Must I consume a lot of herbal supplement in confinement? I read that childbirth drains woman's qi, so she should stock up on specific herbal supplement, soups and dishes to boost energy and blood.

My personal take is that there is no harm in taking the herbal supplements recommended by those who know (such as recommendations from the TCM shops or a TCM practitioner). Pregnancy and delivery do changes a woman's body and it is good to consume food that are beneficial for recovery. Quite a number of my friends bought soup and herbal packs available in the TCM shops. It is difficult to tell the effectiveness of these herbal supplements, as long as it is not harmful to the body, should be fine I guess.