Postnatal recovery looks very different around the world.In many cultures, food isn’t just nourishment, it’s part of healing.

In Part 2 of our conversation with Lucy Lam, we explore Chinese confinement foods and the principles behind them; from “hot vs cold” to why recovery is often split into two distinct phases after birth. Lucy shares how these traditions show up across Asia, and what it looks like to adapt them to modern life in the UK.

We explore:

• How confinement foods are designed to support recovery, digestion, and replenishment
• The “hot, cold, and neutral” food framework — and how to interpret it practically
• What postnatal care looks like in places like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore
• Why rigid rules don’t always help — and how Lucy adapted confinement to protect her mental health
• Realistic ways to take the principles of confinement and make them work at home

This episode isn’t about following tradition perfectly.It’s about asking what new mothers need after birth - and what we might learn from cultures that take recovery more seriously.🎧 Listen to The Motherhood Clinic Podcast — real, honest conversations about postnatal care, recovery, and support.

Chapters:

00:00 Episode trailer

01:10 Confinement across different cultures

06:45 Hot vs cold foods — what it actually means

14:30 The two phases of confinement eating

22:10 Signature dishes and common misconceptions

31:40 Adapting confinement for real life (and mental health)

44:10 Making postnatal recovery more intentional

Resources mentioned in this episode:

https://www.lucylovestoeat.com