Postpartum Care Guidelines and Dietary Restrictions

After childbirth, women often experience significant physical weakness. Inadequate postpartum care—commonly referred to as “sitting the month” (zuò yuèzǐ)—can impede recovery and even trigger various health conditions that compromise overall well-being. What, then, are the key precautions and dietary restrictions during this period?

Postpartum Care Precautions and Dietary Restrictions

Key precautions during the postpartum period include adequate rest, avoidance of strenuous physical activity, maintaining external genital hygiene, preventing exposure to cold, and taking care to stay warm when bathing or washing hair. Sexual intercourse should be avoided for at least two months. For vaginal deliveries, it is generally recommended to wait at least six months before attempting another pregnancy; for cesarean deliveries, a minimum interval of two years is advised. Regarding diet, spicy foods should be strictly avoided. Lactation-promoting soups such as lamb soup, crucian carp soup, and pig trotter soup are beneficial. However, if consuming these rich, fatty broths leads to diarrhea, mothers may switch to lighter, nourishing alternatives such as millet porridge, mixed-grain porridge, eight-treasure porridge, or red date porridge—all of which also support lactation. Additionally, breastfeeding mothers must avoid medications known to adversely affect infants.

During the postpartum period, the diet should remain light and nourishing. Broths—including pork rib soup and crucian carp soup—are encouraged, while spicy, greasy, or overly rich foods, as well as cold or raw items, should be avoided. It is equally important to protect against drafts and chilling: in summer, avoid direct exposure to air-conditioning, minimize contact with cold water, and abstain from sexual activity to reduce infection risk.

Proper postpartum care is critically important for women’s long-term health. During this time, maintaining emotional calm and avoiding stress or anxiety is essential for optimal recovery. We hope this information proves helpful to you.