Baby is 12 days old

My grand nephew in law is 12 days old, they hold a small gathering for close relatives to annouce the arrival of the new born baby. The occasion was celebrated by cooking pig's trotters in some sweet sauce of black vinegar. The dish helps keep the new mom in keeping warm during this one month confinement period.

Traditional confinement practices are based on the belief that the new mom's body is 'out of balance' after giving birth. The theory is that the new mom is now in a 'cold stage' due to the loss of blood (lochia) and energy from the birth. As such, the confinement period focuses on re-energising the body with the 'warmth' that has been lost.

Chinese, Malay and Indian communities all have their own confinement practices. While different ethnic groups may do things differently, the main aim is to help the mother and her body recover from the intensities of childbirth.

Traditionally, mother or mother-in-law will be the one taking care of the new mom during the confinement period. Many Chinese mothers however, hire a confinement nanny, a pui yuet (Cantonese for 'companion for a month') who will see to the mom and her baby’s needs.

The nanny will cook special confinement dishes for the new mom, bathe her baby, and do the baby's laundry. She will also take over the night feeds so that the mom can rest.

You can view more information about confinement from source

Yummy, my share of the pig's trotters cooked in vinegar and lots of ginger.