What Are Confinement Bathing Herbs & How Do They Help?

Postpartum mothers are frequently urged to take a herbal confinement bath to help promote recovery after giving birth. This is because a woman loses large amounts of “Qi” and blood during childbirth, placing her body in a “cold” phase. This “cold” phase leads to the accumulation of “wind” and weakens her body.

Postpartum mothers are frequently urged to take a herbal confinement bath to help promote recovery after giving birth.

This is because a woman loses large amounts of “Qi” and blood during childbirth, placing her body in a “cold” phase. This “cold” phase leads to the accumulation of “wind” and weakens her body.

According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, it is important to restore the “Qi” and expel the excess “wind” from the body during confinement, preventing “wind-dampness syndrome” (风湿 feng shi) in later age.

But what exactly goes into a confinement herbal bath, and what do they specifically help with?

What goes into a confinement herbal bath?

Vitex Negundo (aka Chinese Chaste tree, Vitex fruit, huang jing ye)

This herb will be a new mother’s closest buddy during the confinement month. A few of the many advantages of this herb include

reducing PMS symptoms
regulating the period cycle
reducing endometriosis pain
encouraging lactation
reducing acne
promoting hair growth
clearing obstructed respiratory systems

Blumea Alsamifera (aka Ngai camphor, sambong/sembung, da feng ai)

In Southeast Asian traditional medicine, this plant is commonly used in a confinement herbal bath because it:

protects you from excessive “wind”
keeps you internally “dry”
improves blood circulation
eases joint and “wind”-related pain
reduces water retention

Lemongrass (aka xiang cao)

A hot bath with this herb added to it has several health benefits, including

purifying and detoxifying the mother’s body
treating oedema
lowering pain and inflammation,
boosting breast milk supply
enhancing the condition of the mother’s skin
preventing rheumatism

But I thought postpartum mothers should not bathe during confinement?

Traditionally, new mothers are told that no washing hair or bathing is allowed during the whole confinement period. It is believed that contact with water can cause issues like flu, infections and future complications.

However, there is no scientific evidence supporting these claims.

You will be handling your newborn, so you have to keep yourself clean at all times. And it’s just not practical for humid Singapore!