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Pre-natal consciousness and care

Nalini Shanmugam, Chitra Arumugasami, Nithya Prabhurajh

Abstract
This article owes its inspiration to many sources of light. It delineates the importance of a holistic approach to
pre-natal care that takes into consideration the wellness of the mother at all levels of her being. Meanwhile, from
a psychological viewpoint, it provides a profile of the developing stages in this journey through motherhood and
maps a practical pathway of practices that facilitates a mother in her journey of providing optimum care for the
holistic development of the child. It advocates an organic within-to-without approach, harnessing the power of
aspiration, consciousness and the strength of conscious choices to render the journey a labour of love.

The following lines penned by Ella Wheeler journey of providing care. What should grasp
Wilcox (1) capture the essence of this approach: their attention is the question, ‘When does
the job of parenting begin?’
“We must not force events, but rather make
The heart soil ready for the coming, as Since most parents subscribe to the view
The earth spreads carpets for the feet of Spring.” that the need for good parenting starts after
birth and direct their attention and focus in
And the lines that follow capture the essence caring mainly for the physical wellness of the
of a common pattern of perception that fails mother during pregnancy, the importance
to distinguish between cause and effect: of investing in the emotional and mental
aspect of the mother’s state and its impact
“Oft we stand on the consciousness of the child is left largely
And watch the ground with anxious brooding discounted. What it takes to plunge into the
eyes magnificent task of tasting the joy of conscious
Complaining of the slow unfruitful yield parenting right from the pre-natal stage and
Not knowing that the shadow of ourselves its impact in moulding the consciousness
Keeps off the sunlight and delays results.” of the child is a question that merits our
attention. One voice, one message: when we
Seen in the context of the current topic, we open to the confluence of ideas that have
understand how important it is for parents to emerged from various streams and schools
prepare themselves psychologically in their of thought on the subject of pre-natal care,

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