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?

I drank lots of longan water, longan ginger drinks (mostly diluted) and herbal soups together with plenty of warm water. I find that keeping myself hydrated did help in maintaining breastmilk supply and avoid constipation after natural birth.