Expectant mothers usually report a typical pain in the stomach and feel as if the baby in kicking them. This gives them a proof of the very presence of baby for the first time after conception. Experts are of the view that the foetus acquires soul at 6 weeks. After that time, any harm to the foetus is considered as equivalent to homicide. Likewise, any good or bad effect on the mother has an effect on the developing foetus inside. So, an expecting mother should take special care of her diet, thoughts, activities and surroundings in which she spends her pregnancy period of 9 months.
History is rife with stories of great souls getting most of their greatness and values from the time they were still in the foetal stage. One of them is of the great devotee of Lord Vishnu Prahlaad, who became a devotee in spite being born into a Raakshas (devil) family, mainly because he imbibed the characteristics from her mother’s womb who used to listen to devotional songs when she was carrying him.
Ayurveda goes one step further saying that care should not start after the foetus gets soul or after conception. It should typically start way before that—when the mother and father are both planning to have a baby. And the care should not be confined to mother, but the aspiring father also needs to undergo special care as far as his diet, lifestyle and thought process are concerned. And all this is for the preparation of those good-quality gametes, namely sperms and ovules which are necessary for the conception of an ideal baby encompassing all the good characteristics.
Remember, not all gametes produced by an individual are of the same type. Here is when the Ayurvedic science of ‘Garbhasanskar’ comes into play. This idea is well explained by famous Ayurvedacharya Dr. Balaji Tambe. The concept of ‘Designer babies’ as visualized by the science of genetics says about conception of an ideal baby as desired by the parents. Ayurveda makes this possible by way of ‘Garbhasanskar’.
Garbhasanskar is derived from the Sanskrit words ‘Garbha’ meaning womb and ‘Sanskaar’ meaning education. The Ayurvedic science of Garbhasanskar entails an ideal diet, body care, reading material, music and mantras for pregnant women. It is a very promising practice and may go a long way in improving the youth of tomorrow or giving rise to an altogether improved and empowered youth in the coming years. The doctor hopefully says, “If women are provided with expert guidance during pregnancy and the early years of their children, it will have an immense impact on society.”
Garbhasanskar prescribes a special diet for aspiring parents consisting predominantly of the ‘Sattvic’ component of food which makes the food fresh, light and nutritious. The diet tabulated here is to be followed by aspiring parents at least 1-3 months prior to attempting conception.
Some precautions must be taken by the mother-to-be as far as her diet is concerned such as follows:
- Replace ghee with oil (Either coconut, sesame or mustard oil is fine)
- Have a small quantity of barley with milk.
- Less carbohydrate and fat and more proteins should be consumed.
This will help her maintain a slim and lean figure. Fathers-to-be should also introduce certain dietary modifications in his diet to in order to produce sperms which give rise to progenies who are strong, pure and robust. For this, he must consume milk, ghee and rice in greater amounts. Also, he must add more nuts like almonds to his diet. Herbal Ghee is recommended to the pregnant woman in the different months of pregnancy.
The herbal ghee helps in the development of body systems and mental faculties in the foetus. It also prevents congenital abnormalities. It prevents anemia in mother and helps to have a full term normal delivery. It is supposed to bring complete development in the foetus and bring fortunes to the newborn baby. In addition to diet, the pregnant mother should follow a cautious lifestyle as follows:
- It is not recommended for pregnant women to watch films having horror and violence as they are supposed to have a bad effect on the character of the developing baby.
- Instead, she should focus on fine literature, beautiful works of art, soft music, pleasant landscapes and think only positive things.
- She should be in company of people who have a positive influence on her.
Music is supposed to have a profound effect on the mood of an individual. The same goes for foetus developing in the womb. The doctor says, “Music or sound vibration reaches the baby in the womb.” It is believed that the foetus responds to sounds from mother’s womb and the surroundings from the 7th month onwards. Music provides the energy essential for the development of sound body, mind and soul in the baby. The sounds of veena (Indian string instrument), flute and Samveda mantras are believed to have a positive effect on the foetus.
Nowadays, special music cassettes and CDs like ‘Garbha sanskar: Blessings for the new arrival’ and ‘Garbha sangeet’ are flooding the market. In addition, both the mother-to-be and father-to-be must communicate with their baby during the pregnancy period. The baby is highly receptive to both spoken words and unspoken thoughts of both the parents during that 9-month critical period. Prenatal and postnatal yoga programmes are also available for mothers.
This Ayurvedic technique of Garbhasanskar is fast gaining popularity. Hope many more couples opt for this unique programme at the time of planning a child and see the difference in their child’s development. It is indeed a powerful method in the hands of the parents to wield control of their own babies’ future right from the start.
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