During the first trimester the pregnant woman experiences sudden changes due to the abundant hormones in her body to stabilize the pregnancy. Due to the physical and emotional changes caused by the sudden surge of hormones the mother is not in a position to contribute much for the baby, since her very concern is about stability of the pregnancy.
The second trimester is the golden period for the pregnant woman because by this time she would have overcome many of the sudden effects of early pregnancy. This is also the time when baby’s development progresses very rapidly. Modern studies indicate that babies begin to respond to sound stimulation as early as 24 weeks of pregnancy. The mother who is settled with her hormonal changes now gets the lifetime opportunity to act as the facilitator of shaping baby’s brain development and also the intellectual growth.
Though parental responsibility starts as soon as the child is born in its upbringing and education, Vedic texts emphasize on the responsibility of parents even when the child is in the womb. Scriptures say, the baby while in the womb has a higher state of consciousness. The baby is in a state of meditation and is fully receptive to learning. This opens up the opportunity for the parents-to-be to mould the emotional and intellectual architecture of the baby.