Postpartum confinement is a traditional practice following childbirth. Those who follow these customs typically begin immediately after the birth, and the seclusion or special treatment lasts for a culturally variable length: typically for one month or 30 days, 26 days, up to 40 days, two months, or 100 days. This postnatal recuperation can include care practices in regards of "traditional health beliefs, taboos, rituals, and proscriptions." The practice used to be known as "lying-in", which, as the term suggests, centres on bed rest. In some cultures, it may be connected to taboos concerning impurity after childbirth.
Overview
Postpartum confinement refers both to the mother and the baby. Human newborns are so underdeveloped that pediatricians such as Harvey Karp refer to the first three months as the "fourth trimester". The weeks of rest while the mother heals also protect the infant as it adjusts to the world, and both learn the skills of breastfeeding.
Almost all countries have some form of maternity leave. Many countries encourage men to take some paternal leave, but even those that mandate that some of the shared parental leave must be used by the father ("father's quota") acknowledge that the mother needs time off work to recover from the childbirth and deal with the postpartum physiological changes.
A 2016 American book describes the difficulties of documenting those "global grandmotherly customs" but asserts that "like a golden rope connecting women from one generation to the next, the protocol of caring for the new mother by unburdening her of responsibilities and ensuring she rests and eats shows up in wildly diverse places". These customs have been documented in dozens of academic studies, and commonly include support for the new mother (including a release from household chores), rest, special foods to eat (and ones to avoid), specific hygiene practices, and ways of caring for the newborn.
Martha Wolfenstein and Margaret Mead wrote in 1955 that the postpartum period meant a "woman can be cherished and pampered without feeling inadequate or shamed". The 2016 review that quoted them cites customs from around the world, from Biblical times to modern Greece:
Health effects Research on the health effects of postpartum confinement has produced mixed findings. A 2009 systematic review of English-language studies on Chinese confinement practices concluded, "There is little consistent evidence that confinement practices reduce postpartum depression."
A more recent 2023 systematic review, which included sixteen quantitative studies from China and Chinese immigrant populations abroad, similarly found that "doing-the-month" failed to show a significant overall protective effect against postpartum depression. However, the review noted that four of the sixteen studies did find a reduced risk, suggesting that the quality of and satisfaction with confinement support—rather than mere adherence to the practice—may be a more important factor in maternal mental health outcomes.
A 2024 qualitative meta-synthesis examining postpartum Chinese women's lived experiences of confinement found that women valued the physical rest, social support, and structured recovery period, but that conflicts with caregivers—particularly mothers-in-law—over confinement rules could contribute to psychological distress.
A 2007 qualitative systematic review of traditional postpartum practices across multiple cultures found that common elements—including social support, rest, and special nutrition—were widely perceived as beneficial by mothers, though the review noted a lack of rigorous controlled studies to confirm specific health outcomes.
By region
Asia
China
Postpartum confinement is well-documented in China, where the tradition is known as "Sitting the month": 坐月子 "Zuò yuè zi" in Mandarin or 坐月 "Co5 Jyut2" in Cantonese. The earliest record of the Chinese custom of postpartum confinement dates back over 2,000 years ago in the Book of Rites, where it was known as yuè nèi (月内). Postpartum confinement is based on traditional Chinese medicine, with a special focus on eating foods considered to be nourishing for the body and helping with the production of breastmilk. Women are advised to stay indoors for recovery from the trauma of birth and for feeding the newborn baby.
The diets and traditions involved with postpartum confinement greatly vary across different Chinese cultural regions. The length of Chinese postpartum confinement ranges anywhere between 28 and 100 days. Medical opinion in China today generally recommends a confinement period of at least 42 days. In ancient China, the confinement period lasted for 100 days. This custom is still observed in parts of northern China, such as Shanxi province. After 100 days, the Hundred Days Banquet (百日宴) is held to celebrate the baby reaching 100 days old. In southern China, the confinement period is significantly shorter, and usually lasts 30 days.
Because Chinese society is patrilocal, women observing postpartum confinement are traditionally cared for by their mother-in-law. In contemporary times, it is also possible for the woman to be cared for her by her own mother or a hired female worker known as a "confinement nanny" (陪月). In Hong Kong, the mother and baby sometimes spend the month in special postpartum confinement clinics rather than at home.
In ancient China, women of certain ethnic groups in the South would resume work right after birth, and allow the men to practice postpartum confinement instead.《太平廣記》卷四八三引尉遲樞的《南楚新聞》記載："南方有獠婦，生子便起。其夫臥床褥，飲食皆如乳婦。"《马可·波罗游记》："傣族妇女产子，洗后裹以襁褓，产妇立起工作，产妇之夫则抱子卧床四十日"；《黔记》卷二：郎慈苗在咸宁州，其俗更异，妇人产子，必夫守房，不逾门户，弥月乃出。产妇则出入耕作，措饭食，以供夫乳儿，日无暇刻。" (See Couvade).
