The entrepreneur welcomed her first baby, daughter Mili, in April, telling PEOPLE that the experience of being a new mom is “still surreal”
Kelly Mi Li is soaking up every moment like a new mom.
the Bling Empire star, 37, tells PEOPLE that became a mom to daughter Mili, born in April, “still feels like a dream sometimes” as she reflects on her first month of motherhood.
Mi Li spent the first 30 days after welcoming her baby girl in Chinese postpartum confinement, a cultural tradition where the new mom stays at home to rest. While the actress says “some people get stir-crazy” being at home for a month, Mi Li shares she “loves it.”
“It’s also an excuse for me to just take some time for myself,” said Mi Li, who shares her daughter with partner William Ma. “I feel very lucky in a sense, I have a lot of support around.”
Mi Li explains that in Chinese culture, the confinement period is for 30 days, while in other cultures it can be even longer. During this time, Mi Li says a confinement nanny, called a yuesao, comes to live with the family.
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Related: 'Bling Empire' ‘s Kelly Mi Li Welcomes Baby Girl with Boyfriend William Ma: ‘Incredibly Grateful’
“Her job is to take care of the baby and take care of the mother,” says the actress. “During this time, you’re not supposed to work too much. The main thing is to keep your body warm. You’re supposed to wear socks all the time and be on bed rest. You’re not supposed to walk around too much. You can’t go outside, no wind, no direct air conditioning and no fans.”
“The nanny cooks all the meals for you, and it’s different every night,” Mi Li continued. “At night she normally does a massage, and then I soak my feet in ginger water for 30 minutes, which is supposed to warm up your body.”
As for baby Mili, the new mom says there aren’t “really any specific rules in the Chinese culture for the baby.”
“The baby normally just runs cold anyways, they just always want to make sure they’re warm, that the house is warm and she’s under a lot of blankets,” she adds.
Mi Li tells PEOPLE that her favorite time of day with her baby girl is “right after lunch together.”
“I just watch her sleep and it’s the cutest thing. When she sleeps, she makes different facial expressions. It’s like she’s in a dreamland or something,” she says. “I also love that when you’re feeding her, her little tiny hand just grabs onto you. It’s just the cutest thing.”
As she looks toward the future with her daughter, Mi Li says she’s “really looking forward to showing her everything that’s new to her.”
“Seeing that wonder in her eyes, it’s so priceless,” she says. “The more she grows, the more she’s going to discover, and I’m just really excited for that.”
For more on Kelly Mi Li’s new life as a mom, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLEon newsstands Friday.
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