The Li ethnic group has a high rate of breastfeeding and places great importance on breastfeeding. Infants are kept in the same room as their mothers after birth, and they are breastfed within half an hour of birth. They are fed whenever they want without any time or frequency restrictions. Research has shown that early breastfeeding promotes uterine recovery and reduces postpartum bleeding, which is beneficial for postpartum recovery. Early breastfeeding is also beneficial for the growth and development of children.
Postpartum Nutritional Supplementation
Breast milk is the most ideal food for infants, and Li women generally have sufficient breast milk for feeding their babies, which is related to their postpartum diet. Some commonly used dietary supplements after childbirth include:
Papaya Rice
Eating papaya rice within 48 hours after delivery. Papaya is the fruit of the papaya tree and can be cooked as a vegetable. It contains rich latex, and consuming it can promote milk secretion in lactating women. Method: Wash the papaya, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and cook it together with rice. Eat the papaya rice for three consecutive days to ensure sufficient milk supply. It can be consumed at any time during the breastfeeding period.
Herbal Colored Rice
One week after delivery, give the mother yellow-colored rice. Mix mountain orchid rice (a local specialty rice) with mountain turmeric, Niu Gu Dali herb, and remove the residue after coloring the rice with the herbs. The rice is fragrant and can help replenish blood and strengthen the body.
Special Rice Wine
One type is mountain orchid glutinous rice wine. This sweet wine is made from mountain orchid glutinous rice and is taken on an empty stomach in the morning, once a day. Another type is pure rice wine soaked with black sesame and black beans. Drink 15-20ml once or twice a day. Moderate consumption of rice wine can help activate blood circulation and replenish blood. Generally, it is consumed once a week.
Postpartum Medication for Disease Prevention
After childbirth, Li women often have physical weakness. They pay attention to using internal and external medication to help the body recover quickly and prevent catching a cold due to postpartum weakness. Some commonly used medicinal recipes include:
A mixture of May Artemisia, motherwort, Niu Gu Dali, ginger, and mountain cinnamon is boiled with water and added with an appropriate amount of alcohol or mountain orchid glutinous rice wine to be consumed with boiled eggs.
A mixture of Ginkgo biloba leaves, mountain walnut roots, May Artemisia, yellow peel tree leaves, horsewhip grass, and chive roots is boiled with water and used for body washing. The first wash is 48 hours after delivery, followed by washes at 15 days and 30 days after delivery.
After seven days postpartum, a medicinal liquid can be used for perineal fumigation. A mixture of wild chrysanthemum flowers, dandelion, yipin hong, fishy leather, and baibu is boiled and fumigated for 20-30 minutes. Then, the affected area is washed with the medicinal water twice a day at an appropriate temperature. This method can reduce swelling and pain, promote the absorption of inflammation, and facilitate the recovery of the birth canal.
