Calcutta’s Vedic Village Resort and Spa

[Guest guest]

"Calcutta's Vedic Village Resort and Spa, too, offers personalised

care and even stay for parents-to-be. Says C.M. Pradyumna, director

of medicine at the spa, "The couples are made to do different asanas

such as Sukhasana, Shavasana and Veerasana. We encourage

participation by the husbands because ayurveda believes procreation

is a participative process which has to be adequately planned out."

 

 

Two is company

More and more couples in the metros are attending pre-natal classes,

reports Tessy Koshy

 

CLASS ACT: A Lamaze class in progress photo: rajesh kumar

Husbands, hold your wife's wrist. Ladies, get ready to breathe.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Smile. Go limp like a rag doll." As

Nutan Pandit's voice dies down, 16 smiling faces look smugly at each

other. In a sprawling room in south Delhi, the soft-spoken Pandit,

who runs a Lamaze programme — a breathing technique for childbirth —

is trying to create a real labour room situation for parents-to-be.

 

As the expecting mothers lie on their back, their spouses hold hands

and massage their partner's back after every simulated contraction.

A long, curved pillow is then placed around each woman's waist. It

is a breast-feeding pillow that takes the strain off a mother's

hands and back while feeding. While some in the group shyly practise

this crucial aspect of motherhood, Priya Williams — mother of a two-

year-old boy — reassures them. "It is really useful. I used it when

my son was born."

 

Priya and her husband Navin heard about the Lamaze programme when

they were expecting their first child, but had been unable to attend

any classes. But this time round they've made sure they don't miss

the programme, which first originated in Russia in 1949 and was then

popularised by a doctor called Ferdinand Lamaze in France in the

early 1950s.

 

Couples attending pre-natal classes is a relatively new concept in

India, but is slowly catching on in the metros. Under the Lamaze

programme, parents-to-be are taught breathing exercises, relaxation

techniques, different positions for labour, and about the Caesarean

section, nutrition, breastfeeding and baby care. "We prepare them

physically and mentally for the birth of their baby," says Pandit.

 

So when Chandni Dhall — who attended Pandit's classes last year with

husband Vikram — was giving birth to her baby in September last

year, the couple knew exactly what was coming. "As Chandni was taken

to the labour room, I was beside her all along, holding her hand and

massaging her back when she would have a strong contraction. It was

a completely overwhelming experience for both of us," says Vikram.

 

Besides being informative, the classes teach exercises that

strengthen the muscles, relieve discomforts of pregnancy like

backache, cramps, sciatica and breathlessness. Along with deep

breathing exercises, pregnant women are taught pelvic floor

exercises, stretches for the back, breast exercises and meditation.

Doctors hold that regular exercise can decrease the intensity of

labour pains.

 

At Dr Rita Shah's Lamaze classes in Mumbai, husbands have to be

present if their wives are advised bed rest. "In modern-day nuclear

families it is important for the husband to know how to handle

emergencies such as labour pains and bleeding," says gynaecologist

Rahul Sen, who conducts Parent Craft classes at the Bhagirathi

Neotia Woman and Child Care Centre in Calcutta.

 

"Women can get hysterical during labour. So, their husbands can calm

them down. They can give them verbal support, remind them about

breathing techniques and do acupressure," adds Divya Deswal, a child

birth educator who conducts pre-natal and post-partum classes in

Greater Kailash, New Delhi.

 

Calcutta's Vedic Village Resort and Spa, too, offers personalised

care and even stay for parents-to-be. Says C.M. Pradyumna, director

of medicine at the spa, "The couples are made to do different asanas

such as Sukhasana, Shavasana and Veerasana. We encourage

participation by the husbands because ayurveda believes procreation

is a participative process which has to be adequately planned out."

 

Moreover, the classes are great bonding grounds. From discussions on

whether spinach is good to which maternity hospital offers the best

care, the couples find common interest. "Coming here is a great

morale booster for us," say first-time parent Jasjeet Singh, who

attended Nutan Pandit's classes with wife Kirandeep.

 

The costs vary from programme to programme. Pandit charges Rs 4,000

for six classes spread over three weeks. But the Vedic Village

Resort and Spa charges Rs 4,000 a day, which includes lodging, food

and all the facilities at the spa.

 

But the price is not something that troubles would-be parents.

Clearly, programmes that help couples prepare for the pitter-patter

of little feet will find many more takers.

 

pregnancy pointersThings to remember in each trimester:

 

• Don't lie on your back after the first trimester of pregnancy. If

there is nausea, dizziness or breathlessness, roll over to your side.

 

• Avoid jerky or twisting movements. Avoid medication without your

doctor's advice.

 

• Never do curl-ups or bending forward with the head down.

 

• Stay clear of exercises that include extreme or rapid leg lifts.

 

• Don't do activities that cause stress to the abdominal areas.

 

• Quit smoking since it has been linked to low birth weight,

childhood asthma and sudden infant death syndrome.

 

• Avoid X-rays. During pregnancy opt for another type of diagnostic

procedure.

 

Food for thought

 

Opt for a balanced diet that includes raw fruits, vegetables and

whole-grain products.

 

Reduce the amount of salty, sugary and fatty food items.

 

Drink at least one to two litres of water every day. Water helps in

reducing the swelling of feet and in avoiding constipation.

 

Lemon or orange juice in the morning as well as before meals will

relieve you of nausea.

 

Notify your doctor if you crave to eat non-edible items. Consuming

such things can be dangerous to both mother and child.

 

Stay clear of soft unpasteurized cheese, foods that contain raw

eggs, meat and shellfish.

 

Avoid processed food such as pickles, papads, ketchup, jam and

jelly.

 

Try to have food at least one hour before bedtime.

 

Most importantly, remember that pregnancy is no time to diet.

 

WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SATADRU OJHA IN CALCUTTA AND REENA

MARTINS IN MUMBAI

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051128/asp/atleisure/story_5526605.asp