There are a lot of Indian traditions that one is asked to follow during pregnancy. Garbhasanskar which in literal terms means educating the child in the womb is an age-old Indian practice. It is believed that a child s mental and behavioural developments start in the womb right after conception. The child s personality begins to take shape in the womb and is greatly influenced by the mother s mental status. So, if the mother is stressed or sad this can have an effect on the baby. To ensure that positive vibes are transferred from the mother to the baby, mothers are asked to practice garbhasanskar, where through shlokas and mantras it is possible to soothe, calm and improve brain stimulation of the baby. Know which the most fertile days to plan a pregnancy are.
From the fourth month of pregnancy, the baby s hearing capacity improves and it can hear the voice of the mother and respond to it. The mother is encouraged to chant certain mantras repetitively which the fetus enjoys listening. It is believed that the resonant sounds of the mantras appeal to the spiritual self and subconscious mind of the mother and bring out positive feelings in her which is then passed on to the baby. The syllables used in these mantras are om, klim, hrim, kshim, pum, sum, hram which when chanted repeatedly promises a soothing effect on the fetus.
The same happens when a soothing instrumental music is played like the sitar, santoor or the sarod which gives out musical vibrations. These vibrations travel through the amniotic fluid and can stimulate the brain better than the sounds from a non-resonant instrument like a tape recorder. Another way to stimulate the baby s brain is by ringing a bell near the womb. This also sets in positive vibrations and helps to soothe the baby and stimulate the brain.
The correct way of doing it is as follows:
According to garbhasanskar, this helps in keeping the baby calm, improves concentration and influences positive behaviour post birth.
(Inputs are taken from Garbhasanskar in Pregnancy by Dr Vikram Shah and Dr Geetanjali Shah)
Image source: Shutterstock
