The reason a lot of people choose to become vegetarian is because of a developing awareness of the existence of others and their intrinsic value. Naturally during pregnancy this concern to reduce the suffering of others is placed on the growing child within the mother’s body. Don’t let anybody delude you into thinking that being in the womb is a wonderful, snug, safe journey for the child. Upon reflection we can understand the suffering of the child in the womb. They are entrapped in a dark, warm, smelly room that daily gets smaller as their body increases in size. Finally they are reduced to a fetal position when their developed body reaches the limits of their confined space. Eventually contractions begin – the walls of their room start pushing them down, down and finally out through a very small opening, into the bright lights of the world.
But we can try to alleviate some of the discomforts of the child’s journey in the womb. The vast Vedic literature which contains Ayurvedic medicine also includes in the famous treatise, Srimad Bhagavatam, a chapter about the month by month development of the child’s body in the womb and the difficulties the child experiences. Here it is advised that the mother does not include any chilies or pungent/hot foods in her diet as these irritate the delicate skin of the developing child. What to speak of the effects of smoking, alcohol and drugs on the child!
As the baby can hear sounds from outside the womb by the seventh month, I have always then played soothing mantra meditation music for my children and read to them daily. When the child is born I then continue to play the meditation music and the child is greatly soothed by this. All my newborn children were very mellow and peaceful for the first couple of months until they discovered the mobility of their little legs!
To conclude this article, the following is a personal account of the birth of each of my children.
