PRENATAL CARE

Actions are the seeds of fate, deeds grow into destiny.

When a seed is sown into ground, you cannot immediately see the plant. With time and intentional efforts, it grows into a large tree. Then the flowers bloom and only then the fruits can be plucked.

The best outcome is ensured by proper seed and noble intentions for nurture in right direction.

The pre-conception efforts if followed by right parenting endeavor in prenatal and early years of the child, it would be useful for the youngster for developing balanced personality.

For the purpose of family, nation as well as total humanity welfare in mind, we are trying to understand measures we can take to create well-mannered young generation. In last article we discussed the formula for procreative conception. The period from conception to the birth of baby is also important. Can we use this period for the development of a child? This article tries to discuss this.

Classic Examples of Prenatal Education

We all are aware of story of Abhimanyu in the world famous epic Mahabharata. While Shri Krishna explains Chakravyuva (certain battle field arrangement) to his sister Subhadra, with fetus in her womb i.e. Abhimanyu, listens to same of its part. Later, he used this knowledge at the time of Mahabharata war. Examples of prenatal education are also found in the biographies of Bhagwan Buddha, Bhakta Pralhada, Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule & Vir Sawarkar. The recent example is Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain. Except these occasional examples, we do not see easy availability of prenatal education method to common people. On the other hand, many years modern medicine had declined that a child can understand and learn during prenatal stage.

Prenatal Education – Opinions of Experts and Scientists

Earlier scientists thought that a fetus has no awareness of the environment in a womb of a mother. Recent experiments in this field has Proven it wrong. A fetus has perception of many kinds. This Knowledge plays very important role in his growth and development. This is the opinion of French expert prof. Jean Pierre Relier. According to American expert Fredrick Wirth, fetus has deep impact of your emotions, thoughts & action during prenatal stage to post birth stage.

Canadian Expert Thomas Verney says, the experience from the moment of conception is important in the development of brain. Child’s personality, nature and high thinking ability develop on the basis of it. Worldwide research has now proved that prenatal education is necessary for nurturing the future generation not only in the interest of an individual or family but also for world peace and security. For last several years, number of research papers are being published by scientists explain the importance of prenatal efforts. Summaries of some  research papers are given.

Some latest research references.

Pregnant women respond to music with stronger physiological changes in blood pressure 
Date: May 20, 2014. Source: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Summary: Pregnant women, compared to their non-pregnant counterparts, rate music as more intensely pleasant and unpleasant, associated with greater changes in blood pressure, a study has demonstrated. Music appears to have an especially strong influence on pregnant women, a fact that may relate to a prenatal conditioning of the fetus to music.

Fear of Childbirth Predicts Postpartum Depression

Jan. 3, 2014 — Expectant women with prenatally diagnosed fear of childbirth are at an increased risk of postpartum depression, according to a study of over 500,000 mothers in Finland. Women with a history of depression are at the highest risk of postpartum depression. The fact that fear of childbirth puts women without a history of depression at an approximately three times higher risk of postpartum depression is a new observation which may help health care professionals in recognizing postpartum depression. The results were published recently in BMJ Open.

Exercise during Pregnancy Gives Newborn Brain Development Head Start

Nov. 10, 2013 — As little as 20 minutes of moderate exercise three times per week during pregnancy enhances the newborn child's brain development, according to researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital. This head-start could have an impact on the child's entire life.

Babies Can Learn Their First Lullabies in the Womb

Oct. 30, 2013 — Infant can recognize a lullaby heard in the womb for several months after birth, potentially supporting later speech development. This is indicated in a new study at the University of Helsinki.

Capacity of Fetus to Acquire Knowledge

A person gains various experiences during his life time. Brain is sensitive to the experience of every moment. But brain is most sensitive during prenatal and post birth stage few early years when brain’s development takes place at maximum speed. Emotions of mother affect fetus in her womb. If mother is stressed, a hormone called catecholamine is produced in her body. It reaches to the fetus. Fetus experiences much more stress than a mother. On the other hand, if mother has soft & tender emotions of love then hormones called Endorphin, Oxytocin are produced in the body of mother. These hormones reach to fetus and affect positively.

Prenatal Progress of A Fetus

Fetus starts experiencing and learning from the first moment of existence. Therefore condition of a mother and her surroundings are important at this stage. Growth of a fetus is known to take place as follows:

15 days: First cell of a brain is created.

3^rd week: First heartbeat.

3^rd month: All organs, which a developed person has, are created.    

4^th month: Starts listening.

5-6^thmonth: Fetus can listen very well. Remembers stories/songs heard. 

