Is that okay if I eat bird’s nest soup during pregnancy?

Bird’s nest is a supplement sworn by mums, grandmas and great grandmas for their beautifying and health properties. But are they safe to be consumed during your confinement period?
If you’re undecided on whether you should take bird’s nest during confinement, we discuss the pros and cons of taking bird’s nest during confinement and how it will affect you.

1. What is the edible bird’s nest…?

The bird’s nest soup is a Chinese delicacy that has been around for over 400 years. It is made from the nest of a particular type of bird, the swiftlet, found in parts of South East Asia.

The nests are made out of the saliva strands of the bird which contain protein, calcium and other vitamins and minerals. It is the saliva that is said to pack a powerful punch and makes it a much sought after delicacy.

The bird’s nest soup is a Chinese delicacy that has been around for over 400 years. It is made from the nest of a particular type of bird, the swiftlet, found in parts of South East Asia.

2. What are health benefits of birds nest soup for mummy?

Consuming edible bird’s nest during confinement is said to have many health and restorative benefits for consumers young and old. Some of these include regulating blood supply, maintaining a beautiful and bright complexion and enhances the rebirth of cells and tissue due to the presence of a polypeptide hormone – Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in bird’s nest.

Consuming bird’s nest during confinement is said to have many health and restorative benefits for consumers young and old

Due to this EGF, many TCM practitioners have advocated the consumption of bird’s nest during confinement and pregnancy. The EGF supposedly helps the mum recover faster from childbirth as well as improve both her and baby’s complexion (especially if breastfeeding is involved).

3. Not all good

However not everyone is sold on the benefits of bird’s nest during confinement. Many mums out there swear against bird’s nest during confinement as it is believed to be a ‘cooling’ food and should be avoided during confinement (where one is supposed to be consuming ‘heaty’ foods instead). The ‘cooling’ factor is believed to increase the chances of your child developing asthma.

Bird’s nest is also made up of the gelatinous strands, and when not cleaned properly (of the twigs, feathers etc) it can be quite harmful to a recovering mum in confinement.

4. So finally.., should I or shouldn’t I?

So the question then is whether you should take it during confinement or not. We believe that if you choose to take bird’s nest during confinement, do so moderately (once or twice a week). You should also be very selective when getting the bird’s nest as there are those of inferior quality as well as those which have been chemically treated and bleached.

These bird’s nests can be harmful to both you and your baby. Thus, it is important to get your bird’s nest supply from a trusted brand such as Hello Nest, they are 1 of very little companies who have full licenses from FDA, USDA and USFWL and they are also the best supplier on Amazon 2016.

As you may know, obtaining an import permit for Edible Bird’s Nest from USDA and USFWS isn’t an easy process. It requires a good track record of safe quality products from suppliers that employ environmentally friendly and sustainable harvesting practices. Only a handful of companies have the permit from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to import the edible bird’s nest for commercialization.

We hope you found this information useful. Do also share with us your thoughts on consuming bird’s nest during confinement.