Drop us a comment! Note: If you submit a comment, you agree that we have the right to publish it on all our digital platforms. Thank you!

Preparing for your postpartum Confinement during Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year can be exciting but also emotionally complicated.

In this special episode of The Postpartum Wellness Show, Dr Kristal Lau explores how to navigate Confinement during the festive season, especially when family expectations, cultural traditions, and FOMO all intersect.

She discusses boundaries with elders, the emotional realities of postpartum recovery, and practical ways to still participate in celebrations while prioritizing healing and well-being.

This episode is especially helpful for new parents who are navigating their postpartum Confinement month during this festive season.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• Why festive seasons can create pressure for new parents
• Navigating expectations from elders and extended family
• The emotional load of boundary setting during postpartum
• Understanding FOMO during cultural celebrations
• How food traditions and confinement practices may conflict
• Practical ways to celebrate CNY & LNY while prioritizing recovery

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QUOTES

“Your confinement period is just this one time. The festive season comes every year.”

“You enter postpartum depleted in every single way, so protecting your rest matters.”

“The whole point of confinement is to rest. That includes resting mentally and emotionally.”

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RESOURCES MENTIONED

Award-winning book Postpartum 30 by Dr Kristal Lau - Chapter 3: Managing Expectations and Setting Boundaries in the Postpartum Year

Available via online retailers (link below!)

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CONNECT WITH DR KRISTAL LAU!

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

Drop us a comment! Note: If you submit a comment, you agree that we have the right to publish it on all our digital platforms. Thank you!

Let's talk about why the First 1000 Days of Life matter not just for children—but for parents, postpartum care, and the future of families.

In this episode of The Postpartum Wellness Show, Dr Kristal Lau explores the first 1000 days of life concept of early childhood development and explains why postpartum care must be part of this critical window.

This episode connects science, lived experience, and common sense to challenge the status quo that postpartum is still treated as an afterthought. Dr Lau reframes postpartum care for parents as central to early childhood development.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• What the first 1000 days of life actually mean
• How postpartum fits directly into early childhood development
• The intergenerational impact of stress, disadvantage, and biology
• What children truly need to thrive beyond nutrition
• Why supporting parents is essential to supporting children
• How clinicians and caregivers can apply a two-year postpartum lens today

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QUOTES

“Children are like sponges. Even before they can speak or really process a bunch of stuff that’s happening, their nervous system can already sense and read the room.”

“If we’re not able to give parents both education support and the confidence to feel like they can do the job, then how are they supposed to provide a stable and responsive and loving type of nervous system output for their children?”

“When we’re not able to love ourselves and care for ourselves as parents, there’s a high chance that kids pick up the message that being a parent must be terrible.”

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P.S. The free membership resource hub is still in development. Check back soon for the link!

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Episode Links:

• My email: contact@bridgesinhealth.com
• The First 1000 Days of Life RCH Melbourne

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CONNECT WITH DR KRISTAL LAU!

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

Drop us a comment! Note: If you submit a comment, you agree that we have the right to publish it on all our digital platforms. Thank you!

Learn why the clinical definition of postpartum as “six to eight weeks” is outdated, where this timeframe possibly came from, and why redefining postpartum as a two-year period is critical for parents, families, and long-term population health.

In this episode, Dr Kristal Lau breaks down the science, history, and lived experience behind postpartum recovery, briefly explains what the 2023 Lancet maternal health series revealed, and makes the case for extending postpartum care to align with the first 1000 days of life.

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EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

• The current clinical definition of postpartum and why it falls short
• What the Lancet maternal health series revealed about postpartum complications
• The overlooked role of lived experience in postpartum care
• Where the six-to-eight-week postpartum timeframe likely originated
• Why redefining postpartum as a two-year period makes clinical and public-health sense
• How the first 1000 days of life framework supports this shift

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QUOTES

“The majority of health problems after childbirth start after the six-to-eight-week mark.”

“We rely so heavily on evidence-based data that we forget women have been telling us this for generations.”

“If we don’t change how we define postpartum, no amount of money will fix postpartum or birth-rate problems.”

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P.S. The free membership resource hub is still in development. Check back soon for the link!

-----------------------------------------------------------

CONNECT WITH DR KRISTAL LAU!

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

Drop us a comment! Note: If you submit a comment, you agree that we have the right to publish it on all our digital platforms. Thank you!

~~~

I'm back on The Postpartum Wellness Show!

It's been a very unexpected 2025 with major life changes. While I've been silent on the digital front, my plate has been overflowing.

Yet, this podcast hit 1000 downloads in November last year (2025)!!!!

I'm so thrilled!!!

THANK YOU for the new listens and for those who are sticking around.

I've scheduled a bunch of weekly episodes starting today - so you'll be hearing more of me this year!

Welcome back and I appreciate you <3

~~~

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

~~~

CONNECT WITH DR KRISTAL LAU!

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

Drop us a comment! Note: If you submit a comment, you agree that we have the right to publish it on all our digital platforms. Thank you!

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.

~~~

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!

~~~

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

~~~

CONNECT WITH DR KRISTAL LAU!

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

Drop us a comment! Note: If you submit a comment, you agree that we have the right to publish it on all our digital platforms. Thank you!

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. "

~~~

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

~~~

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 DR KRISTAL LAU!

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

Drop us a comment! Note: If you submit a comment, you agree that we have the right to publish it on all our digital platforms. Thank you!

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 DR KRISTAL LAU!

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

Drop us a comment! Note: If you submit a comment, you agree that we have the right to publish it on all our digital platforms. Thank you!

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 DR KRISTAL LAU!

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