A special episode for Podcasthaton 2025!

Please support, donate, or volunteer with MBRNPC: Military Birth Resource Network and Postpartum Coalition.

Military Parental Leave Program (MPLP) information here.

Military Parental Leave Program (MPLP) FAQs here.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Support for MBRNPC: Military Birth Resource Network and Postpartum Coalition
• What is the 12-Week Parental Leave for US military members
• This parental leave is NOT a holiday!

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Disclaimer: The content in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only. Please see your medical provider for medical advice.

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CONNECT WITH KRISTAL

• Website: Bridges In Health
• Buy My Book 'Postpartum 30: Thirty Days To A Nurtured Fourth Trimester'
• YouTube @drkristallau
• Instagram @mamaswingwoman
• TikTok @drkristallau
• LinkedIn @kristallau

Storytime episode with Dr Kristal Lau where she shares her brush with grief for her "old self" during her Matrescence and motherhood journey.


EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Why I felt grief despite having a healthy pregnancy and smooth birth experience
• Stages of Grief
• How to hold space for a mom if she's experiencing this type of grief

QUOTES

"I'm gonna talk about grief that's not related to a physical loss. In fact, it's grief related to feeling like you losing your old self before you became a mom or dad."

"It's not just made up and you're not feeling selfish or dumb for having the sense of loss for your old self or your old life."

"When I first started feeling this intense sensation of loss. I didn't know what to do with it because I had a healthy pregnancy. I didn't understand why I was feeling this way because I really felt it not just a deep, heavy feeling in my chest, but this pit in my stomach, like something is gone forever and that I was never gonna get it back. "

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Please seek help from your family and friends, your health provider, or your counselor and therapist, if you need to talk to someone. Even your religious or spiritual advisor or community member if you're more comfortable with them.

Read the blog & transcript: https://www.mamaswingwoman.com/ep14

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I offer postpartum coaching to help new moms and their families adjust to the big changes when a new baby arrives. This takes time and someone to really care about the unique-ness of what you and your family need and want.

Book a free 30-minute Discovery Call with me to see if we jive and how you can reach your postpartum goals with me! [https://calendly.com/drkristallau/ppconnect]

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL

• Website: Bridges In Health
• Buy My Book 'Postpartum 30: Thirty Days To A Nurtured Fourth Trimester'
• YouTube @drkristallau
• Instagram @mamaswingwoman
• TikTok @drkristallau
• LinkedIn @kristallau

Learn why many Chinese and East Asian parents want a baby born under this zodiac sign and how this cultural belief leads to a baby boom that affects mothers, families, population census, services, and businesses.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Why the Year of the Dragon is a BIG DEAL
• A Brief Introduction to the Significance of this Chinese Zodiac Sign
• Effects of this cultural belief on individuals up to population level

QUOTES

"The dragon is the most revered and majestic animal and Chinese mythology and culture. It symbolizes power, nobility, honor, luck, and success."

"...roughly 25% more babies were born among the Chinese populations of Singapore and Malaysia during the 1988 year of the Dragon compared with the previous year. In response, Singapore, three quarters of which is ethnically Chinese, opened nine new primary schools."

Want to DIY your confinement month? Buy my book 'Postpartum 30' to learn how! https://www.mamaswingwoman.com/postpartumbook

Read the blog: https://www.mamaswingwoman.com/ep13

ARTICLE LINKS

• China Highlights: https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/dragon.htm
• National Post: https://nationalpost.com/news/world/many-chinese-believe-dragon-babies-destined-for-greatness-but-baby-booms-have-unintended-consequences
• BBC World Asia: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-16589052
• Al-Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2012/1/23/year-of-the-dragon-roars-into-asia
• Medium Master Steven Chen: https://medium.com/@thechinesezodiac/is-2024-a-good-year-to-have-a-baby-befd6abbca65
• Courtly: https://www.courtly.com/resources/couples-rush-to-have-baby-dragons-chinese-zodiac
• The Star: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/11/01/getting-wed-to-get-little-dragons
• Mothership: https://mothership.sg/2023/11/luxurious-confinement-centre-6000-a-night/

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL

• Website: Bridges In Health
• Buy My Book 'Postpartum 30: Thirty Days To A Nurtured Fourth Trimester'
• YouTube @drkristallau
• Instagram @mamaswingwoman
• TikTok @drkristallau
• LinkedIn @kristallau

Christmas has just passed but the end year festivities continue! Here's some quick tips of joining in on the fun even while you're doing your confinement this holiday season.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

Quick tips on how to head out for the festivities during your confinement month.

QUOTES

"If you really wanna go out and enjoy and you're still in your confinement month, please do. I know it goes against the rule of leaving home because you know it's gonna be cold and everything, but we are in 2023. This is the modern times..."

"Most importantly, during this time when you wanna head out during your confinement month, is dress really, really warm. Even for those of you living in the southern hemisphere..."

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Postpartum 30 Book Owners! Please Email Dr. Kristal Lau HERE to get access to her private FB group!
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READ THE BLOG POST HERE

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL

• Website: Bridges In Health
• Buy My Book 'Postpartum 30: Thirty Days To A Nurtured Fourth Trimester'
• YouTube @drkristallau
• Instagram @mamaswingwoman
• TikTok @drkristallau
• LinkedIn @kristallau

There are 2 major celebrations for the baby after completing the confinement month; the full moon and 100th day. And Dr. Kristal Lau brings a modern twist to these baby-centered celebrations by reinstating you, the mother, back in the spotlight during this time.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• What is the full moon and 100th-day celebration?
• Why it's important to celebrate the mother as much as the baby.
• Ideas for throwing a full moon and 100th-day celebration.

