In short: A postnatal care therapist looks after the mother’s recovery: massage, a herbal bath, abdominal wrapping and diet guidance, planned around her delivery and her doctor’s advice. A nanny or baby-care helper looks after the baby and the household. They do different jobs, and many families end up needing both. What matters is knowing which need you are trying to meet.
When a baby is due, most families start by asking who will help at home. The words people use, nanny, aaya, maid, caretaker, postnatal therapist, get mixed together, and so do the expectations. A mother may assume the person she hires will also massage her. A therapist may arrive to find she is expected to cook and mind the baby. Everyone ends up tired and a little disappointed.
This guide sets out who usually does what, so you can plan the first weeks with fewer surprises.
Two different needs in the first weeks
Look at the first month after a birth and two separate pieces of work appear. One is the baby’s day: feeds, nappies, bathing, settling, sleeping. The other is the mother’s recovery: rest, healing, eating well, being touched and cared for after a physically demanding event. Household tasks sit on top of both.
One person can rarely do all of it well. It is also unfair to expect the mother to carry the second need alone while handling the first. Researchers who spoke with working mothers in an Indian city found that after birth, the child tends to be prioritised over the mother, with little emotional support for her (Gangopadhyay and Arcot, 2024). That was a small qualitative study, so it does not describe every family, but it matches what many mothers say about how quickly attention moves to the baby.
What a nanny or baby-care helper usually does
A nanny or helper supports day-to-day baby and household tasks. Exactly what that includes is agreed between you and the helper, and it varies a lot. Typical duties are:
- Holding, soothing and watching the baby so the mother can rest
- Nappy changes, baby clothes and bottle or feeding-equipment cleaning
- Keeping the baby’s room and laundry in order
- Sometimes light cooking or tidying, depending on the arrangement
Many helpers are very experienced with newborns, and that experience is worth having. A nanny is not usually trained to assess a mother’s recovery or to give postnatal therapies, and that is not what she is hired for.
What a postnatal care therapist does
Postnatal care focuses on the mother. At Sutika Home, a trained therapist visits daily at a time that suits you and your baby, and the care is guided by a doctor who advises when to begin and which therapies suit you. Every plan includes:
- Abhyanga, a warm herbal oil massage
- Vethukuli, a herbal bath after the massage
- Udara Veshtana, traditional abdominal wrapping, applied only when it suits your recovery
- Kesh Dhoopanam, herbal hair fumigation, offered every other day
- Anjana, herbal eye care
- Guidance on warm, nourishing food suited to your delivery and to breastfeeding
These are traditional practices. They are valued in Indian postpartum care, but tradition is not the same as proof that they speed healing, so we describe them as comfort and care rather than treatment. Our therapists do not do nanny work. They do not run the household or take over the baby’s day, and the team will say so plainly on the first call.
We care for mothers after normal and caesarean births. After a C-section, massage and wrapping stay away from the wound and begin only when your doctor is happy with how you are healing. You can read more in our C-section recovery guide.
Side by side
| Postnatal care therapist | Nanny or baby-care helper | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | The mother’s recovery and comfort | The baby and the household |
| Typical tasks | Massage, herbal bath, abdominal wrapping, diet guidance | Soothing, nappies, baby laundry, light tidying |
| Guided by | A doctor, with your obstetrician’s advice first | The family’s instructions |
| Hours | A daily visit at an agreed time | Often long hours or live-in, by agreement |
| Can replace the other? | No | No |
Hours and duties for helpers are set by the family, so treat the right-hand column as a common pattern rather than a rule.
How to decide what your family needs
A few honest questions usually settle it:
- Who will look after the baby for a few hours a day so the mother can rest? If the answer is nobody, a helper is worth planning for.
- Who will look after the mother? If grandparents are far away or busy, or you want traditional care done properly, that is where a postnatal therapist fits.
- What was the delivery like? A C-section or a difficult birth is a reason to ask your doctor early what support is suitable.
- Is there someone at home at night? Neither role automatically covers nights, so ask directly.
Questions to put to any provider, whichever role they fill: what exactly is included, who supervises the work, what happens if you are unwell, and how you reach someone if plans change. Our guide to postnatal care at home has a longer checklist.
When to get medical help straight away
Neither a therapist nor a nanny replaces your doctor. Contact your doctor or go to the nearest hospital if you have heavy bleeding, fever or chills, a red, swollen or leaking wound, severe headache or vision changes, chest pain or breathlessness, a painful swollen leg, or feelings of hopelessness or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. WHO recommends a minimum of three additional postnatal checkups in the first six weeks, and screening for postnatal depression and anxiety (WHO, 2022). Keep your follow-up appointments.
Where Sutika Home fits
Sutika Home provides the mother’s side of the picture: doctor-guided, Ayurveda-informed care at home, in 7, 14, 28 or 40 day plans. If you are weighing it up, see our postnatal care plans or the full list of services. For what the 40-day tradition involves, read 40 days after delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Is postnatal care the same as hiring a nanny?
No. Postnatal care centres on the mother’s recovery through massage, a herbal bath, abdominal wrapping and diet guidance. A nanny supports the baby and household.
Can a nanny give a new mother a massage?
Some may offer to, but that is not their usual role or training. Ask any helper about their experience, and check with your doctor before starting massage, especially after a C-section.
Do I need both a postnatal therapist and a baby-care helper?
Many families choose both, because the jobs do not overlap. If you have strong family support, you may need only one.
Will your therapist look after my baby?
No. The therapist’s time is for the mother. Baby massage and baby bath are available as optional extras, but not general babysitting.
Can I have postnatal care after a C-section?
Yes. Therapies are adapted to stay clear of the wound and begin only when your doctor approves.
How do I know which providers are reliable?
Ask what is included, who supervises the care, and whether you get a written quote. Be cautious of promises about guaranteed recovery.
The next step
If you would like to talk through what your family needs, request a call back. Share your delivery date and area, and our care coordinator will explain how postnatal care at home would work for you.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Please follow your own doctor’s guidance.
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