Garbh Sanskar, My 9 month preparing, to fall in Love for Life-time.

My Pregnancy was Semi-Planned.

Confused?

YES You read it right, 

You might had heard about Planned & Unplanned Pregnancy but mine was Semi-planned.

I conceived when I was planning it to happen few months later but my heart was all set to become a mommy.
As "God knew that my heart needed you"

With excitement I very well knew the responsibility that I have towards my baby, So from the day of positive pregnancy test itself, I started making changes in my daily routine.

Trust me the adjustment that I had to make after marriage was far more simple compared to, A To be mommy's adaptation.

Numerical Changes that I made out of which following Garbh Sanskar was the best one.

GARBH SANSKAR

Garbh sanskar is not a ritual, It is not a 5th month puja ceremony nor is it a baby shower done during 7th month of pregnancy, it is the practice that every women should inculcate in her daily practice right from the day she plans to become a mommy.

The word Garbh in Sanskrit refers to the foetus in the womb, and Sanskar means education of the mind. So, Garbh Sanskar translates into the process of educating the mind of the unborn baby. 

It is not only about the care taken during pregnancy, but about starting preparations at least a year before conception.

Garbh Sanskar covers pre-pregnancy, pregnancy as well as the breastfeeding phase, guiding parents until the child is about 2 years old. 

It was like my guide all throughout my pregnancy and till now.

Here are the List of components included in Garbh-Sanskar.

*Healthy Eating = Healthy Pregnancy.

    The dietary regime is an essential aspect of pregnancy, as the growth of the foetus depends upon the health and nutrition of the mother.

Daily intake of Healthy soup, Green Leafy Vegetables, Dates, Sweets prepared from healthy seeds & nuts was must for me.

I never suppressed  my cravings though as they were demands raised from my little one.

*Reading books= Wisdom to The Intrauterine Miracle

    Garbh Sanskar also stresses on the fact that reading educational books shapes the personality of the child in the womb. It is believed that reading when pregnant can help pass on the wisdom to the unborn child. Books with moral values or mythological stories are recommended, but you can always choose another book you enjoy reading

I always like books which I can relate with my life;
My Choices were;

• The Secret,
• Bhagwad Gita,
• Vyas vichar  
• Garbh Sanhita

They elaborated my purpose of living & interesting scientific approach towards pregnancy.

Obviously Medical books were always there to brush up my skills.

And what to say about Romantic novels, they were always there to add glitter to my book shelf as well as my marriage life.

*Positive thinking.

    Being with my in-laws & my 3 month nephew never gave me a chance to be gloomy. 
Family functions, meeting new people & flaunting your pregnancy was no less than a sweet memory to be paged in book of my pregnancy life.

And for my mood swings,  350 kms away Hubby was always there to pamper.

So Mommies, forget about what society says, do what you like as ultimately

Mommy Happy = Baby Happy.

*Talk to Your Intrauterine baby.

    You can literally talk to your child when he or she is in your womb.

Yes Mommy; they really respond. I started that practice right from the day I conceived.

Talk to your baby about something different every day. Modulate your voice and tell them how happy you are to have him or her in your life and how you just cannot wait to hold your baby in your arms.

Not only me But my Hubby too used to talk daily to our baby.

You won’t believe but my daily selection of clothes was done by my baby.

So Next time whenever you find any pregnant lady talking to herself, it would be the cute conversation going on between the To Be Mommy with the wonder developing inside.

*Listening Music.

    Music not only calms you but soothes your baby too.

I preferably heard only instrumental music & Shlokas.

*Practice Yoga.

    Prenatal Yoga will be of great help. But mommies please take help from an expert and do yoga asanas under their supervision only as all mommies are different.

No Backache, No swelling over legs & symptom less pregnancy with early cesarean recovery was all because of practicing yoga during pregnancy as well as post-delivery.
Because of my Yoga practice, Kartavya is very flexible right after birth. 
He many a times even mimics my Yoga actions.

*Meditation.

    Meditation is very beneficial as it De-stresses the mind. 

It involves getting into the ‘zero state of mind’, which can help bring peace and tranquility, and enhance concentration. Visualizing good things about the baby while you meditate is also a great way to bond with your baby.

Pranayama breathing exercises help to calm and relax the body while preparing you for breath-control during childbirth

And Obviously; What’s better than feeling your baby kicks while Meditating.

*Prayers.

    Praying is believed to be good for the spiritual development of the baby. 

Chanting Shlokas with their meaning was my daily practice, 

Prayers & Shlokas bring inner peace & is very important for moral growth of the baby.

*Channel Your Creativity.

    Being creative during pregnancy not only keeps your mind occupied, but creativity can be passed on to your baby as well.
Hobbies like knitting, painting, gardening or even pottery can help in busting stress and keep you happy.
I choose Painting, Writing short quotes & Who can forget Shopping.

*Celebarte Your Pregnancy.

 My relatives were always in a seek to celebrate so every day was festive for me. Celebration with Baby-moon, My 28th Birthday, Family Functions  & Marriages never let my day to pass vacant.

I celebarted My pregnancy following Garbh Sanskar.

 Practice the simple tenets of Garbh Sanskaar and experience the peace they offer.

Shower of Blessings on My Baby Shower.

