Garbha Sanskara – Ayurvedic Antenatal Care

Garbha Sanskara is a process to achieve physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social development within the mother and baby. It is a complete pregnancy care guideline to get a marvelous healthy child. It is those ‘nine months’ crucial period when maximum efforts are to be taken for betterment of the offspring’s. Now it is scientifically proved that the unborn baby can not only listen, feel but also responds by using its own way.

Garbha sanskara is some special efforts taken to stimulate baby’s senses gently from outside for the maximum development of its physic & intellectual ability. The process of selecting and transmitting positive influences to the fetus using yoga, reading, thinking and praying including healthy eating and cheerful behaviour of the mother is known as Garbha Sanskara. A good nutritional status maintained by the mother during pregnancy helps to grow a strong, healthy placenta, which determines the birth weight and future health of the baby in adult life.

Need of Garbha Sanskara

Garbha Sanskara as need of every expectant mother for a healthy progeny is important because-

• To compete in present scenario overgrowing population and competitions. That’s why future generation needs to be very intelligent, creative, smart-working and resourceful. It is believed that “the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world”.
• Bad progeny is dangerously damages to the families as well as the society at large. It pollutes the core values of humanity and destroys its social fabric. That’s why we need to cultivate good values and virtues. Hence it is duty of every parent to make every effort to inculcate good values and virtues in their children.
• The health of the mother has a great impact on the unborn baby. The positive thinking and very good mood of the woman benefits the woman’s body as well as the fetus.
• The health of the mother has a great impact on the unborn baby. The positive thinking and very good mood of the woman benefits the woman’s body as well as the fetus.
• Other benefits include baby sleeping well and responding better during breastfeeding.

Garbha Sanskara and its effectivity

The relationship between the pregnant woman and her unborn baby  has fascinated researchers for decades.  70% to 80% of pregnant women experience either prolonged depression or a phase of baby-blues. It is important to note that a pregnant woman’s sleep patterns, ability to perform daily tasks and quality of life get affected by systemic variations caused by hormonal, emotional, mental, and physical factors.

Sleep deprivation leads to decrease in function of the immune system, hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal gland. Even as the pregnant woman copes with this state of exhaustion and distress, fears related to the upcoming childbirth, the waning joint-family support and urban stressors add to her anxieties. Bowlby, in a study, found that if the pregnant woman does not connect with her unborn baby, there can be irreversible mental health consequences on the child.

The pregnant woman’s state of mind affects the development of the unborn baby’s cognitive and noncognitive skills: when she is calm and at peace, the baby reaps significant benefits. She experiences higher self-esteem and sense of personal control. The opposite leads to increased incidences of uterine growth retardation, preterm labor, prolonged labor, foetal heart rate decline, low birth weight, increased cesarean section, postnatal neurobehavioral problems, and developmental disorder.

A study based on the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children indicated that mother’s anxiety during pregnancy predicted persistently higher behavioral and emotional symptoms across childhood with no decrease of effect into adolescence. It was associated with a twofold increase in risk of a probable mental disorder in her child.

On the converse, a good maternal environment facilitates brain development. Garbha Sanskar practices promote maternal wellness in a very effective manner.

Description of Garbha Sanskara in Classics

Acharya Charaka mentioned the concept of “Shreyasipraja”. Acharya Vagbhata mentioned in Shareera Sthana that the couple desiring specific qualities in their offspring should surround themselves by pictures of personalities having similar qualities, hear their stories and should always think about such personalities (when they are expecting a baby). Intercourse results in fertility and couple gets the child of desired qualities. Acharya Vagbhata also mentioned that spoilt children are a curse even for influential and worthy families. This reference forms the basis of garbha sanskara and highlights the fact that garbha sanskara influence behavior of child.

Ancient References of Garbha Sanskara –

• In Ramayana, also a reference is found that before the birth of Lord Ram during “Putra kameshtiyagya” the agnidevata gave King Dashratha “Payas” which can be considered as a form of garbha sanskara.
• The story of Abhimanyu (Mahabharata)- When Arjuna’s wife Subhadra was pregnant with their son Abhimanyu, he told her about how to penetrate the chakravyuh, a particular war formation. He could only learn to decode and enter the trap because by that time her mother felt asleep. This was one of the reasons why he was killed because he did not know how to come out of the trap.
• Narada muni story – Narada muni teach Prahlad in the womb of his mother Kayadhu.
• Common personality of positivity among Lord Buddha, Swami Vivekananda, Shivaji Maharaj was inculcated by positive thought of their mother’s prayer.

