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Japanese mothers adhere to various postpartum restrictions, explaining their longevity and robust health in old age.
Pasgo continues to unveil how Japanese mothers rarely experience complications or weakened health after childbirth. They practice postpartum restrictions to preserve dental health, prevent blurry vision, cervical issues, and postpartum back pain.
1. Principles of Postpartum Restraint in Japanese Culture
- Embrace rest and minimal physical activity; prioritize lying down, only rising to care for and breastfeed the baby in the first month postpartum.
- Seize the opportunity to nap when the baby sleeps to avoid postpartum sleep deprivation.
- Maintain an upright posture when changing the baby's diaper to prevent future back pain. Avoid bending down abruptly; instead, keep your back straight, bend your knees, and lower yourself slowly.
Proper diaper-changing posture: Keep your back and legs straight, avoiding any hunching or curving.
- Limit excessive TV and phone usage, especially social media, to prevent rapid deterioration of eyesight. Minimize household chores; seek assistance from family if needed.
- Avoid a crowd of visitors to allow ample rest time. In Vietnamese culture, it's believed that postpartum visits may bring misfortune unless from very close acquaintances.
- Take meticulous care of dental hygiene to prevent future tooth sensitivity and pain. Pregnancy can lead to acid reflux affecting tooth enamel, a reason why Japanese mothers receive free dental check-ups. Vietnamese mothers should prioritize regular dental examinations as well.
2. Postpartum Restraints to Prevent Postpartum Back Pain
- When feeding the baby with a bottle, avoid tilting the head, shoulder, or back. To achieve this, mothers can use pillows or soft towels under the arm to support the baby.
Avoid curving or bending the back while bottle-feeding, dear mothers.
- When reaching for something low, like in the refrigerator, mothers should refrain from bending the back and leaning down. Keep the back straight and gradually lower the hips.
Do not bend the back to pick up objects; instead, keep the back straight and slowly lower the hips.
- Finally, when lifting or carrying objects, maintain a straight back and lower or raise the hips gradually, avoiding any bending. Never arch the back when lifting, or it may lead to back pain in the future.
- When changing the baby's diaper, avoid sitting with a hunched back; instead, sit upright. To achieve proper back alignment, mothers should open and position their legs together.
- When lifting a standing baby, refrain from bending the back and lifting the baby. Mothers should stand straight and gradually lift the hips.
- When applying makeup, ensure a balance between both shoulders to avoid one side being higher or lower than the other.
Postpartum Wellness Source: Mira Chan's Kitchen
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- Mom Siro shares tips on vaccinating babies without fever
- Preventing and treating postpartum cervical issues with herbal steaming
- Abundant milk supply through rice milk, the secret to nurturing a baby with mother's milk