7^th month: Fetus can listen & see. Understands smell, taste and touch.

8^th month: Memory and decision making activities start. Fetus dreams, prepares himself to take birth.

9^th month: Fetus weighs approximately 3 kg. Heart circulates around 300 gallon blood. When growth is complete fetus sends message to the mother through brain. Labor pain begins and child is born.

Thus as the life and organs develop in pre-birth stage, the learning or nurturing of the fetus takes place. This process can be used for the better future of the child by intentional and planned efforts by the parents.

Important Information for Parents

If you want to impart prenatal education/sanskars on child, the main responsibility of it lies on mother and father. “I/We will behave as we like, as we wish, but my child must be good behaved and well-mannered”. Such attitude on parts of mother and father cannot be considered logical and scientific. It is important to cherish the feeling that parents desire this child from the bottom of their heart and they are eager to welcome and receive him/her in this world.

It is important to eat nutritious (Satvik) diet*, be happy, having tension free behavior, avoid all kinds of addictions and bad habits.(*Refer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sattvic_diet)

Mother should stay among the people who care for her. She can lovingly care more for the fetus, if she gets security, care and love from her family. If conception takes place with resolution of a couple and later, they lovingly take care for fetus till its birth, it will benefit the child throughout his life. Temporary psychological tensions and troubles do not have particular effect on fetus. But long term, severe tensions of a mother creates possibility of adverse effect on fetus.

Prospective parents should deliberately try to remain calm, balanced and maintain satvik (pious) nature during prenatal stage of a child. Hormones created in mother’s body during this stage plays important role in developing brain cells and later personality of a child.

In prenatal stage, if you nurture child with love, affection and unwavering faith, then a child can learn behavioral skills in his life at a proper time.

A role of father is also as important as that of mother.

It is important to communicate with love and affection in every possible way with the child in prenatal stage. During prenatal stage, do not try to teach child anything. Just convey that you love him and eagerly wait to welcome him in this world. This is enough for effective communication.

Do all this while doing your day to day activity, job and business.

Prenatal Help from Manashakti Research Centre

At Manashakti, the work of prenatal sanskar is going on for last over fifty years. A 3 day study camp is organized at Lonavala and one day seminars are organized for sizable groups of child expecting couples at different towns all over India as per demand. Every year more than thousand couples are benefited from this training. A thesis is published based on information collected from the 2000 children with prenatal sanskars. It is now proven that these efforts are beneficial to child in his future life.

Garbh Sanskar (Prenatal Education)
(http://www.manashakti.org/content/garbh-sanskar-prenatal-education-experiments)

Every parent wishes to have a talented and virtuous child. All virtues can be acquired through the Sanskar (i.e. purification) process. Today, science proves that the fetus can learn and memorize; and hence, good values can be imparted to it. Manashakti is experimenting with and propogating the concept of Garbh-Sanskar since 1961 and has received international acclaim too! Thus, to procreate a bright, healthy & cultured baby,  literature and products are available.

To maintain good health, it essential to practice Yogic postures (Yogasane) consistently, and during pregnancy, this becomes even more important. Doing yoga would go a long way in reducing transient problems/disorders during pregnancy, and for an easy and natural delivery. 

Contents:-

1. Prayer

2. Preliminary Yoga for warming-up

3. Yogic postures to be done specifically in each pregnancy trimester

4. Shanti Mantra

5. A booklet showing various yogasanas.

This Garbhasangeet has been specially created to develop courage and peace in the baby-in-the-womb, as also, as a service to the society.

This is an unsurpassed music for the baby in the womb. It is an excellent way to infuse good values in the baby, and strengthen the bonding, with the fetus.

Contents:-

1. Gayatri Mantra ( Rag Yaman and Rag Bhairav)

2. Rag Yaman, Bageshri, Bilawal, and Todi ( Vocal)

3. Rag Lalat, Rag Kedar ( Violin)

4. Parade Song
5. Garbhopanishad, and a

6. Western composition.

The would-be parents are expected to listen to this music every day, soon after the conception is confirmed. This would go a long way in reducing their stress, and also impart good values to the baby through the medium of music!

Books / Publications:
 (http://www.manashakti.org/events-schedule/books)

Detailed guidance about how one can impart best prenatal sanskars with help of prayers, music, story, reading, games, diet, Yogasanas and meditation is available from Manashakti prenatal education project. This project aims at creating new well-mannered generations to build nations to serve the humanity at large.

Post Birth..

First seven years in the life of child after birth are important for the development of the emotional part of the personality. These are very relevant and useful years for the proper parenting efforts. This would be the topic of our next article.

Vijay R. Joshi.