How does the practice of confinement radically transform post-partum for new mums?
Melissa was born in Malaysia but has lived in Melbourne since she was a kid. When she became a mum herself, confinement seemed like a natural thing for her to do.
What confinement – or “sitting the month” looks like changes slightly from culture to culture, but broadly it involves rallying around a mum who’s just given birth, to make sure that not only the baby is safe and cared for, but the mum has everything she needs to recover as well.
While most parents are trying to learn the lessons of new parenthood while in a state of mental and physical shock, for those practicing confinement the focus is on you as a new mum.
You’re about to hear Melissa’s story of the joys and challenges, and how the practice of confinement in Australia has evolved over time from Chinese traditional medicine practitioner Eric Cheng, who helps women transition into motherhood.
Survive & Thrive is a podcast from Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA), find it in your favourite podcast app.
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Acknowledgement
PANDA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where we work and live and where this podcast is made. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.
We recognise the individual and collective contributions of people with a lived and/or living experience of mental health issues, their families, loved ones and supporters.
Each person’s journey is unique and a valued contribution to Australia’s commitment to PANDA's work and mental health systems reform.
It is through listening to and acting on the voices of people with lived experience, that those who provide services, those who fund services, and most importantly, those who use services that we will find the information we need to move towards the mental health system Australia needs.
Every person’s story we hear, every experience shared, helps to develop our understanding of the system that is required to best meet the needs of Australians living with mental health issues, their families, loved ones and supporters.
Credits
Host: Gia Hogarth
PANDA Digital Editor: Serena Ashmore
PANDA Commissioning Editor: Bec Shafer
Deadset Studios Senior Producer: Grace Pashley
Deadset Studios Executive Producer: Rachel Fountain
Sound Design by Krissy Miltiadou
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