Do you know 80% of human brain development occurs inside the womb? During pregnancy, an unborn child develops several neurological connections like reflexes, balance, vital motor controls and senses. They may not be able to hear or respond to outside sounds, but their brain is active and learn different neuro connectivity through the stimulation from the mother’s brain.

And Garbh Sanskar is believed to be helpful for the unborn baby as it helps stimulate the baby’s brain and enhance brain function with some sort of teaching. So, if you are a would-be mommy and curious about whether Garbh sanskar can really help your unborn child, keep reading. Here we will discuss everything about Garbh sanskar and if it really works.

What is Garbh Sanskar?

Garbh Sanskar is a teaching process for the fetus. Garbh Sanskar is a Sanskrit term which means educating the unborn child. The word ‘Garbh’ means womb and ‘Sanskar’ means teaching or inserting values that are believed to be good. So, it is a regular practice of several activities (both mental and physical) that helps to enhance the mental, physical, social and spiritual well-being of the unborn child and their mother.

The method derived its essence from the religious Hindu scriptures. For instance, the way Prahlad learned to worship lord Vishnu despite being born into the family of Demon king Hiranyakashipu. Or how Abhimanyu learnt about Chakravyuh from his father while inside the womb in Mahabharat.

Garbh Sanskar incorporates 16 sacraments known as sanskar collected from ancient Vedas. It primarily aims at overall well-being and development of an unborn.

Different types of Garbh Sanskar activities for Pregnant women

According to the Garbh Sanskar specialist, pregnant women must stay emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually healthy. They suggest several lifestyle changes with body and mind transformation to enhance the mother’s and child’s overall well-being. And below, we will discuss the 6 primary activities of Garbh sanskar for pregnant women –

Meditation during pregnancy

Daily lifestyle stress and unwanted lifestyle advice with the additional pressure of pregnancy often lead to depressive and self-harming thoughts in women. Many women also face drastic mood swings, irritation and anger that affects their mental health and well-being. These kinds of thoughts and emotions are harmful to the unborn child and can lead to several chronic illnesses in the future. It is even scientifically proven that babies who have faced stress during their fetus phase tend to develop chronic illnesses like respiratory disease, heart disease, lung disease, delay in learning, high blood pressure etc.

In addition, stress can cause premature birth, intrauterine infections, low weight at birth and even increase the chances of stillborn. Practising regular meditation can improve your mental health during pregnancy. It will also positively influences the unborn child’s brain and helps in promoting healthy mental growth.

Listening to calming sounds/music to relax

According to Garbh Sanskar, listening to calming and soft music or sounds for relaxation is very helpful for the mother and child. Classic music, lullabies, and good melodies that help to increase positivity, optimism and happiness all are great for unborn children. A baby starts to hear in the third trimester of pregnancy, so selecting the right type of music for relaxation is essential. Listening to calming music or ragas such as Bageshwari, Yaman, Malkauns, and Shaant is very helpful for both the mother and child.

Also, you must avoid loud and pounding music that is harsh to the ears. Exposure to such music can affect the mental growth of the child. In addition, long and frequent exposure to loud music can cause hearing problems or complete hearing loss in the baby.

Pregnancy yoga

We all know the benefits of practising yoga in our regular life. Daily yoga practice enhances our physical and mental ability and promotes overall well-being. It also helps to prepare your body for childbirth and often helps to reduce pregnancy pains and aches. But many people do not know that its benefits extend more than that. Practising yoga during pregnancy is also quite beneficial for the unborn baby. It promotes healthy blood circulation and oxygen saturation in the mother’s body, and the baby gets good hormones essential for mental and physical growth.

Pregnancy diet

A healthy and balanced diet during pregnancy is also included in the Garbh Sanskar activities. According to this practice, the mother should take nutritious and balanced foods that are freshly prepared for mother and child. The satvik diet is prescribed for pregnant women that includes 6 rasas –

• Tikha
• Katu
• Lavana
• Amlya
• Kashaya
• Madhura

Engage in creative hobies

Engaging in creative pursuits is also an essential part of Garbh Sanskar that stimulates the brain and can also help a child’s brain development. As per Garbh Sanskar, practising activities that stimulate your left and right brain will also help to stimulate your child’s mind and brain. Below are the activities prescribed by Garbh Sanskar.

For the Left brain, do Uno cards, chess, riddles, crosswords, puzzles, tongue twister, sudoku, reasoning, memory game etc.

For the right brain, you can try doodling, quilling, photography, painting, waste material craft, DIY art, playing musical instruments, swing and knitting, gardening etc.

Connect with your unborn baby

Connecting with your unborn child to help their mental, emotional and physical growth is also included in Garbh Sanskar practices. Usually, a baby starts hearing in the third trimester of pregnancy, and their hearing ability is fully functional, and they can hear outside noises. They can even respond to you if stimulated well. So, you can start communicating with your baby from the first month. However, it is essential to remember that an unborn child can understand the thoughts and emotions of their mother, so you must concentrate on what you say or feel during this time, as it will affect your child’s mental and physical well-being. Here are a few ways to connect with your baby –

• Talk to the child loudly and tell stories, not inside your head.
• Talk to them in the third person and directly address them like ‘mommy is waiting to meet you, baby’.
• Avoid noisy environments while talking to the baby, and try to turn off the TV or other additional sounds.
• Tell you childhood stories and memories that make you happy and optimistic about life and certain things.
• Tell the father to talk to the baby and do the same.
• Chant aloud for the baby.
• Sing lullabies and other melodious songs for the child.

Does Garbh Sanskar really help the unborn?

Many people still doubt the effectiveness of Garbh Sanskar activities and wonder whether they can truly benefit the unborn child. Several scientific research shows that a child inside the womb is not an object; instead, it has an active brain and has the ability to learn if proper stimulation is given from the outside. However, the mother will convey the primary stimulation through brain activity and emotions.

Also, the negative thought and emotions a mother face impacts the child’s brain inside the womb. And Sanskar activities aim to impact the child and mother’s body and mind positively. So, practising Garbh Sanskar activities can help your child’s overall development.

Conclusion

Garbh Sanskar’s activities are a practice of teaching the unborn child before they start their learning process in the physical world. It is widely popular for maintaining an overall well-being of both mother and child. The practice of Garbh Sanskar is now scientifically backed as several research has shown that mother can connect with their child and sending positive vibes and brain stimulation through sanskar activities help them to learn and grow.