Three important Celebration of a Women's life

• First: Birth, where A small 3.75 kg Binny became, The Daughter, A Sibling & Goddess Laxmi to the family.
• Second: Marriage, where Dr. Binny became a wife, Daughter in law, Sister in law, Mami, Chachi and many more
• Third: Baby Shower, where Mrs. Binny was blessed to become a Mother. 

    

     So amazing it is that first two phases brought so many relations in my life, but the third one which though brought only one relation of mother-child bond, over powered the above two.

        This is the bond that every women dream of. 

The relation between a mother & child cannot be understood by anyone as this bond is when they have not even seen each-other.

Yes, new mommies, This bond is formed right away from the day you conceive your baby;

May be that is the reason of Me having a feeling of being pregnant, a week before getting my pregnancy test.
 I always wanted each and every phase of my pregnancy to be memorable & My Family didn't left a single stone upturned to make it one.

Celebration had already started from the day I shared the news about my pregnancy but Celebration with rituals was the best part.

5th month Garbh-Sanskar : Ritual of blessing your intrauterine miracle by a small Puja followed by Maha-prasad & Brahman bhojan brought me more closer to my baby spiritually.

My 7th Month baby shower:
    My baby shower was organised at our Home-Town, where there was greenery wherever our eyes moves, those water filled well,  those mango trees with rope swings, those peacock sound and chirping sparrows, pond filled with small fishes, farms loaded with harvested crops, tress loaded with fruits & our house surrounded by colorful rose plants & Herbs which  ever you ask for. 

A day prior the ceremony all the siblings teamed up in decorating our house with Blue & Pink balloons,
Noise of busting balloons were enough to awake the kids in house, so measuring  the accuracy of air to be filled in the balloons was itself a big task.
To my amaze only blue balloons were busting, 6 blue balloons had already bust

Why? Is that a signal from my baby?

So decided to play a game &  I asked my baby inside that the balloon which would burst next would be considered as your signal of revealing your gender.
Believe me the next sec, again blue one busted. This play ultimately turned to be true & Kartavya you came in our life.

Next day was the big day.

I was all dressed up in a Fuscia Pink Silk Saree with Floral jewelry; 
White buds & pink rose jewelry covering my ears were all set to receive blessings, Mangtike which was no less than a crown, 
Neck-piece giving me feeling of being queen,
Flowers covering my arms, wrist & ankle were no less than glittering ornament for me.
Thick Rose Gajra covering my Bun added more glamour to my look.
The best one was Floral waist band covering my gravid tummy making me flaunt my baby bump even more. 
The flowers were enough to add fragrance to my attire but the blush on my face was because of the happy hormone  running through my nerves because of my baby inside.

The Godhbharai Ceremony.

Godh bharai is a baby shower celebrated during pregnancy to welcome the unborn baby to the family and bless the mother-to-be with abundant joys of motherhood,

In Hindi, Godh bharai literally means to 'fill the lap' with abundance.

Chintan's  Eldest Aunt did my Godh Bharai, 

She drew Swastik on the Coconut & placed it in my Saree pallu &  filled my lap with Wheat, Fruits, Flowers , Gifts & loads of love & blessings.

• Wheat: Traditionally Grains Have always been an essential ingredient in Hindu ceremony, It represents Fertility & prosperity.A single Sheaf of Wheat represents Harvest & Fertility.It is said that, if these sacred wheat are utilized by farmers for their crops than they get immense harvest. as these grain seeds not only have immense fertile capability but blessings by all the dear ones.

• Coconut: In Hindu religious rituals Coconut have a lot symbolic importance. Breaking of the coconut represents the breaking of ego, which is a prerequisite for the attainment of wisdom. Breaking of the ego results in your mind become as white as the broken coconut and the water within is the nectar of Divine Knowledge.

• Flowers: Sign of Purity Piousness & Serenity.

• Gifts in form of love & blessings:  from all the relatives to show their support that a to-be mommy is always in need for.

My Sister in laws tied Raksha Potli to my hand, i.e sacred thread for protecting mother as well as intrauterine baby from any evil eye.

Maha-Prasad.

Ritual followed the Mahaprasad where all the delicious dishes were made at home none other than my 3 Mother in Laws,Many Dishes were made on brick chulha with wood used for fire, It not only  scented the surrounding atmosphere but even added more flavors to the dishes, 

Food was prepared not only with great hard-work but with  loads of Love just for you my baby.

Whole family had gathered to shower their blessings on my baby shower.

Bidaai

The time had come for my bidaai after the ceremony
The love that I received was more than abundant which not only made my eyes tear but even my heart cried while leaving my in-laws place after the ceremony.
I had to go to my mothers place for my first delivery, I placed myself in the car & waved goodbye to all.

Way To My Mykaa.

My bother had already informed my mother about our arrival so  my mom was waiting at the door step with Aarti Thal, She was not able to hide her joy, obviously almost after 10 years I would be staying at my home for such a long period.
6 years of graduation in other city + 4 years of Marriage in other state.
Even I was not able to camouflage my excitement as that PRINCESS mode was ON.

Late night chat with Papa, Delicious dishes made by Mummy & 2 am Snack with Brother were the most memorable days.
I enjoyed my stay even more as I knew that I wont be able to relive these days ever again.

I felt as if my whole  family was pregnant as all of them were always seeking chance to celebrate.
They made me learn;

"Enjoy Your Pregnancy, It would turn Your Motherhood to be a daily Celebration"