Traditional Chinese medicine has always been part of my Singaporean family's tradition. Whenever someone is sick within the family, my parents would immediately bring up their favourite TCM clinic in Singapore.
They would give them a list of confinement herbs that they could try to use at home. And would even go as far as suggesting treatments that they think is appropriate for their needs.
Even as a child, I had my experience of seeing a list of confinement herbs to use to improve my overall health. And while I don't mind following my parents' advice, I somehow grew out of my TCM phase when I grew older.
I started trusting normal treatment more than the TCM that I grew up with. And it's not because I don't believe in confinement herbs or TCM, in general. Now that I wasn't at home as much as I was when I was younger, I settled for medicines that were easier to find.
And while you can easily look for a TCM clinic in Singapore, my tired self would often opt for the nearby pharmacy instead. Still, traditional Chinese medicine like confinement herbs is part of my life.
A Pregnant Woman's Best Friend
It took me a while before I found myself searching for a TCM clinic. Two months after my wedding, my husband and I found out that we were pregnant.
And when my parents learned about this, they immediately wanted me to go to Thomson Chinese Medicine. Of course, my parents' joy was the first thing to greet us after our announcement. But a few moments later, my mom made it clear that she was to accompany me to their favourite TCM clinic in Singapore.
My husband was kind enough to tell me that we'll have to do some research first. Unlike me, Sebastian didn't grow up in a family that heavily relied on traditional Chinese medicine. He knew how regulated TCM was in Singapore.
But because this was our first pregnancy, Seb wanted to be cautious. He wanted to make sure that nothing on my mother's list of confinement herbs would affect my pregnancy. Still, as a promise to my mother, he said that we would make time to go for a visit to Thomson Chinese Medicine.
My mother told us how confinement herbs and TCM helped her during her pregnancy with us three. She explained that it helped her recover well after her delivery and prepared her for the coming pregnancies in her life.
So, after a few weeks of doing his research and asking his colleagues about traditional Chinese medicine, he gave in. Sebastian himself called my mom to tell her that he'd arranged a consultation for me at their favourite TCM clinic.
He thought that it would be a good opportunity for both of us to bond over my pregnancy. So he asked her to accompany me instead. Sebastian would drop us off at the clinic and he would wait for us to get finished before having lunch with us.
During our consultation, Thomson Chinese Medicine's physician explained to me how their list of confinement herbs could help me after my delivery. They shared that a new mother's body would undergo postnatal care for it to recover properly.
I would need someone to take good care of me. Sebastian would have to come to my next appointment so that he could be oriented in the different herbs I would use. They even added that some of the items in their list of confinement herbs can be used for bathing.
If I were experiencing pains and needed to reduce my stress, I could use the herbs to take a bath. Thomson Chinese Medicine explained that the herbs stimulate blood circulation, something that matters to the recovery of a mother.
Once I give birth, I could lose a lot of blood. And the herbal bath would help replenish some of the blood I lost during my healing process.
Ultimately, Thomson Chinese Medicine introduced me to the different forms of TCM that could help me during and after my pregnancy. According to them, TCM like confinement herbs has always been used for pregnant women.
They said that they would help me find the right TCM treatment for my needs after my childbirth. All that I have to do is give them a call. They even went as far as to give me their contact number for any other questions that I had about confinement herbs.
Ultimately, I was happy that my mother persuaded Sebastian and me to give their favourite TCM clinic a try. Now, we have one less thing to worry about now that we know what to do once our baby girl comes out. I no longer have to worry about going back to work with the help of TCM!
Learn more about the benefits traditional Chinese medicine offers by visiting Thomson Chinese Medicine's website.
