Health & Wellness
Q&A With Expert Series: Get Your Answers On The Common Doubts For Pantang Care
5 min | Updated on 30-03-2023 by HappyPreggie
In the Malay community, it is a common belief that the birth of a child is actually a gift bestowed by God as it could bring blessings and sustenance to the family. They view newborn babies as something pure and significant which is why in their religion, mothers are put on such a high pedestal. That is also how they came up with the traditional confinement practice that is known as pantang in order to help these amazing women restore their energy and spark again. A Malay mother who had just given birth typically undergoes confinement practice for around 40 to 44 days. It is a period that is accompanied by many restrictions, rules, and taboos but also a very beneficial practice that is made up of many factors.
(Q&A Expert Series With Ms. Zamzana)
Although Pantang care is very beneficial for new mothers and babies, there are some common concerns and questions regarding this. In our Q&A With Expert Series, we have Ms. Zamzana, Co-founder at Pantang Plus, who joined us to answer some common questions that almost every new mum has about Pantang Care. Thank you Ms. Zamzana!
Traditional Malay pantang care has its killer and signature treatment which is the Malay body massage. This session helps to promote blood circulation and detoxification, alleviate breast engorgement pain, boost milk production, recovery and reshape the body, assist the womb back to its pre-pregnancy position and size, and many more benefits.
(Image credits to Canva)
In the old days, uncertified senior Malay women were called bidan to assist women during giving birth. Nowadays bidan is a registered midwife under the Ministry of Health (MOH). Our care ladies are better known as PostNatal Therapies (PNT).
Bidans’ knowledge, skills, and practices are grounded on theories, beliefs, and experiences from their ancestors. These traditional practices are aimed at restoring the normal functions of reproductive organs, increasing mothers’ wellbeing and energy, promoting wound healing and weight loss, and providing other aesthetic and health benefits.
At the moment all PNT must have a minimum Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM/Urutan) and Diploma Kemahiran Malaysia (DKM/Confinement Care). By 2024, all PNT must be registered practitioners in the MOH under Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM).
With the registration, MOH has a standard regulation to govern the industry and will portray the career as a professional and experienced PNT.
The treatment is standard across all races and nations. Malay traditional body massage is the most sought-after treatment by new mothers due to the speedy healing and recovery process it offers.
(Image credits to Canva)
The Malay traditional body regimes such as body lulur, tangas, and herbal baths use natural herbs and spices that all mothers will look forward to experiencing because nature has the best remedy and its chemical-free nature is safe for weak and frail mothers.
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The Malay confinement food is authentic dishes that not only provide nutritional values for internal cell replacement, but also help in speedy wound healing, nourishing mother’s milk, and gaining ideal weight.
Actually, both bengkung and belly binder has similar functionalities. However, I would prefer bengkung which is designed to support the mother’s abdomen after it stretches 500 times during pregnancy. Bengkung also helps to slowly push back the womb to its original size and position, and take care of mothers’ backbones.
(Image credits to A Beautiful Beginning)
There are certain ways to strap a bengkung around a mother’s abdomen and the expertise of strapping a bengkung depends on the therapist. Since it is not just clicking together two ends like the belly binder, bengkung has to be tied or strapped around the abdomen methodically which makes us pantang care providers feel that it is really effective to use a bengkung.
Tuam and bertungku help to provide warmth from the stones that Postnatal therapists use. This session will regulate body temperature and prevent new mothers from falling into fever or cold easily.
(Image credits to Audela)
Param, pilis, and tapel are natural herbs that have certain properties for external healing to the mother's body.
Herbal drinks are consumed as an ideal tea-break session, where the ingredient is carefully selected to help detox the body and give a calming and soothing effect.
(Image credits to Prakriti Organic Foods)
Massage oil is applied during massage sessions to help promote blood circulation and tone the body's skin. The fragrance in massage oil provides aromatherapy healing for new mothers to relax and rest well.
At pantangplus.com we do not offer saunas due to safety and hygiene reasons. This service is also not covered under TCM & MOH. For therapists that offer sauna service, we would like to remind them to be cautious because a lot of accidents happen due to negligence. For new mothers who wish to have this service, we suggest they do this after the pantang period is over, i.e. 30-44 days.
We hope this helped answer some of the concerns you may have. What other questions do you have? Let us know, and we will help you find the answers. Your questions may even be featured in our future Q & A series blog.
In the meantime, if you want to know about some Common Doubts For Pregnancy And Labour answered by a professional you can read- Q&A With Expert Series: Get Your Answers On The Common Doubts For Pregnancy And Labour Or you can also read Q&A With Expert Series: Get Your Answers On The Common Doubts For Newborn Care! Apart from that, you can read other amazing informative blogs on HappyPreggie’s website.
(Q&A Expert Series With Ms. Zamzana)
Although Pantang care is very beneficial for new mothers and babies, there are some common concerns and questions regarding this. In our Q&A With Expert Series, we have Ms. Zamzana, Co-founder at Pantang Plus, who joined us to answer some common questions that almost every new mum has about Pantang Care. Thank you Ms. Zamzana!
