Quick answer
Bertungku is a Malay confinement practice: a heated iron ball or river stone, wrapped in cloth, is pressed on the body for warmth and comfort. After a normal birth it usually starts after the first week; after a caesarean, wait for your doctor’s go-ahead. The main risk is burns. There is no strong evidence it changes the tummy or womb.
Medically reviewed by
Dr Fatimah Mustafah
Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist
- M.D (UKM)
- M.O&G (Universiti Malaya)
- MMC 27460
- NSR 134372
Written by
Roseville Spa Team
Women therapists at Roseville Muslimah Spa, Bangi Gateway
Updated 29 October 2026 19 references
Disclosure: Dr Fatimah is one of Roseville’s owners.
Bertungku after birth: 6 quick points
- 1A heated iron ball or river stone, wrapped in cloth, is pressed over the body.
- 2Normal birth: usually after week one. Caesarean: wait for your doctor’s go-ahead; never on the wound.
- 3Test the heat first. Avoid numb skin, wounds, stitches and rashes.
- 4No fixed duration; many mothers do it about once a day.
- 5For warmth and comfort. No strong evidence of effects on the tummy or womb.
- 6At Roseville: tungku in 7-day-plus packages; full-body warm compress at the spa.
What is bertungku, and what is it called in English?
Bertungku means warming the body with a heated tungku. It is part of Malay confinement (berpantang), with massage, bengkung and herbal baths.
The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) Malay postnatal care guideline describes a tungku as an iron ball with a handle or a round river stone, heated, wrapped in cloth and pressed on the limbs, shoulders, neck, tummy or chest.
In English, bertungku is a hot compress or hot stone compress; the MOH guideline calls it hot compression (bertungku). Tungku batu is a heated river stone.
Bertungku is not tuam: both warm the body, with different tools. At Roseville, tungku comes with confinement packages; the full-body warm compress (tuam) is a spa session.
What is bertungku for? Tradition versus evidence
MOH names herbs, heat and massage as the pillars of Malay postnatal care. Bertungku uses heat and is believed to rewarm the mother and ease aches.
In a cross-sectional study in Bagan Serai, Perak, 74.4% of mothers using traditional postnatal care used heat practices such as bertungku. In a study in Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, 85% learned of these practices from family, only 1.1% from medical practitioners.
On the evidence, MOH’s health technology assessment section (MaHTAS) found limited evidence that traditional postnatal care, including hot compression, works. Both clinic studies were single-site surveys describing practice, not effects. Treat bertungku as comfort, not a substitute for your postnatal check.
| Tradition | What the evidence says | Safer way |
|---|---|---|
| Warms the body and eases aches | Comforting for many; evidence of effects is limited (MaHTAS). | Moderate heat, wrapped in cloth, kept moving. |
| Makes the tummy smaller or fixes the womb | No strong evidence. The womb gets smaller on its own (NHS). | Do not press hard on the tummy. |
| Hotter and more often is better | No evidence. Too much heat can cause burns. | Stop if it feels too hot or stings. |
Does bertungku make your tummy smaller or fix the position of the womb?
No strong evidence. The womb gets smaller on its own; some women feel tummy pain as it does, especially when breastfeeding (NHS). Separated stomach muscles usually return to normal by 8 weeks after birth (NHS). No study shows bertungku speeds this up.
Heaviness or a bulge in the vagina can signal pelvic organ prolapse: see a doctor, do not try heat. A 2017 Thai case report describes a 72-year-old woman burned and infected after pressing a hot stone onto her own prolapsed womb. One case, and not postnatal bertungku, but a clear warning.
Which leaves are used for bertungku?
The MOH guideline mentions noni (mengkudu) or betel (sirih) leaves wrapped with the tungku inside the cloth, for aroma. Other families use other leaves.
Leaves are optional. Some plants can make skin red and itchy, sometimes only after repeated contact (NHS). Stop if your skin itches or stings.
How to do bertungku correctly and safely
- Check it suits you: a normal birth without complications, past the first week, no fever, easing bleeding. After a caesarean, ask your doctor first.
- Heat the tungku and wrap it in several layers of cloth; NHS Scotland advises always covering a hot water bottle to protect skin.
- Test it on your forearm first. It should feel warm, never stinging.
- Press gently and keep it moving. For hot water bottles, NHS Wales advises no contact with one area for over 20 minutes.
- Avoid a caesarean wound, stitches, numb skin, rashes and any painful or swollen leg.
- Check your skin afterwards; for blisters, see the first aid below.
Why does numb skin burn more easily?
Numb skin cannot warn you of too much heat. Epidural numbness usually wears off a few hours after it stops (NHS), but after a caesarean some women stay numb around the wound and tummy for some time (NHS leaflet). NHS Wales warns that reduced sensation delays noticing a burn.
Tip from the Roseville team
Pick a calm time, such as after a bath, and ask someone to mind the baby. A helper lets you lie down and truly rest.
Bertungku: how long, how many days and how many times a day?
No study sets these. Recorded practice:
| Question | Recorded practice | Safety note |
|---|---|---|
| When to start | MOH: usually after week one of a normal birth. Bagan Serai study: day 7 on average. | Caesarean: once your doctor agrees. |
| How many days | Bagan Serai study: about 25 days on average. | It is optional. |
| How many times a day | Bagan Serai study: about 28 times a month, roughly once a day. | More is not shown to be better. |
| How long per session | MOH hospital units: one session of massage, bertungku and binding lasts 60 to 90 minutes. | Keep it moving; stop if too hot. |
These figures come from one rural clinic survey: practice, not targets. See also how many days of confinement.