Process of Garbha Sanskara

Pre-Conception Protocol –

It involves the preparation of the couple planning pregnancy, 90 days prior to conception. Ahara (diet), Vihara (lifestyle), Sadavritta (moral conduct), along with varied therapies. Preparing the body well in advance before conceiving will help greatly in having a healthy pregnancy. Even partner’s health is important for conception to occur as healthy sperms are required for getting pregnancy. Because it takes 74 days for sperm to develop (According to tritium-labeled biopsies). Including the transport on ductal system, it takes 3 months (i.e. 90 days). Pre-conception care is also recommended by world health organization to maximizing the gains for maternal and child health.

Garbhadhan Purva Sanskara –

1. Prakritiparikshana (Ayurgenomics)
2. Rajaswala paricharya in female, shodhana in couple
3. Vamana/ Virechana/ Basti (Panchkarma shareera shuddhi- Cellular cleansing)
4. Aaharashuddhi (Special food planning)
5. Viharashuddhi (Special daily routine)
6. Bhramcharyapalan
7. Nadishuddhi– Pranayama and yogikakriya
8. Prayavaranashuddhi– Agnihotra fumigation

The importance of garbhadhana purva sanskara is that the development of the brain of baby has already started even before the lady knows she is expecting. The brain starts to show its presence as early as 5 weeks of pregnancy. In 36 weeks the development of brain is complete. After these 90 days protocol, copulation adviced in ritukala. If conception occurs; then follow masanumasika garbhini paricharya and pathya-apathya during ante-natal period.

Garbhini Paricharya –

The Routine that need to be followed during pregnancy following 9 months is Garbhini Paricharya.

1st month – Anupsanskritksheera (Nonmedicated milk)
2nd month – Milk medicated with madhura rasa drugs
3rd month – Milk with honey and ghrita
4th month – Milk with butter
5th month – Ghrita prepared with butter extracted from milk
6th month – Ghrita prepared from milk medicated with madhura drugs, Gokshur siddha, sarpi/yavagu
7th month – Ghrita prepared from milk medicated with madhura drugs
8th month – Kheerayavagu mixed with ghrita
9th month – Anuvasanabasti & yoni pichu with madhura group oil

Acharaya Caraka & Acharya Vagbhata mentioned that by the use of garbhini paricharya from first to ninth month her garbhadharini (fetal membranes or vaginal canal), kuksi (abdomen), sacral region, flanks and back become soft, Vayumoves into its right path or direction; feaces, urine and placenta are excreted or expelled easily by their respective passages.
Along with normal nutritious diet, specific diets for each month of antenatal period depending on embryogenesis. These specific diets cause impact on fetus, especially effective on reproductive and endocrine systems.

Type of Activities for Garbha Sanskara –

• GarbhaSamwad (Baby talk)
• Breathing exercise with Omkar
• Reading good books
• Keep yourself engaged in positive talks
• Jyotidhyana
• Painting
• Singing
• Listening songs
• Gardening
• Knitting
• Yoga and Pranayam

Yoga and Pranayam –

First Trimester
Yogasana – Trilokasana, Sukshmavyayama, Relaxation, Vrukshasana
Pranayama – Sheetali, Bhramri, Omkar, Anulomaviloma

Second Trimester
Yogasana – Gomukhasana, Relaxation
Pranayama – Bhramri, Omkar, Anulomaviloma, Garbha Chintana

Third Trimester
Yogasana – Vajrasana, Utkatasana
Pranayama – Omkar, Relaxation, Dyana mudra

Probable Mode of Action of Garbha Sanskara

What and when an expectant mother eat, when she sleep, where she live, to whom she interact, how she exercise, stress and environment, exposure to toxins, social factors, even ageing- all of these can eventually cause chemical modification around the genes that will turn those genes on or off over time. This chemical modification in genes which are more for disease can be cured by following garbhasanskara protocol. Healthy genes transfer by both parents by garbhasanskara creates the healthy progeny. And this healthy DNA sequence is maintained generation to generation. It is also helpful in preventing from hereditary and congenital diseases.

Designer Baby – Baby’s personality begins to take shape in the womb. Designer baby means cultured, civilized, beautiful, brilliant, disease free offspring with physical strength and other qualities like sincerity, humanity, compassion, spirituality, courage, loyality etc. which are the need for present era.

The fetus gets an enormous amount of “hormonal bathing” through the mother. So its chronological rhythms are influenced by the mother’s sleep/wake cycles, eating patterns and her movements. More than 60% intellect development occurs in intrauterine phase. In today’s fast paced life, it is need of every expectant mother for trouble free and disease free pregnancy and to experience the joy of nine month journey and to make it memorable. That’s why garbhasanskara is important for every expectant to keep her healthy as well as for her healthy baby.