Everyday habits and personal hygiene practices Traditionally in China, the mother and child were kept separate from the rest of the household. The mother was not permitted to bathe, wash her hair, or weep, because these activities were believed to put the mother at risk of falling ill by catching cold and affect the quality of her breast milk.
Nowadays, however, new mothers may wash their hair or take a bath or shower infrequently during the postpartum period, but it is claimed to be important to dry their body immediately afterwards with a clean towel and their hair properly using a hair dryer. It is also claimed to be important for women to wrap up warm and minimize the amount of skin exposed, as it was believed that they may catch a cold during this vulnerable time. In Dalian, some women even take to wrapping themselves in plastic to avoid the wind.
Special foods
The custom of confinement advises new mothers to choose energy and protein-rich foods to recover energy levels, help shrink the uterus, and for the perineum to heal. This is also important for the production of breastmilk. Among the traditionally recommended galactogogues were rich porridge, fish soup, and hard-boiled eggs. Sometimes, new mothers only begin to consume special herbal foods after all the lochia is discharged.
A custom is to eat ginger. In Guangdong, a common dish is pork knuckles with ginger and black vinegar as pork knuckles are believed to help replenish calcium levels in women. Ginger is featured in many dishes, as it is believed that it can remove the 'wind' accumulated in the body during pregnancy. Meat-based soup broths are also commonly consumed to provide hydration and added nutrients.
In Shanxi, new mothers consume high-quality millet porridge and soup made from chickens at specific ages.
In Singapore, confinement dishes are thoughtfully crafted to support postpartum recovery. Sesame Oil Chicken helps replenish blood and keep the body warm, while Green Papaya Soup is known to boost breast milk supply. Red Dates Tea restores vitality and maintains warmth, and Black Vinegar Pig Trotters provide calcium and collagen to strengthen bones and joints.
Rituals In Guangdong province, new mothers are barred from visitors until the baby is 12 days old, marked by a celebration called 'Twelve mornings' (known as 十二朝). From this day onwards, Cantonese families with a new baby usually share their joy through giving away food gifts, while some families mark the occasion by paying tribute to their ancestors. When the "month is fulfilled" (manyue) after 30 days, the mother receives relatives and friends who bring special foods such as Chinese red eggs.
Indian subcontinent In parts of India it is called jaappa (also transliterated japa); in North India and Pakistan, sawa mahina ("five weeks").
Most traditional Indians follow the 40-day confinement and recuperation period also known as the jaappa (in Hindi). A special diet to facilitate milk production and increase hemoglobin levels is followed. Sex is not allowed during this time. In Hindu culture, this time after childbirth was traditionally considered a period of relative impurity (asaucham), and a period of confinement of 10–40 days (known as purudu) was recommended for the mother and the baby. During this period, she was exempted from usual household chores and religious rites. The father was purified by a ritual bath before visiting the mother in confinement.
In the event of a stillbirth, the period of impurity for both parents was 24 hours.
Many Indian subcultures have their own traditions after birth. This birth period is called Virdi (Marathi), which lasts for 10 days after birth and includes complete abstinence from puja or temple visits.
In Pakistan, postpartum tradition is known as sawa mahina ("five weeks").
Iran In Persian culture it is called chilla, i.e. "forty days".
Japan In Japan, the traditional postpartum practice is known as satogaeri bunben (里帰り分娩, "homecoming birth"). In this custom, a pregnant woman returns to her parents' home in the late stages of pregnancy to give birth and recover, typically staying for one to two months after delivery. The new mother's own mother provides practical support including meals, household tasks, and newborn care assistance.
Unlike Chinese zuo yue zi or Korean sanhujori, Japanese postpartum care does not typically involve codified dietary restrictions based on traditional medicine or strict prohibitions on bathing or exposure to cold. Instead, the emphasis is on practical and emotional support from the maternal family.
A study examining the relationship between satogaeri bunben and postnatal depression found that the practice itself did not significantly reduce the incidence of postpartum depression, suggesting that the type and quality of support received may matter more than the setting. A subsequent single-center analysis similarly found no significant difference in postpartum depressive status based on the presence of grandparents or the place of delivery.
Korea In Korea, the traditional postpartum practice is known as sanhujori (산후조리), and women historically observed a confinement period called samchil-il (삼칠일, "three seven days," or 21 days). In the past, during the samchil-il period, geumjul (taboo rope) made with saekki and various symbolic objects, such as chili peppers (for a boy) and coal (for a girl), was hung over the gate to denote the childbirth and restrict visitor access.
Sanhujori practices traditionally include consuming warm foods believed to aid recovery, such as seaweed soup (miyeokguk), which is rich in iron and iodine and is considered essential for postpartum mothers. New mothers are also encouraged to keep warm, rest extensively, and avoid cold foods and environments.