Knowledge hub

Maternal health, explained plainly

Guides on pregnancy, postpartum recovery, newborn care and Kerala's Prasavaraksha tradition — written to help you prepare questions, not to replace your doctor.

ഗർഭകാലം, പ്രസവരക്ഷ, നവജാതശിശു പരിപാലനം — ലളിതമായ മലയാളത്തിലും ഇംഗ്ലീഷിലും.

All guides

6 guides, all on this page.

Expecting mother tracking her pregnancy journey

Pregnancy · 12 min

Week-by-week pregnancy guide (weeks 1–13): your first trimester journey

A guide to weeks 1 through 13 of pregnancy: baby development, symptoms, nutrition, safe exercise and prenatal care.

Ayurvedic postnatal oil massage in Kerala

Postpartum recovery · 8 min

First 40 days of postpartum care: the Ayurvedic Prasava Raksha routine

The traditional 42-day Ayurvedic postpartum routine (Prasava Raksha) followed in Kerala, and what to ask a centre about each part of it.

Mother resting comfortably after delivery

Postpartum recovery · 6 min

C-section recovery: wound hygiene and a recovery diet plan

Caring for a C-section scar, watching for infection, and the protein-rich traditional meals that support surgical recovery.

Newborn care · 5 min

Newborn baby massage: the traditional Kerala massage and bath

How newborn massage with Nalpamaradi or Lakshadi Thailam is practised in Kerala, and what to check before anyone does it.

Nutrition · 6 min

Kerala postnatal foods and a lactation diet for new mothers

Traditional Kerala postnatal foods — Kurumthotti kanji, Marayoor jaggery lehyams, garlic-based soups — and how to compare centre menus.

Care centre guides · 7 min

Postnatal care centres in Malappuram: how to compare them

What to compare across Malappuram's verified postnatal centres — Prasava Raksha routines, nursing cover, room types and price.

1 guide

Pregnancy

ഗർഭകാല പരിപാലനം

Week-by-week pregnancy guide 12 min read Updated 26 Jul 2026

Week-by-week pregnancy guide (weeks 1–13): your first trimester journey

ആദ്യ ത്രിമാസ ഗർഭകാല ഗൈഡ്: ആഴ്ച തോറുമുള്ള വികസനവും പരിചരണവും (1-13 ആഴ്ചകൾ)

A guide to weeks 1 through 13 of pregnancy: baby development, symptoms, nutrition, safe exercise and prenatal care.

Introduction to the first trimester

Discovering that you are pregnant marks the beginning of an extraordinary, transformative journey. The first trimester of pregnancy — spanning weeks 1 through 13 — is a period of intense growth, physiological realignment and emotional milestone setting.

Pregnancy timeline summary (weeks 1–13)

During the first 13 weeks your baby develops from a tiny blastocyst into a fetus with fingers, toes and a beating heart.

Key first trimester milestones

Your obstetrician will schedule a dating ultrasound and, between weeks 11 and 13, the nuchal translucency scan. Ask which screening tests are recommended for you specifically — the schedule varies with age, history and any existing conditions.

2 guides

Postpartum recovery

പ്രസവരക്ഷ

First 40 days 8 min read Updated 25 Jul 2026

First 40 days of postpartum care: the Ayurvedic Prasava Raksha routine

പ്രസവാനന്തര ആദ്യ 40 ദിവസത്തെ ആയുർവേദ പ്രസവരക്ഷാ ഗൈഡ്

The traditional 42-day Ayurvedic postpartum routine (Prasava Raksha) followed in Kerala, and what to ask a centre about each part of it.

Why the first 40 days (Sutika Kala) matter

In traditional Keralite postpartum care, the 40 to 42 days following delivery are considered pivotal for restoring maternal bone density, uterine involution and emotional balance.

Which of these a given centre actually offers varies. Ask for the specific routine, who administers it, and whether it is appropriate for your delivery — then confirm with your obstetrician before it starts.

C-section recovery 6 min read Updated 26 Jul 2026

C-section recovery: wound hygiene and a recovery diet plan

സിസേറിയൻ മുറിവ് ഉണങ്ങാനും വേഗത്തിൽ സുഖം പ്രാപിക്കാനുമുള്ള ഭക്ഷണക്രമം

Caring for a C-section scar, watching for infection, and the protein-rich traditional meals that support surgical recovery.

Wound hygiene and the daily routine

Keeping the incision clean and dry is what prevents surgical site infection. Wash your hands before touching the area, and tell your doctor promptly about increasing pain, redness spreading from the wound, discharge, or fever.

Traditional oil massage and steam baths are held back until your surgeon confirms the incision has healed. A centre that offers them from day one is not following surgical guidance — ask when they begin and who decides.

1 guide

Newborn care

നവജാതശിശു പരിപാലനം

Baby massage 5 min read Updated 24 Jul 2026

Newborn baby massage: the traditional Kerala massage and bath

നവജാത ശിശുക്കൾക്കുള്ള പരമ്പരാഗത എണ്ണതേച്ചു കുളി മുറകൾ

How newborn massage with Nalpamaradi or Lakshadi Thailam is practised in Kerala, and what to check before anyone does it.

The practice of gentle infant massage

In Kerala, infant massage with herbal oils is a long-standing daily ritual, valued for settling the baby and easing wind and colic.

Ask who performs it, what oil is used, and how it is adapted for a premature or low-birth-weight baby. Your paediatrician is the right person to confirm whether it suits your baby at all.

1 guide

Nutrition

പോഷകാഹാരം

Kerala postnatal foods 6 min read Updated 23 Jul 2026

Kerala postnatal foods and a lactation diet for new mothers

പ്രസവാനന്തര ഭക്ഷണക്രമവും ലാക്റ്റേഷൻ വർദ്ധിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഭക്ഷണങ്ങളും

Traditional Kerala postnatal foods — Kurumthotti kanji, Marayoor jaggery lehyams, garlic-based soups — and how to compare centre menus.

What a postpartum Kerala diet emphasises

The traditional Keralite postpartum diet leans on digestible, warm, nutrient-dense preparations intended to restore digestive fire (Agni).

When comparing centres, look at how many meals a day are served, whether the menu changes across the stay, and whether they can accommodate diabetes, allergies or a vegetarian diet. Listed centres publish their daily menus for exactly this comparison.

1 guide

Care centre guides

സെന്റർ ഗൈഡുകൾ

Malappuram 7 min read Updated 26 Jul 2026

Postnatal care centres in Malappuram: how to compare them

മലപ്പുറത്തെ പോസ്റ്റ്‌നാറ്റൽ കെയർ സെന്ററുകൾ താരതമ്യം ചെയ്യാം

What to compare across Malappuram's verified postnatal centres — Prasava Raksha routines, nursing cover, room types and price.

Comparing Malappuram care facilities

Malappuram has the deepest concentration of listed postnatal centres in Kerala, covering both traditional Ayurvedic routines and modern newborn nursing.

Compare four things before you call: who provides nursing cover overnight, how often a doctor visits, what the room actually includes for a bystander, and what the 30-day price covers. Every listed Malappuram centre publishes all four.

Ready when you are

Read up, then see the centres near you.

Every listing shows rooms, meals and Prasavaraksha services in the same format, so what you have just read is easy to check against a real centre.

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