Postpartum confinement
Postpartum confinement is a traditional practice following childbirth.[1] 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,[2] 26 days, up to 40 days, two months, or 100 days.[3] [4] This postnatal recuperation can include care practices in regards of "traditional health beliefs, taboos, rituals, and proscriptions."[5] 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.
Health effects[edit]
One meta-review of studies concluded, "There is little consistent evidence that confinement practices reduce postpartum depression."[10]