Q1. How is traditional Malay pantang care different from modern-day confinement treatment?
Traditional Malay pantang care has its killer and signature treatment which is the Malay body massage. This session helps to promote blood circulation and detoxification, alleviate breast engorgement pain, boost milk production, recovery and reshape the body, assist the womb back to its pre-pregnancy position and size, and many more benefits.
(Image credits to Canva)
Q2. Who is a bidan and what are the benefits of hiring one?
In the old days, uncertified senior Malay women were called bidan to assist women during giving birth. Nowadays bidan is a registered midwife under the Ministry of Health (MOH). Our care ladies are better known as PostNatal Therapies (PNT).
Bidans’ knowledge, skills, and practices are grounded on theories, beliefs, and experiences from their ancestors. These traditional practices are aimed at restoring the normal functions of reproductive organs, increasing mothers’ wellbeing and energy, promoting wound healing and weight loss, and providing other aesthetic and health benefits.
Q3. How can I verify if the pantang care bidan is a professional therapist?
At the moment all PNT must have a minimum Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia (SKM/Urutan) and Diploma Kemahiran Malaysia (DKM/Confinement Care). By 2024, all PNT must be registered practitioners in the MOH under Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM).
With the registration, MOH has a standard regulation to govern the industry and will portray the career as a professional and experienced PNT.
Q4. What can mothers expect from a pantang care service?
The treatment is standard across all races and nations. Malay traditional body massage is the most sought-after treatment by new mothers due to the speedy healing and recovery process it offers.
(Image credits to Canva)
The Malay traditional body regimes such as body lulur, tangas, and herbal baths use natural herbs and spices that all mothers will look forward to experiencing because nature has the best remedy and its chemical-free nature is safe for weak and frail mothers.
.
The Malay confinement food is authentic dishes that not only provide nutritional values for internal cell replacement, but also help in speedy wound healing, nourishing mother’s milk, and gaining ideal weight.
Q5. As a pantang provider, do you prefer ikat bengkung or a belly binder and why?
Actually, both bengkung and belly binder has similar functionalities. However, I would prefer bengkung which is designed to support the mother’s abdomen after it stretches 500 times during pregnancy. Bengkung also helps to slowly push back the womb to its original size and position, and take care of mothers’ backbones.
(Image credits to A Beautiful Beginning)
There are certain ways to strap a bengkung around a mother’s abdomen and the expertise of strapping a bengkung depends on the therapist. Since it is not just clicking together two ends like the belly binder, bengkung has to be tied or strapped around the abdomen methodically which makes us pantang care providers feel that it is really effective to use a bengkung.
Q6. How effective is the treatment tuam and bertungku work for post-pregnancy mothers?
Tuam and bertungku help to provide warmth from the stones that Postnatal therapists use. This session will regulate body temperature and prevent new mothers from falling into fever or cold easily.
(Image credits to Audela)
Q7. I am still new to pantang care. Can you explain to me the science behind param, pilis, tapel, and tuam?
Param, pilis, and tapel are natural herbs that have certain properties for external healing to the mother's body.
- Param is to treat mother’s tummy and together with bengkung will flatten mommy’s tummy faster and firmer.
- Tapel has a warming effect, applied to the skin surface to keep the mother's body warm.
- Pilis has a calming and cooling effect, applied to the forehead to reduce dizziness and headaches of new mothers who face irregular sleeping patterns after the baby arrives.
Q8. May I know if herbal drinks and oil massage provided by a pantang therapist are effective in healing a postpartum mother?
Herbal drinks are consumed as an ideal tea-break session, where the ingredient is carefully selected to help detox the body and give a calming and soothing effect.
(Image credits to Prakriti Organic Foods)
Massage oil is applied during massage sessions to help promote blood circulation and tone the body's skin. The fragrance in massage oil provides aromatherapy healing for new mothers to relax and rest well.
Q9. What is the use of a sauna for post-delivery mothers since I see sauna is included in pantang packages?
At pantangplus.com we do not offer saunas due to safety and hygiene reasons. This service is also not covered under TCM & MOH. For therapists that offer sauna service, we would like to remind them to be cautious because a lot of accidents happen due to negligence. For new mothers who wish to have this service, we suggest they do this after the pantang period is over, i.e. 30-44 days.
We hope this helped answer some of the concerns you may have. What other questions do you have? Let us know, and we will help you find the answers. Your questions may even be featured in our future Q & A series blog.
In the meantime, if you want to know about some Common Doubts For Pregnancy And Labour answered by a professional you can read- Q&A With Expert Series: Get Your Answers On The Common Doubts For Pregnancy And Labour Or you can also read Q&A With Expert Series: Get Your Answers On The Common Doubts For Newborn Care! Apart from that, you can read other amazing informative blogs on HappyPreggie’s website.
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