QUOTES

"The 100th day is huge for many East Asian families; hotel ballrooms can get booked out. "

"This full moon period also marks the end of the new mom's confinement month, and she's now able to bathe, wash her hair, and be presented together with the baby to the family."

"I feel really strongly that by doing things this way, by bringing the woman and the mother back into the picture, it's going to help our next generation of women and mothers to feel really appreciated and to look forward to this."

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Email Dr. Kristal Lau with your questions!
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Get your FREE CONFINEMENT PLANNER HERE
.
BUY POSTPARTUM 30 BOOK HERE
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Need more help with your confinement planning? Book Your Free 30-Minute Discovery Call to start your Confinement & Postpartum Planning
.
READ THE BLOG POST HERE
.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• The Book of Rites: worldhistorycommons.org/book-rites-birth-child

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL

• Website: Bridges In Health
• Buy My Book 'Postpartum 30: Thirty Days To A Nurtured Fourth Trimester'
• YouTube @drkristallau
• Instagram @mamaswingwoman
• TikTok @drkristallau
• LinkedIn @kristallau

The Chinese confinement practice is essentially a postpartum recovery program steeped in tradition and traditional Chinese medicine principles. Learn why you should create and personalise your confinement plan and how to do it with my Postpartum 30 method.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Why you should create and personalise your confinement
• Confinement planning as a family affair
• How to create your confinement using my Postpartum 30 Method

QUOTES

"...what I wish for you to take away from today's episode is to have a rough idea on how to approach your confinement month as though it is a recovery program."

"...personalizing your confinement month helps you retain a lot of your family's traditions and beliefs as well. It also really allows you and your spouse, husband, or partner to come up with a 30-day plan that makes sense to what you need in your modern life. "

"I think it's wise to have a look at your finances. Can you afford to do a full 30 days traditionally? Because... you have to get all your herbs, you have to cook. If you want to follow specific Chinese diet, the confinement diet. Are you able to cook those meals fresh? "

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Get your FREE CONFINEMENT PLANNER HERE
.
BUY POSTPARTUM 30 HERE
.
Need more help with your confinement planning? Book Your Free 30-Minute Discovery Call to start your Confinement & Postpartum Planning
.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT AND BLOG POST HERE
.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Ng Siong Mui's book: The Chinese Pregnancy and Confinement Cookbook
• Eu Yan Sang
• Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL

• Website: Bridges In Health
• Buy My Book 'Postpartum 30: Thirty Days To A Nurtured Fourth Trimester'
• YouTube @drkristallau
• Instagram @mamaswingwoman
• TikTok @drkristallau
• LinkedIn @kristallau

Learn about the challenges and benefits of following a traditional confinement practice in our modern time after you've given birth. And why this paves the way for a modernised confinement practice; an approach I take in my book 'Postpartum 30' to respectfully adapt a traditional and cultural practice to fit the needs of modern mothers and families!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• 3 Challenges of following a Traditional Confinement Practice.
• 3 Benefits of following a Traditional Confinement Practice.
• Why it's important to make space for a Modern Confinement Practice.

QUOTES

"Modern women everywhere these days also have to think about how much maternity leave they and their partner or spouse can get. Is it financially feasible to carry out a very traditional confinement month? Can modern moms and modern women get the physical support to do it, especially for those of you like me who have migrated overseas?"

"...a lot of confinement centers did not allow fathers to stay overnight or really participate, which we now know that paternal participation in the postpartum period does make a difference, both in their own postpartum journey"

"...for those of you who want to follow the very traditional style of confinement, there are also some benefits to it, and it's mostly related to feeling of fulfillment and honoring your elders."

"If you and your spouse or partner are the first to raise a mixed-race family like mine, this holds even more value because you're able to pass down your joint heritage once you've tailored a confinement practice to your family."

.
BUY POSTPARTUM 30 HERE
.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT AND BLOG POST HERE
.

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL

• Website: Bridges In Health
• Buy My Book 'Postpartum 30: Thirty Days To A Nurtured Fourth Trimester'
• YouTube @drkristallau
• Instagram @mamaswingwoman
• TikTok @drkristallau
• LinkedIn @kristallau

Learn about the origins of the confinement practice and some of the taboos and superstitions behind this Chinese postpartum recovery practice.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Why is confinement usually performed for 30 days?
• The ancient Chinese origins of confinement.

KEYWORDS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

• Integrative care
• Integrative medicine

ARTICLE CITATION

• Lee, J. (2006). "Childbirth in Early Imperial China". In Medicine for Women in Imperial China. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789047409922_006

QUOTES

"...the postpartum period, where the postpartum confinement recovery is expected to happen, ranged from three days, seven days, 30 days, the whole month, 100 days, and up to half a year, or even as long as a year of resting after childbirth."

"...when women back in ancient China days did not go to a delivery house or a birthing house, and they could not go home to their family's home to give birth, it was customary from the Han Dynasty onwards to set up a special birth room either inside the house where they're currently living with their husband and their immediate family or outside the home."

"...the reason for them to do a confinement practice away from everyone else. It was absolutely related to the cultural belief and the taboos and superstition around how dirty the childbirth process is."

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READ THE TRANSCRIPT HERE
.

CONNECT WITH KRISTAL

• Website: Bridges In Health
• Buy My Book 'Postpartum 30: Thirty Days To A Nurtured Fourth Trimester'
• YouTube @drkristallau
• Instagram @mamaswingwoman
• TikTok @drkristallau
• LinkedIn @kristallau