SINGAPORE – How much does it cost to have a baby in Singapore? It starts with the very first swipe of your card on the clinic’s payment machine. Before you know it, prenatal check-ups and classes snowball into hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

Not to mention the small fortune forked out for strollers, clothes, diapers and the birth itself. 

And that is all before your baby grows up, and books, toys, tuition and all sorts of enrichment add-ons start feeling like necessities . 

In the light of all that, can mothers really afford to set aside another thousand dollars for confinement meals? At $30 a meal, it is a pretty generous budget for what often tastes like home-cooked food.

Some mothers, like homemaker Alisha Teo, decided to opt out after perusing the usual options and sampling a trial meal from a “well-known” confinement meal company. 

“The meal left me unimpressed and thinking, I would much rather eat my mum’s food than this. So, on the whole, we felt that it wasn’t worth it paying so much ($20 to 40 a meal) for food I don’t particularly enjoy eating,” says the 29-year-old, who gave birth to a girl in March 2024. 

Instead, she got by on frozen meals that she prepared a month before her due date, her mother’s cooking and food deliveries from friends. She was not entirely confined to the home either, venturing out on occasion for lunch and dinner.

In total, she estimates she saved over $1,000. 

She is not the only one eschewing tradition for flexibility.

Ms Jia Yang Li, 27, director of Mama J’s Confinement Food, has observed more mothers opting for shorter one- to two-week confinement meal plans and compensating with alternative forms of meal prep support.

“This shift could be due to several reasons, such as some mothers now preferring to gradually ease into confinement food rather than commit to a full month. We also found that they often consider more flexible arrangements with home-cooked meals or support from helpers or family,” she says. 

In an increasingly interconnected country where modern mothers can summon any dish from any corner of the island with a click, will confinement meals remain a cultural staple? Or do they, like other relics from a more superstitious past, merit reconsideration?

What makes confinement meals special

Confinement meals, in many Asian cultures, are about balance – especially the equilibrium between hot and cold. Such ideas are typically rooted in traditional medical wisdom, which theorises that women move into a “cold” state after giving birth. 

These might not be principles most modern women live by. But, as Mrs Doris Fok – a lactation consultant and researcher from the Growing Up In Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (Gusto) birth cohort study – points out, people tend to cleave to tradition in times of uncertainty. 

“It goes back to the fact that everyone wants to recover . So, because this is a very new experience for the new mother, she will want to re-establish contact with her mother or, if her mother isn’t around, someone experienced like a confinement nanny, to get advice on how to care for the baby and herself,” she says. 

According to a 2016 study she co-authored on the confinement practices of Chinese, Malay and Indian mothers in Singapore, the vast majority of participants – over 90 per cent in the case of Chinese and Malay mothers – reported that they followed confinement practices during the first three weeks post-partum. 

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Hospitals, too, have embraced traditional wisdom.

To offset excess cold, Thomson Medical stocks its confinement meal packages with dishes like braised pig’s trotters in black vinegar, aimed at warming the body. They range in price from $548 for seven meals to $2,908 for 35 days of meals.

The recipes are developed in consultation with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physicians, lactation consultants and dietitians, and target key post-partum needs: dispelling wind, replenishing qi (Chinese for “air” or “energy”) and blood, improving circulation, supporting lactation and strengthening immunity. 

Thomson Medical’s confinement meals are developed in consultation with traditional Chinese medicine physicians, lactation consultants and dietitians.

PHOTO: THOMSON MEDICAL 

The 28-day package, for example, is divided into two stages. The first is made up of milder, gentler foods aimed at stabilising digestion – like steamed egg with minced meat or steamed threadfin – while the second stage aims to nourish, with dishes like grilled salmon with capsicum and stir-fried pork with rice wine and ginger. 

Apart from the “warming” or “cooling” nature of foods, TCM physicians also take into consideration the flavour and colour of the ingredient – both of which are believed to fortify a specific organ. Black foods like sea cucumber and black beans, for instance, are said to boost the kidney, as are savoury ingredients such as pig’s kidney and walnuts.

“We did lots of studies to test whether colour was actually linked to organ function,” says Ms Sanye Lam, a TCM physician at Thomson Medical. “We also found a common point between TCM principles and the dietitian’s knowledge. For example, dietitians won’t classify black foods by colour, but by micronutrient profile. So, we will make sure our recipes support both sets of theories.”   

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) maintains that while research evidence supporting these traditional practices remains limited, confinement meals can be incorporated into a balanced diet when practised in moderation. 

