Lauren

Garbha Sanskar: How I Practiced

Ayurvedic scriptures state that Garbha Sanskar is essential for creating an intelligent, attractive and healthy baby. From my experience, Garbha Sanskar is a great way to keep you positive and focused during your pregnancy, you can bring these practices to your attention to when the hormones and symptoms start to get you down.

What is Garbha Sanskar?

Garbha Sanskar literally means ‘education in the womb’ in Sanskrit. According to this philosophy, the mother’s emotional well-being during pregnancy influences the baby’s future personality.

Traditional Garbha Sanskar activities:

  • Listening to Garbha Sanskar music.

Mother-in-law gave me a really nice CD. This was so helpful. The music helped me to relax and reassured me that everything would be alright, especially during my first trimester when I was anxious about the twelve week scan as well as vomiting everywhere.

  • A positive and stress free environment.

My husband and mother-in-law took this very seriously. The television would be turned off when a violent scene popped up and no one would talk to me about anything upsetting (which turned out to be a little bit frustrating as I was shielded from seemingly everything). My mother-in-law and her friends also organised some parties to celebrate the special time, which were so sweet.

pregnancy meals

  • Yoga, Chanting, Meditation and Positive Affirmations.

Not only great during pregnancy, all are really helpful when preparing emotionally and physically for childbirth! You can write positive affirmations on index cards and keep them with you (even when you’re in labour!).

  • Communicating with baby.

You can start to bond with your baby before it’s born, I found myself in conversation with my bump all the time. My Grandmother-in-law was quite anxious for my husband to speak Marathi to my bump, worrying that the baby would only understand English.

  • Your womb as a classroom.

Many ladies told me that I should read the Ramayana (the story of Lord Ram) during my pregnancy, it is said that reading such stories will transfer the wisdom and character traits to your unborn child. I was also given critical thinking puzzles to help my baby’s brain grow! I ended up rereading the Harry Potter books, maybe Rohan will become a wizard?

As well as the Indian traditions I have mentioned above, I have my own additions which I think follow same Garbha Sanskar philosophy:

  • Painting
  • Aromatherapy
  • Spending time with animals 
  • Star gazing
  • Swimming
  • Listening to classical music
  • Reading children’s stories to my baby

Experiencing some stressful moments during pregnancy is completely normal, understandable and nothing to feel guilty about, but when I discovered I was pregnant, I read several scientific articles about how chronic stress during pregnancy can negatively affect baby. So I did try my best to stay happy and calm. There is definitely something to this ancient Indian wisdom!

I’m not sure if these practices did increase my baby’s intelligence or attractiveness (he sure is gorgeous though), but they helped this mummy stay calm and happy during those forty weeks. The Garbha Sanskar philosophy gave me something to focus on during any uncomfortable or worrying moments of my pregnancy.

 

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19 comments

  4. @Lauren

    Very comprehensive blog post for future mothers. The pic above must be from one the meal after a ceremony because there is quiet a lot of food on the table.

    Talking to the baby in the womb reminds me of a story from the Mahabharata, since u are interested in mythology. Have you read the Mahabharata? In short the story goes like this. The great Mahabharata hero Arjuana was telling his wife Subhadra the way to get into a battle formation called Chakravyuh (the circular battle formation). His son Abhimanyu in the womb was keenly listening to what his father was saying. Soon Subhadra felt asleep. Abhimanyu was thus able to hear only half of what his father said (i.e. how to get into a Chakrayuh).

    Many years later during the great war of Kurekshetra, the enemies of Pandavas arranged their army in the Chakrayuh formation and drew Arjuna away from the battlefield as only he knew how to break the formation. Nobody knew how to penetrate the formation. Here, the sixteen year old Abhimanyu stepped in. He went into the Chakrayuh and was killed, as not get out because he had heard half the story.

    So, if we go by our epics then the knowledge provided to be baby during this period it absorbed by it.

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    • Thank you, friend!
      Yes, I know the story. My husband is a great story teller and knows it very well 😀
      There is another similar part of the Mahabharata, the conception of the brothers. One blind and the other blind because of how their mothers acted at the conception. It’s interesting to see how customs and traditions are strung together with mythology! 😀

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      • I have read both, I like both in different ways! I like the complexity of the Mahabharata and how I can see traditions we practice in my husband’s family in the Ramayana

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  5. You both look very happy and relaxed in that picture !

    I listened to mantras and chanted some too when I was pregnant with baby T. I also got some ayurvedic and osteopathy massages during 2nd and 3rd trimester. I ate special foods. I had pregnancy diabetes,high blood pressure and a lot of stress from work, so I did a lot of meditation and bonding with the baby. I had no choice really as she kicked me relentlessly each time I got worked up lol ! The pregnancy, birth and her first weeks were full of drama – but I was in a bubble, since I was sure she was a special gift from heavens.

    Now she’s 2 and a half. Since her birth she has always reacted to mantras. It calms her down and in some situations she spontaneously joins her hands and chants “om”. She’s different from her half-sisters, she’s more laid back and she laughs all the time, but I guess it’s thanks to her dad. As time goes by, since we try to educate her with Indian and French principles (and in three languages), we’re starting to get looks and comments from adults in Europe, mainly about table manners and speech…

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    • So lovely to hear from you! Thank you so much for sharing!! So so cute! People often comment on how relaxed Rohan is too! Who knows, that might be why! I hope you and yours are well!!xx

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  7. All the best Lauren!!! I’m soooooo happy for you. May Rohan grow as a great boy, lively child, full of joy and smile ❤ ❤ ❤

    I have also good news to share – I got married to my Indian boyfriend, and now we are happier than before 🙂

    Lots of love to you, Rohan, and your hubby :*

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  8. Does the arrival of Rohan make you feel a new commitment towards learning Marathi? Otherwise, as he grows up, there will be so many situations where he can join in with conversations and you will be unable to understand or contribute.

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    • Hi Nicola,
      I think it helps because I can generally understand everything people say to him in Marathi because they say very simple (baby talk) things so I am hoping my vocab with grow along with his. If i still fail, I have a little translater lol xx

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  9. Hi Lauren,
    Here in India, people have custom of touching other’s babies and then cradling them something in contrast to European culture. Have you experienced this situation with your son?

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    • Haha, yes. I have experienced that a lot and I am pretty strict about it when it’s a complete stranger. I don’t mind strangers playing with him and talking to him but I draw the line at strangers picking him up. I had to say ‘naahi’ to a waiter three times yesterday because he tried to pick him up. Rohan will happily be passed from person to person known by me or my family but I would not trust a stranger. Hope you are well 🙂

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