot to my mom for me to follow these customs and it doesn't harm me so I do it. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1414005 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 11:03:24 +0000 prettylizy 1414005@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I find this fascinating! I couldn't imagine doing a 'sit month'. Just for perspective for those of you who have nothing to compare to, I did none of these things, as my culture (to my knowledge) doesn't have any specific anything regarding post partum recovery. (I'm just a Canadian white girl of british decent). My recovery was super duper easy with DD. I showered about 10 hours after she was born (and as often as possible after that, usually every other day) drank ice water every time I sat down to nurse, ate whatever was easy to get to etc. I did have my sister with me during the days for the first week and DH was home from work at night. Family also brought food when they came to visit so I didn't have to cook. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413979 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:56:26 +0000 BoogieBea 1413979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did it both times. My mom stayed with us for a couple months both times so I was able to follow it. My mom was a lot less strict about the rules the second time around though. I just saw this recently:<br /> <a href="http://www.euyansang.com/index.php/tcm-lifestyle/living-well/beware-these-6-confinement-myths" rel="nofollow">http://www.euyansang.com/index.php/tcm-lifestyle/living-well/beware-these-6-confinement-myths</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413976 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:55:16 +0000 septca 1413976@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: My mom serves as our doula, so she was with us for a couple of weeks before/after DD's birth, but honestly I would have preferred to have more time just with my little family. Even though my mom and is wonderful and means well, things were just more of a production than I wanted them to be after DD was born. My MIL, on the other hand, is useless. She straight up told me that she was coming to see her granddaughter and that she wasn't interested in helping. She is a wonderful, generous woman, but she is also completely self-centered and has no idea what is appropriate when visiting new parents. I really hope we will be in a much bigger house with LO#2 is born... more space would make things much easier.</p> <p>@snowjewelz: A lot of women follow the no cold foods/drinks thing when TTC, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413972 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:53:45 +0000 regberadaisy 1413972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Alivoo01: oh, I definitely still used the peri-bottle at every bathroom trip!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413969 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:52:50 +0000 Alivoo01 1413969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm Chinese, and didn't really "sit month", but my dad did make food that encouraged it so lots of ginger was added to foods. I showered daily, and felt like it helped keep my nether regions clean which helped with the healing. If I didn't use the peri-bottle to rinse, the stitches felt itchy and painful. I don't drink cold water, so that wasn't an issue. I'd start laundry (put stuff in the washer), but my mom would transfer them to the dryer and fold them for me. I left the house a few times, but my parents aren't super superstitious so they didn't mind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413948 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:48:45 +0000 autumnlove 1413948@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I drank some soups the first time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413940 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:46:37 +0000 regberadaisy 1413940@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Dandelion: I think it's hard to comprehend how this can be possible with a toddler. But if it's a important part of your culture (or in my case to my mom) you find ways to make it happen.<br /> ie my mom lives 8hrs away and watches my nephew FT. So when she comes stay with me my SIL's mom is going to stay with them and watch my nephew in her absence. And we'll be flying her up and driving her back after her stay before I go back to work.<br /> Between DH &amp; my mom they will likely do all childcare for our toddler in the first month. There's no way in hell she'll let me pick LO up. And I'm sure my ILs will help with daycare pick up as well. And if they were not then DH will just do it all like he did before they moved here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413916 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:41:12 +0000 snowjewelz 1413916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjyw: we're not even supposed to drink cold things to begin with but I never listened to my mom :silly: For women supposedly we should always drink luke warm; it's better for our uterus?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413897 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:35:52 +0000 Dandelion 1413897@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I couldn't do anything like this if I wanted to. I'll probably take it easy the first couple weeks, but I don't have the luxury of taking a month and not going anywhere. I still need to get DS from school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413895 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:35:06 +0000 regberadaisy 1413895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: I'm not sure bc I have no basis of comparison in NOT doing it? But I do think in comparison to a lot of people on HB I healed pretty fast!!! yes, the hair washing was the worst for me. My head got so itchy I annoyed and begged my mom for days until she let me. If it wasn't' for the Cantonese "ginger water" my SIL told her about I don't think she would've let me!</p> <p>@septca: are you comfortable with anyone coming to help? My mom is coming for 2 months when LO #2 arrives.</p> <p>@dolphin: LOL I washed my hair and took a sponge bath before I left the hospital. There was no way in hell I was going to sit in post childbirth blood filth for two weeks until my mom let me take a sponge bath!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413882 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:29:54 +0000 psw27 1413882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have never heard of this... fascinating! I will have to look into it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413881 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:29:25 +0000 dolphin 1413881@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i stayed home for the first month but that's the extent of it. i washed my hair the first night home from the hospital and my mom freaked out! she made me soup too but i couldn't drink it because it tasted sooo bad! :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413869 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:26:46 +0000 mrsjyw 1413869@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm korean, and I ate miyukguk everyday, didn't drink cold water/bevarages, and only left the house for doc appts for the first three weeks (sam-chil-il)... I did shower and took baths too. </p> <p>I think all of it (baths included) helped with my pp recovery and no long term side effects from L&amp;D and will likely follow the same in the future. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413867 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:26:04 +0000 septca 1413867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's very cool. I don't have anything like that in my life, but my midwives recommend a postpartum plan that involves one week *in* bed with your baby, the next week around the bed, and the third week at home. They say this helps with healing. bonding, and BFing. I really wish I had followed those orders with DD... instead, I felt like I had to be up and about and "hosting" my parents and MIL. My healing was delayed because of that. I'd like to follow through with our next baby, but I doubt it will be possible with a toddler running around.</p> <p>The midwives also recommend chicken soup. Their recipe is a really rich, fatty broth with chicken, barely, carrots, zucchini, and fresh parsley. It's delicious! My mom made about 5 batches when DD was born and I ate it at least twice a day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413851 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:22:45 +0000 snowjewelz 1413851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am cantonese so I know my mom will make "ginger vinegar" for me. And probably lots and lots of homemade soup w/ fresh ingredients. DH is kind of Fujianese (they were from province close by), for my SIL, my MIL had made her tons of fresh killed chicken soup. </p> <p>Did following these rule help you recover faster or look better? I always believe that do help you in some ways but not showering and washing hair is probably the part I can't deal with! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-sit-month-1#post-1413840 Tue, 11 Feb 2014 10:18:11 +0000 regberadaisy 1413840@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did anyone else "sit month"? If you did with #1 did you again with #2?</p> <p>What does it mean in your culture?</p> <p>In mine (Fujianese) we eat chicken soup made with a fresh, never frozen, specific breed preferred. Black Chinese mushrooms, rice wine my mom makes (currently fermenting), "ear" mushrooms. She makes that with thin rice noodles or serve with rice. I eat this 3x a day for the first two weeks. Then the last two she lets me supplement with other food.</p> <p>Also no showers or hair washing. :( With my first she let me wash my hair and sponge bath with hot "ginger" bath (Cantonese custom) for a wedding. Then once or twice again two weeks in. Sigh that was still relatively cool in April. This time it'll be in August. </p> <p>And of course she freaks out if I go out. </p>