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Traditionally in Kerala this fell to the mother's own mother and the extended family, and in many homes it still does. But families are smaller now, grandparents are older or working, and a lot of parents are managing this without the support their own parents had.
Maids Hands For You lets you arrange that support yourself. Take a subscription, read through profiles of carers and nurses experienced with post-delivery care, and call them before the due date. No commission on the hire.
Arrange it before the delivery
The due date is known months ahead, which makes this one of the few kinds of care you can organise calmly.
Start looking around the eighth month. Read the profiles, call two or three carers, ask what post-delivery cases she's handled, and agree who's coming and from which date. Then whatever happens at the delivery, the help is already arranged.
Families who leave it until after the birth are searching while exhausted, and they take whoever is free rather than whoever is right.
What a post-delivery carer does
The work covers the mother and the baby, and most families need both.
For the mother: helping her move and sit comfortably in the early days, support with bathing, preparing the postnatal diet the family wants followed, help with feeding positions and settling the baby to feed, and making sure she actually rests rather than getting up to run the house.
For the baby: bathing, nappy changes, helping with night feeds so the mother gets some sleep, settling, and keeping the baby's things clean and sterilised.
Around the house: cooking, washing, keeping things running so neither parent has to.
How the work splits between these three depends on who else is at home. Agree it explicitly on the first call, because "help after delivery" means very different things in different households.
The Kerala confinement period
Most Kerala families observe a recovery period after delivery, commonly counted as 28 days and in many families extended to around 40. Through it the mother rests, avoids household work, follows a specific diet, and in many homes receives regular oil massage and warm oil baths.
What families usually want arranged:
- Pathiyam, the postnatal diet. Specific foods, prepared in a particular way, often following what the family's elders specify. A carer who has cooked for a postnatal mother before will know what's usually asked for. Confirm your family's preferences with her at the start, because it varies between households and communities.
- Uzhichil, the oil massage for mother and baby, and the warm oil bath. Many families arrange a specialist for this separately rather than expecting the carer to do it.
- Rest, which sounds obvious and is the hardest part to enforce. A good carer is firm about the mother not getting up to do things.
These are practices families organise around, not medical treatment. Anything concerning the mother's or the baby's health goes to the doctor, and a carer who suggests otherwise is the wrong hire.
After a caesarean
Recovery is different and the help needed is greater.
A caesarean is major abdominal surgery. For the first couple of weeks the mother struggles to sit up, stand, lift the baby, or walk without support, all while feeding every few hours. The wound needs keeping clean and dry and watching for infection.
For the first week or two after a caesarean, families often hire a qualified nurse rather than a carer, because of the wound and the medication. Once the stitches have healed and the mother is moving, many step down to a carer for the remainder. See post-operative care for what wound care involves.
Signs to report to the doctor rather than manage at home: increasing pain after the first days, redness spreading from the wound, foul-smelling discharge, fever, or heavy bleeding.
How long help is usually needed
Most families arrange one to three months. The common patterns:
| Situation | Typical period |
|---|---|
| Normal delivery, family support available | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Normal delivery, no family support | 2 to 3 months |
| Caesarean | 6 weeks to 3 months, often a nurse for the first fortnight |
| Twins, or a baby needing extra care | 3 months or more |
After that, families who continue needing help usually move to a nanny or baby carer on an ongoing basis.
What it costs
The subscription is what you pay us for profile access.
Her salary is paid directly to her. A live-in post-delivery carer in Kerala generally earns ₹15,000 to ₹22,000 a month in 2026, and a qualified nurse for the caesarean recovery period more. Kochi and Trivandrum run above the northern districts.
Where we cover
- Kochi
- Trivandrum
- Calicut
- Thrissur
- Kottayam
- Kollam
- Alappuzha
- Palakkad
- Malappuram
- Kannur
- Wayanad
- Kasaragod
- Idukki
- Pathanamthitta
- Bangalore
If you're abroad and your wife, daughter or daughter-in-law is delivering in Kerala, you can arrange this from where you are. Read the profiles, call the carer yourself, and agree it before the due date.
Frequently asked questions
How much does post-delivery care cost in Kerala?
Around ₹15,000 to ₹22,000 a month for a live-in carer in 2026, paid directly to her, and more for a qualified nurse during caesarean recovery. Kochi and Trivandrum sit at the upper end.
How long will I need help after delivery?
Commonly 4 to 6 weeks with family support available, and 2 to 3 months without. After a caesarean, longer, often with a nurse for the first fortnight.
What does a post-delivery carer do?
Looks after the mother's recovery and rest, helps with the baby including night feeds and bathing, prepares the postnatal diet the family follows, and keeps the house running. The exact split depends on your household, so agree it at the start.
Is care different after a caesarean?
Yes, and more is needed. A caesarean is major surgery, so the mother needs help moving and lifting, and the wound needs care. Many families hire a qualified nurse for the first week or two and move to a carer afterwards.
Should I hire a nurse or a carer?
A carer for a normal delivery with no complications. A nurse for the caesarean recovery period, or where the doctor has flagged anything for either mother or baby.
