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.

While I am quite a stickler for tradition, I think the most important part of confinement should be rest, eating and drinking healthily and bonding with baby. If you have a confinement lady or elders at home who recommend you to take such herbal supplements, by all means, you can but if there is no urgent need to do so, I feel that the basic stuff are enough.