yay
Yesterday, my 'pantang' was officially over.
Pantang means confinement in Malay. Different cultures have different confinement rules (I heard the Chinese can't bathe for 30 days!) but nowadays most of us don't really follow them anymore. The 'pantang period' is 44 days after delivering the baby, after which I am free as a bird to eat and do whetever I wish, just like the pre-pregnancy days.
Some pantang rules that I was supposed to follow for 44 days straight:
- No sex (I feel this deserves the #1 pantang spot)
- No ice-cold drinks, fizzy drinks, etc. Just warm plain water - as little as possible.
- No going out of the house
- No seafood so that the wounds will not itch
- No squatting as the 'womb may drop'
- Must wear long-sleeved clothes, long pants, with socks and sandals at home to 'keep warm'
- Must bathe in warm water
- Must tie up the hair tightly in a high ponytail always
- Must eat jamu(traditional Malay/Indonesian herbal medicine/supplements), wear bengkong(a long cloth tied tightly around the tummy area to maintain body shape) and other tradional practices.
- Must eat only food that does not contain MSG and preservatives
- Must walk slowly and carefully
- And others which I can't remember.
I actually followed most of the 'rules' above except...well, I did go out of the house because I can't stay at home all the time and I canNOT wear long sleeved shirts with long pants, socks AND sandals(hot hot hot!) and I bathed with cold water once in a while because of the hot weather and I didn't tie my hair up in a high ponytail all the time because halfway through my confinement I went to the salon to rebond my hair and every now & then I did eat stuff that contain MSG and preservatives and I only did the bengkong thing for 3 days because a corset is so much more convenient.
I did walk slowly(thanks to an awful episiotomy) and eat jamu(I like the bitterish taste of jamu). Didn't squat much because there simply was no reason to, and didn't have sex because doctor advised no sex for 6 weeks. Even though initially I thought that was crazy, I then changed my mind when the pain lasted for more than 3 weeks. I don't think anyone would wanna have sex right after giving birth unless they're out of their minds.
So yes, giving birth IS hella painful. But it's not just the giving birth pain that makes me realise how strong women really are...it's also the pain and discomfort of carrying a child in the womb for 9 months, and the pain and discomfort felt weeks after giving birth, and all that a woman goes through for her child for the years to come...that makes me love my mother so much more. For the men, it's just a fuck-n-go thing. 9 months later out pops a baby and they suddenly become a daddy. I know this sounds unfair and guys give and go through a lot too (yeah, yeah) but the fact still remains that men will not and never feel what it's like to have a baby. So there.
Anyway, today I met a friend who told me that I look great & more shapely. To me, I just look fat. Ok fine, fat people will be angry if I say that. Correction, I look more meaty than I used to be.
Weight before pregnancy: 49kg
Weight during pregnancy: 73kg (I gained a whopping 24kg...I so could not believe it!)
Weight now: 60kg =(
I still need to shed 10kg more in order to be happy, so heck care all those people who say I look fine now, let me work towads being thin again because if you all love me, you'd want me to be happy...ha ha!
I know some people have been asking me to write about my baby and put up pictures, so that will be in my next entry...promise. Before & after photos, etc. The birth story will come too, so just be a bit more patient cuz patience is a virtue. Heh.
Pantang means confinement in Malay. Different cultures have different confinement rules (I heard the Chinese can't bathe for 30 days!) but nowadays most of us don't really follow them anymore. The 'pantang period' is 44 days after delivering the baby, after which I am free as a bird to eat and do whetever I wish, just like the pre-pregnancy days.
Some pantang rules that I was supposed to follow for 44 days straight:
- No sex (I feel this deserves the #1 pantang spot)
- No ice-cold drinks, fizzy drinks, etc. Just warm plain water - as little as possible.
- No going out of the house
- No seafood so that the wounds will not itch
- No squatting as the 'womb may drop'
- Must wear long-sleeved clothes, long pants, with socks and sandals at home to 'keep warm'
- Must bathe in warm water
- Must tie up the hair tightly in a high ponytail always
- Must eat jamu(traditional Malay/Indonesian herbal medicine/supplements), wear bengkong(a long cloth tied tightly around the tummy area to maintain body shape) and other tradional practices.
- Must eat only food that does not contain MSG and preservatives
- Must walk slowly and carefully
- And others which I can't remember.
I actually followed most of the 'rules' above except...well, I did go out of the house because I can't stay at home all the time and I canNOT wear long sleeved shirts with long pants, socks AND sandals(hot hot hot!) and I bathed with cold water once in a while because of the hot weather and I didn't tie my hair up in a high ponytail all the time because halfway through my confinement I went to the salon to rebond my hair and every now & then I did eat stuff that contain MSG and preservatives and I only did the bengkong thing for 3 days because a corset is so much more convenient.
I did walk slowly(thanks to an awful episiotomy) and eat jamu(I like the bitterish taste of jamu). Didn't squat much because there simply was no reason to, and didn't have sex because doctor advised no sex for 6 weeks. Even though initially I thought that was crazy, I then changed my mind when the pain lasted for more than 3 weeks. I don't think anyone would wanna have sex right after giving birth unless they're out of their minds.
So yes, giving birth IS hella painful. But it's not just the giving birth pain that makes me realise how strong women really are...it's also the pain and discomfort of carrying a child in the womb for 9 months, and the pain and discomfort felt weeks after giving birth, and all that a woman goes through for her child for the years to come...that makes me love my mother so much more. For the men, it's just a fuck-n-go thing. 9 months later out pops a baby and they suddenly become a daddy. I know this sounds unfair and guys give and go through a lot too (yeah, yeah) but the fact still remains that men will not and never feel what it's like to have a baby. So there.
Anyway, today I met a friend who told me that I look great & more shapely. To me, I just look fat. Ok fine, fat people will be angry if I say that. Correction, I look more meaty than I used to be.
Weight before pregnancy: 49kg
Weight during pregnancy: 73kg (I gained a whopping 24kg...I so could not believe it!)
Weight now: 60kg =(
I still need to shed 10kg more in order to be happy, so heck care all those people who say I look fine now, let me work towads being thin again because if you all love me, you'd want me to be happy...ha ha!
I know some people have been asking me to write about my baby and put up pictures, so that will be in my next entry...promise. Before & after photos, etc. The birth story will come too, so just be a bit more patient cuz patience is a virtue. Heh.
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