In recognition of their “cultural significance”, the hospital offers its own set of confinement meals, consisting of double-boiled chicken soup, stir-fried baby bok choy, red glutinous rice wine chicken and more. These dishes are part of its standard inpatient meal offerings.

KKH’s confinement meals include dishes like steamed seabass fillet with superior soya sauce. 

PHOTO: KK WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 

However, Ms Christabeth Leow, a dietitian at KKH’s nutrition and dietetics department, warns of certain myths that might end up doing more harm than good.

For starters, though certain fruits and vegetables may fall within the “cold” category, mothers should consume suitable substitutes to maintain a balanced diet with sufficient fibre and vitamins. 

They need not load up on excessive amounts of traditional herbs or supplements either, as this could potentially be toxic or affect the quality of breast milk. And plain water, contrary to traditional belief, is perfectly fine. 

Food obtained from hawker centres or restaurants, meanwhile, is not dangerous as long as mothers prioritise food safety.

They might want to avoid raw meat and raw seafood, and soft and mould-ripened cheeses, for example, which increase the risk of listeria poisoning . Raw sushi and partially cooked eggs might also be contaminated with salmonella.  

“When eating out at restaurants or having local hawker meals, be mindful that such foods may often be high in calories if cooked with high-fat cooking methods like deep-frying or with gravy. These can contribute to weight gain in the postnatal period or make it difficult to achieve weight loss,” says Ms Leow, adding that it is advisable to pick dishes prepared with lower-fat cooking methods and lean protein instead.  

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From my home to yours

At these hospitals, appetite for confinement meals shows no sign of shrinking.

KKH’s confinement menu has seen a 20 per cent rise in demand over the past two years, while Thomson Medical says that demand surged by 50 to 60 per cent during the Covid-19 pandemic, driven by a shortage of confinement nannies and a growing preference for home-based recovery.

“Although demand tapered slightly as restrictions eased, it has since rebounded to pandemic peak levels over the past year,” says Ms Vivian Sim, senior marketing and product manager at Thomson Medical. Its proportion of non-Chinese customers has also grown from 1 per cent before the pandemic to some 6.5 per cent today.

As such, though Chinese meals shaped by TCM principles dominate the landscape, the pie is slowly but surely swelling to accommodate mothers with different dietary needs.

Home-based businesses have spawned, plugging a gap in the market for halal and Indian food. 

To Mrs Fok, the enduring demand for confinement meals is only to be expected, given how busy mothers – and grandmothers – are these days.

“Many modern grandmothers prefer not to look after their grandchildren. That’s why these commercial confinement food companies thrive,” says the 67-year-old. 

“Young couples increasingly need this service because not everyone has the privilege of having parents who can help ,” concurs Mr Amirudin Zain, 38, who runs Ukashah’s Confinement Meals with his wife Aszafirah Abu, 36. “Some live by themselves, some have parents who are still working.” 

The couple, who have six children aged three months to 10, started their food delivery service from home in 2019 after realising how limited halal confinement meal options were.

As Ms Aszafirah had just given birth to their third child and was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia , her husband gave up his Malay stall in an industrial canteen in Pioneer to cook for her.  

A Mediterranean dish – with Turkish pilav rice with chicken kebab, housemade pita bread with hummus dip and salad – from Ukashah’s Confinement Meals.

PHOTO: UKASHAH’S CONFINEMENT MEALS

And so their business was born. In the first couple of years, they cooked for five to 10 mothers each day. Soon, they were receiving more orders than their home kitchen could accommodate and they moved to a commercial kitchen in West Coast Drive in 2021.

Now, they average around 30 orders daily, fulfilled with the help of a cook and a team of three delivery riders. The menu is international, veering from French roast chicken to Moroccan beef stew to gado gado – and it is this variety that sets them apart from more traditional companies. 

Ms Aszafirah says: “We still follow Malay confinement standards, which advise against spicy and oily food. We’ve eliminated vegetable oil by substituting it with extra virgin olive oil, and reduced condiments like sugar and salt. For umami, we depend on housemade broth and don’t use pre-made sauces.”  

Prices start at $210 for a lunch-only six-day package, and go up to $1,500 for 30 days of lunch and dinner. Around 70 per cent of their clients are Malay, though they get a handful of Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Korean customers too.  

Ms Punita Naidu cooks Indian and Chinese confinement dishes from home.

ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK

Ms Punita Naidu, on the other hand, caters mainly to the Indian community. After attending a confinement nanny course by Thomson Medical four years ago, she decided to marry her love for children and cooking by set ting up Maahi’s Indian Confinement Care in 2023. 

“ It’s very tough to take care of a baby and also cook for yourself. My clients say I make life a lot easier for them. Once they feed their baby and take a nap, the next thing they know, dinner is waiting for them,” says the 44-year-old mother of two. Because hers is a one-woman show, run from her Canberra Walk flat, she can take on only up to eight clients at a time. 

For mothers like Ms Renuka Mathialagan, finding someone who was able to cater to her dietary preferences was a minor miracle. The 31-year-old teacher, who gave birth to her only child in June 2024, craved the familiar taste of Indian food, but the other companies who met her criteria were either fully booked for the month or served dishes that were too spicy, according to online reviews. 

“Punita was very reassuring and informative with the ingredients used, and she provided a wide variety in the meal options,” she says. “I did not want fish in my meal as I was afraid of the bones, so Punita tried to substitute with more veggies and boneless fish options.” 

Ms Naidu packing lunch – black pepper chicken masala – for her clients. 

ST PHOTO: CHERIE LOK

Ms Naidu’s recipes draw on traditional wisdom, both her own family’s and that of others in the wider Indian community. “I learnt from grandmothers who have been using these ingredients for many years. I also did my own research. I googled the pros and cons of certain ingredients, watched lots of YouTube videos about confinement food and read the blogs of confinement women in India,” she says. 

She incorporates ingredients and techniques from other cultures into her cooking too, though it requires some discretion, as Indian and Chinese confinement practices are not completely aligned.

While both cultures strive to maintain the body’s hot-cold balance, they have differing ideas about which foods might be considered “hot” or “cold”. 

According to a 2018 Gusto study on maternal dietary patterns, the traditional Chinese confinement diet is characterised by high consumption of traditional dried fruits, herbal tea, rhizomes, Chinese herbs and foods cooked with alcohol, wine or vinegar. However, the traditional Indian confinement diet consists of whole milk, butter, ghee, garlic and herbs like ajwain and fenugreek. 

Shaoxing wine, favoured by Chinese cooks for its warming properties, was not as well received among some of Ms Naidu’s Indian clients, who were unused to its taste. 

Still, others appreciate the variety she offers – black pepper chicken masala for lunch and stir-fry bee hoon with sweet and sour fish for dinner, for example. Each meal is accompanied by a small dessert, like bubur pulut hitam. Lunch costs $45 and dinner $20. 

Western dishes, such as pasta with salmon, make intermittent appearances on her menus too. “Confinement meals can be very bland and I want them to enjoy the meal while recovering,” she says , recalling her own confinement experience 14 years ago, when her mother cooked mainly fish, curry and soup . 

“I was eating the same kind of food every day with no dessert, and I felt like crying. I wondered, how long am I going to have to eat like this?” 

Ms Razlina Razak runs confinement food company Kaki Masak from home with two assistants.

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Curating a menu that actually tastes good is also a priority for Ms Razlina Razak, 44, founder of confinement food company Kaki Masak. Her halal-friendly meals are a fusion of various cultures, and might feature anything from squid ink pasta to lemak nangka (jackfruit).

There is a limit to how tasty she can make her food, however. “Sometimes customers complain the spaghetti is a bit bland, but I’ll have to explain that sorry, it’s still confinement food, so I have to control the amount of sodium I add,” she says.

When building up her repertoire of dishes, she roped in doctor friends to help her distinguish between myth and science. 

At $60 a day for lunch and dinner, her meals are pegged to the rates of her competitors. “I can’t be the lowest price or I’ll spoil the market. If they raise, I’ll have to raise too.”

She started documenting her clean-eating attempts when she was trying to conceive around six years ago, and when she started selling her meals, the response was “overwhelming”.

Nowadays, she handles up to 25 orders a day – all whipped up in her Teck Whye flat – with the help of two assistants. 

“Postnatal blues are no joke. That’s why I put so much effort into cooking for my clients,” says the mother of one, who outsourced the preparation of her own food to her helper because she was in no mood to cook after giving birth.

Ms Razlina controls the amount of salt she adds to her cooking.

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Her advice to new mothers who might be tempted to save money? “If you can afford it, just get someone else to cook. You need to eat to have the energy to take care of a newborn. And if you’re too exhausted and there’s no food, you might not have the time to eat.” 

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