My mum has been telling me some interesting things that my paternal grandmother would make her do (she's Italian). They're probably not as in depth as what you have described but the one I liked was that after you have the baby, you're not allowed to get your hands wet for three weeks.

I think this was in reference to washing up and housework (not showering or washing hands!) so for each of my mother's three children, my grandmother would come and stay with my mum for the first three weeks and help with all the cooking, cleaning, washing etc. As much as some people might not like their space invaded, I can see the value in having an extra pair of hands to help for the first three weeks at home with a new baby!

My grandmother also lived 3 hours away so it was probably nice for her to spend time with her new grandchild too.