Bengkung, Indonesian Cultural Heritage of Postpartum Treatment

Bengkung is one of the many inherited Indonesian traditional cultures. The word “Bengkung” (from Indonesian dictionary) means to wrap, and we use a long strip cloth to wrap women’s body starting from the lower hip, up to middle part of body just under the breast, usually bengkung applied for every woman not only for postpartum women but for all women, to keep their posture well. In the past, women who used it variant from teenagers to an adult women (my grand mother, she is more than 80 years old, use bengkung everyday) , and they use this regularly under their kebaya (Javanese traditional clothing).

Stagen

In Java island we call this long strip of natural cotton cloth as “stagen”. Stagen is usually handmade by the Javanese people in most part of Java. So many stagen that you can find in Indonesia, especially in Java Island. The length of stagen are various from 5-15 meters and the width is about 15-20 centimeters.

Gurita like octopus

Nowadays, modern people like instant bengkung. We called it gurita, Indonesian for octopus-because it shape like one. It is so ease for apply gurita, because you just need to tie on your stomach.



Though it will be more convenient and effective if you use traditional stagen, because wrapping with stagen is more firm than the gurita.

I recommend that every postpartum women use bengkung to wrap and bind their bellies and hips. Almost all of Indonesian women that has given birth use bengkung treatment. It can be use for both of postpartum normal or caesarean delivery. For normal delivery, it can be used 3 days after-why 3 days? it`s to give a chance for the uterus to have an involution. And 2 weeks after for cesarean delivery, we need more days to recover the cesarean`s incision first. If you feel that your incision is still ill, you can cover it with sanitary pad first then you can apply stagen on your abdomen.
Usually Indonesian postpartum women used Bengkung until end of postpartum day ( 40-42 days) we call it nifas phase, though she can use it as long as she wants, like my friend she used it around 3 months long.

Wrapping the abdomen with bengkung. You can directly apply bengkung on your abdomen NOT UPPER your clothes

The advantages of bengkung
There are many advantages of using bengkung, first to keep our abdomen`s muscle, second it also helps to keep the pelvic organs including the muscles on pelvic area, third, it helps to re-shape our body especially around the abdomen after birth, and able to make our body slimmer after pregnancy, bengkung also pulls in the separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) back together, then attract, prevent and re shape the backbone and many others.
This is why i start to promote to everyone of how useful bengkung is, I want every woman to feel the advantages of it, and also to conserve bengkung as Indonesian traditional treatment.

The characteristic of correct Bengkung
Bengkung that uses a long strip of cotton cloth, and wraps the body from lower hip to under breasts.

©Arifatun