What is Garbh Sanskaar?
Garbh Sanskaar literally translates to “education in the 
womb”. It is a practice that is often mentioned in our religious scriptures and lays heavy emphasis on what the baby picks up from the mother, and her surrounding environment, while it develops from fetal stage into a full-grown baby. It is believed in many cultures, and is also scientifically proven that the baby’s cognitive and behavioral development begins right after conception; and in the successive weeks she is heavily influenced by the mother’s state of mind, physical well being and daily practices. References to such traditions can be traced back to ancient scriptures and are even mentioned in the Vedas.
According to Garbh Sanskaar your baby can sense and respond to external influences like music and other sounds, as well as your thoughts and feelings. Scientifically this has also been seen in sonographs and 3D imaging how a baby can smile, cry and even frown depending upon the mother’s temperament. That is precisely the reason why elders in the family emphasize on keeping a healthy and peaceful environment around the pregnant lady.
How does Garbh Sanskaar work?
It suggests a set of practices and a way of life for the mother to have a positive impact on the baby’s growth and development. This includes reading and seeing things that make you happy, communicating with the baby, singing/reading aloud to the baby, spiritual practices, poojas, meditation, breathing exercises and healthy eating. Some practitioners also lay heavy emphasis on naturopathy and using herbal extracts to cure any complications, itchiness, gassiness and other minor pregnancy problems.
Can my emotions and feeling really affect my unborn baby?
There has been quite a lot of interest in the subject recently and studies also suggest that 70% of the brain’s development happens in the womb. It is also becoming more and more apparent that babies in the womb respond to outside stimuli like sounds, light and movement. However people have varying opinions on much should we try to intervene with these things, or to stimulate the baby’s development in the womb.
Traditionally people like to keep a positive environment around the pregnant lady, as it is believed everywhere that if a mother is laughing, beaming with joy or doing any activity that gives her joy and peace, and then some of it definitely rubs off to the baby. Such positive experiences shape your baby’s earliest impressions in a constructive manner, hopefully making her a happy and well-balanced person.
Do other cultures also share the views on ‘education in the womb’?
Certainly different cultures have different beliefs but all have some references to mother’s emotional well being being directly proportional to the antenatal growth. In Korea, this is a common practice to instill knowledge to the unborn. In some western cultures, people believe that listening to classical music, like Mozart, has a calming effect on the baby in the womb. Different cultures talk about different practices to strengthen the bond between the mother and the baby just like in Garbh Sanskaar so you can commonly see expectant fathers and mothers talk to their baby bumps. These days a lot of mothers are reading up on Garbh Sanskaar either through religious books or through online courses to influence their baby’s multiple intelligences and are also laying emphasis on prenatal yoga and breathing exercises.