Tungku is included in packages of 7 days or more
Tungku, param, pilis, tapel and bengkung come with packages of 7 days or more. Ask us which suits you.
When can you do bertungku after a caesarean or stitches?
No fixed date applies after a caesarean. MOH hospital traditional medicine units exclude caesarean mothers from midwifery care, including bertungku, and an NHS leaflet says the wound takes about 6 weeks to fully mend. Ask your doctor, keep heat off the wound and numb skin, and read confinement after a caesarean.
Never put a tungku on perineal stitches. For stitch pain soon after birth, WHO (2022) recommends offering local cooling such as ice packs or cold pads, if you prefer.
Burns and warning signs: when to see a doctor
For a burn, the NHS advises cool running water for 20 minutes and removing nearby jewellery; no creams, oils or butter, and do not burst blisters. In an emergency in Malaysia, call 999.
See a doctor urgently if
- A burn is large or deep, or on the face, genitals or bottom.
- A wound or stitches get redder, more painful or swollen, or leak pus.
- Your temperature is over 38°C.
- Bleeding gets heavier, has clots or smells unusual; if sudden and very heavy, or you feel faint, call 999.
- Pain or swelling in one leg. With breathlessness or chest pain, call 999.
Roseville is a confinement centre and women’s spa, not a clinic. Need a check-up? We can help arrange one at the clinic or hospital you choose.
Bertungku and warm compress at Roseville: in packages and at the spa
Staying with us? Confinement packages of 7 days or more include tungku, param, pilis, tapel, bengkung and a traditional full-body massage.
Confining at home? Roseville Muslimah Spa in Bangi Gateway is open to all women, offering a full-body warm compress (tuam) and the Closing Confinement package (sauna, massage, warm compress, scrub, herbal bath and more). Book on WhatsApp. Our all-female team offers comfort, not medical care.
More guides: postnatal massage, herbal baths, bengkung, param, pilis and tapel and closing confinement.
See the villa and spa for yourself
Free villa tours by appointment. Ask us about tungku, the warm compress and daily herbal care.
Frequently asked questions
What is bertungku in English?
In English, bertungku is a hot compress or hot stone compress. The Malaysian MOH guideline calls it hot compression (bertungku), using an iron ball with a handle or a round river stone. Tungku batu, in turn, is a heated river stone.
Can bertungku make your tummy smaller?
There is no strong evidence. The womb gets smaller on its own after birth, and the NHS says separated stomach muscles usually return to normal by 8 weeks. Bertungku has not been shown to speed this up. Treat it as comfort, and do not press hard on the tummy.
Can you do bertungku after a C-section?
Ask your doctor first. MOH hospital traditional medicine units exclude caesarean mothers from midwifery care that includes bertungku, and an NHS leaflet says the wound takes about 6 weeks to fully mend. If cleared, keep the tungku off the wound and numb skin. See confinement after a caesarean.
Can I do bertungku by myself at home?
Yes, after a normal birth without complications, once past the first week, ideally with a helper. Wrap the tungku in layers of cloth, test it on your forearm, keep it moving, and avoid numb skin, wounds or rashes. Stop if it feels too hot or stings.
What is the difference between bertungku and tuam?
Both warm the body, with different tools: bertungku uses a heated iron or stone wrapped in cloth. At Roseville, tungku comes with packages of 7 days or more, and the full-body warm compress (tuam) is a spa session open to all women, including mothers confining at home.
References
- Practice guideline: Malay Postnatal Care (T&CM Units in MOH hospitals), PDF, Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2011
- Traditional Postnatal Care in Restoring Women’s Physical and Mental Health (INAHTA brief of Technology Review Report 004/2015), Health Technology Assessment Section (MaHTAS), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2016
- Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use During Postpartum Period: A Cross-Sectional Analysis at a Rural, Public Maternal and Child Health Clinic in West Malaysia, Ridzuan MH et al., Cureus 13(6): e15410, 2021
- Complementary alternative medicine use among postpartum mothers in a primary care setting: a cross-sectional study in Malaysia, Nik Yusof Fuad NF et al., BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 20: 197, 2020
- Early days, NHS (UK), reviewed 27 Jan 2026
- Your post-pregnancy body, NHS (UK), reviewed 20 Jul 2026
- Pelvic organ prolapse, NHS (UK), reviewed 3 Jul 2025
- Treatment of Pelvic Organ Prolapse in a Patient with a Thermal Burn Wound Caused by Hot Stone Therapy, a Traditional Thai Treatment (case report), Srisukho S, Chinthakanan O, Case Reports in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2017
- Contact dermatitis: causes, NHS (UK), reviewed 3 May 2023
- How to avoid hot water bottle burns and scalds, Care of Burns in Scotland (COBIS), NHS National Services Scotland, 14 Oct 2024
- Burns patient’s stark warning about the potential dangers of hot water bottles, Swansea Bay University Health Board (NHS Wales)
- Epidural, NHS (UK), reviewed 1 Feb 2023
- Looking after your Caesarean scar, Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, updated 28 Dec 2023
- Caesarean section: Recovery, NHS (UK), reviewed 4 Jan 2023
- Caesarean section wound care (leaflet 101505, version 3), Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 2023
- WHO recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal experience, World Health Organization, 2022
- Burns and scalds, NHS (UK), reviewed 31 Mar 2026
- DVT (deep vein thrombosis), NHS (UK), reviewed 30 Apr 2026
- Malaysia Emergency Response Services (MERS) 999, Official Portal of the Government of Malaysia (MyGOV), updated 25 Sep 2025
This article is general information and does not replace advice from your doctor. Roseville is a confinement care centre and women’s spa, not a clinic or hospital. For any health concern for you or your baby, please see a doctor or registered health facility.