Here's a Special Diet Service for New Moms Who Need Nourishment and Healing

It's one thing to carry a child in your womb for nine whole months, but it's an entirely different story when the baby gets born. A mom has to care for her newborn child 24/7, feed the baby, attend to every need, and even lose sleep at times. While all this is true, a new mom also needs a lot of TLC too, so that her body can get all the rest, nourishment, and healing it needs. Enter: GeLai, a company that has made it their mission to provide post-natal care for mothers through proper nourishment. Read ahead to find out more about this amazing new discovery!

Metro.Style: What is GeLai all about? What is your mission?

GeLai: From our own GeLai experience, we want to share the same care we received through nourishing and healing meals that help moms recover and regain strength after giving birth. We believe that taking this slow time to recover allowed us to heal faster.  

However, we realized that preparing nourishing meals can be a challenge because not everyone knows how to prepare the appropriate food and drinks to support Post-Natal Recovery. It is also a lot of work especially now that modern moms are very involved and proactive when it comes to mothering.  

We aim to provide support to moms during this vulnerable time with proper nourishment in the most convenient way by merging modern practicality with traditional wisdom. While the core of GeLai.PH is Post-Natal Recovery, we aim to support modern women beyond this milestone. Our menu also offers support for Breastfeeding Moms (Lactation Support), or it can be for the simple reason that you are craving for food that is comforting, nourishing, and deeply satisfying. 

MS: Why is Post-Natal recovery so important? What don't Filipinos know? 

GeLai: In many traditional cultures, the first 4-6 weeks after giving birth is regarded as a "golden month". To the Chinese, it is otherwise known as GeLai. During this time, a mother recovers from giving birth and replenishes herself. It is considered a potent time for healing and renewal. This being said, the mom receives specially-prepared nutrient-dense dishes and drinks as nourishment and comfort; aimed to help her recover lost nutrients, regain physical strength and vitality, and help the body produce breast milk. 

There are similar Filipino traditions as well that are still being handed over generations such as taking a bath with dahon ng bayabas to help with the wound recovery; drinking halaan soup to help increase milk supply; avoiding carrying heavy loads after giving birth; avoiding going out especially at night after giving birth. These are all rooted in the same belief that a mother should be protected during this vulnerable phase and allow her to heal.  

MS: How is a Post-Natal diet different from a regular woman's diet? 

GeLai: The Chinese tradition of Post-Natal Recovery (or GeLai) is deeply rooted in the principle of balancing the body's Yin and Yang, the two opposing but complementary energies. A person who is more "Yin" / in a cold state can counter this imbalance with "Yang" / warming food or drinks. A mom who has just given birth is just an example of a person who is in a very cold state due to the significant blood loss from giving birth.   Post-Natal nourishment focuses on food and drinks rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in order to replenish what was lost during pregnancy and birth. Our nourishment guide is linked also to the stages of recovery and health restoration. This is why specific types of food are recommended to be eaten immediately after giving birth while others are avoided until the 3rd / 4th week when the digestive system is much stronger. 

MS: What do you specialize in? What services/products do you offer?

GeLai: In principle, GeLai (Post-Natal Recovery) dishes focus on specific specialty ingredients served many times so that the mom gets all the healing benefits from these key dishes and drinks. With careful study and research, we offer a menu that has a wide assortment of the essential GeLai dishes, popular milk-boosting dishes, and classic favorites that make the month-long Post-Natal Recovery period enjoyable. We have plans/sets/ala carte dishes to provide flexibility to our clients. We strongly recommend a holistic approach to Post-Natal Recovery. By this we mean do not be limited to the food you eat. Nourishment that can accelerate the body's recovery can also be from drinks, herbal baths, and of course, plenty of rest.

MS: What other important aspects of a woman's post-natal health do you think should be talked about more? What are common misconceptions?

GeLai: In the beginning, the idea of doing GeLai was very overwhelming. There were so many dos and don'ts that it is hard to remember it all. Not much was explained to us on why we need to eat this or drink that. We basically did it because we were forced to.  Because of our lack of understanding, we would sneak in some don'ts when our moms were not looking. As we went through our next pregnancies and grew wiser, we started to understand the principles behind the tradition. A proper post-natal recovery (or GeLai) helps the mom recover better and faster. It also supports building a steady supply of milk for the mom. This is also an investment to our future selves to age gracefully.  

We wanted to bring self-care more accessible and convenient to moms because taking care of oneself after giving birth should not be a challenge. Having a baby is a major physical transition so it is only natural that your body needs time to heal. Nourishing yourself to thank your body will make you feel you are at your best.  

GeLai always suggests to book in advance so that the moms can focus on other preparations nearer their due date. Send a message a few days prior when you want to start the delivery. Send them a DM on instagram @gelai.ph or email AskGelai.PH@gmail.com