HYDERABAD: Just a few decades ago, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Cerebral Palsy and different types of Autism were unheard of in children. However, due to stress-prone contemporary ways of life, these disorders have become common.
Despite the nutritional and medical support being given to pregnant women and new mothers by the government, instances of babies being born prematurely or with congenital disorders are on a rise. To combat this, the Aryajanani initiative of the Vivekananda Health Centre at Ramakrishna Math has taken a proactive approach by reducing the stress factor in pregnant women and helping them lead a peaceful pregnancy.
A team of experts including a clinical psychologist, an ayurveda practitioner, a musician, a gynaecologist, a paediatrician and a prenatal yoga trainer will train pregnant women to follow various practices for a period of 1,000 days, starting right from the beginning of pregnancy till the baby is two-years-old.
The training will be offered through three-hour hybrid workshops in English, Telugu and Hindi languages on Saturdays and Sundays at a nominal registration fee of Rs 100.There is also a two-day workshop, held in any of the Math’s ashrams, which a couple can attend by paying Rs 2,500.
As part of the workshop, the husband, wife and even their in-laws are counselled on how to mitigate with pregnancy-related stress. According to Dr C Veerender, an eminent counselling psychologist, when a pregnant woman is traumatised, her body releases unhelpful hormones and for every emotion, there is a chemical that gets released, and it affects the child.
Lifestyle charts are also distributed to pregnant women, which are they are expected to follow every single day.When contacted, Vrushali, a clinical psychologist by profession and a part of the organising team, said that she advises pregnant women to reduce the usage of electronic gadgets during pregnancy.
She says that those mothers who followed it accordingly have observed that even their children are not glued to gadgets.“Mothers who attended the workshop during pregnancy tell us that their children are attracted to nature, and are much brighter and attentive. They even learn languages and socialisation quite easily” Vrushali added.