I'm told that i can't take plain water during confinement otherwise the swelling of my tummy will not subside; we are only allowed to take red dates and longan drink. Is this true?

You need lots of water to stay hydrated and not get too heaty, thus potentially resulting in constipation. My lactation consultant at Mount A reminded me to drink more plain water and not just longan red date tea and milo...she said there was a mummy who suffered severe constipation for 5 days because she hadn't taken any plain water at the advice of the CL and the elderly. And because of that, she had to take some medication (in turn, can't bf baby)... in any case, every woman's body constitution differs. Some can tahan the heatiness, whilst some can't. Whatever it is, moderation is always ideal as opposed to extremity.