Myths Around Total Eclipse for Pregnant Women in India

When NASA shared the solar eclipse clip the entire world saw it, as it was one of the beautiful diamond rings nature had created. But a mother somewhere reminisces her pregnancy in the third trimester and how was it eclipsed by a solar eclipse. Recently there was a complete solar eclipse, which was not visible to Indians, yet all the pregnant ladies must have got a list of their dos and don'ts regarding the eclipse. And this year while I had already given birth to my baby, I was reminded of the time when I was in the last leg of my pregnancy and there was a solar eclipse.

Here, our pro-parent Vineeta Jain shares all that she had to endure on that eclipse in the name of ‘It is not good for the baby'.

Total Eclipse & Pregnancy

Then came an eclipse probably the third one in my 9-month pregnancy. It is, very funny, incredible and nothing has proven scientifically but there are some dangerous believe we Indians have. I got a call from the frantic, superstitious aunties who in their whole life have never ever called me, instructing me to observe precautions and not do certain things. The list of these certain things is farthest from any prudent thought, one can have. If not followed during solar or lunar eclipses it would have harmed me and my child. The list of a few things I was told to do and follow is given below. Read them with precaution as you would start believing it though my objective here is to just entertain! [Read - Is Solar Eclipse Harmful During Pregnancy?]

Pregnancy A Time For Some Indulgence

Yeah yeah, people say that the most awesome time of any woman is when they get pregnant, you have life in your body, giving you company all the time. And this is a time when you will have your husband doing everything thing for you, provided you demand it. It's completely not true for the women you are working and have the pseudo ego of being self-reliant and who have never asked for many favors in life, yes I was one of them. I was stupid and dumb to have not taken advantage of my husband and my extended joint family including my mother in law, co sister, their respective husbands, and their daughters, with all of whom I still stay.

Things I Was Advised Not to Do During The Eclipse

Pregnant women had to endure on that eclipse in the name of ‘It is not good for the baby'. Read below...

1. Do not cross your feet
2. Sit in one position
3. Do not use scissors, a knife or blade
4. Do not stitch
5. Do not drink water
6. Do not let any rays fall on you
7. Sit in only one room, close the door
8. Do not see television

In short, it was a total eclipse of my pregnancy! Every year, lunar or solar eclipses do happen. But if you are pregnant, it can harm you more than normal people. I never quite understood, whether pregnant women carry any special energy around them. Or do eclipses have a special power to judge human beings? Oh, she is pregnant I will harm her; oh she is a woman I will harm her less and this is the unborn child I can harm even more. Only Indian pregnant women will get affected by eclipses and no one else on this planet. Somebody should do research on this. I did bow down to the pressure and I did stay home and did exactly what was told to me, though with no personal faith but to please everyone around me and would not lie there was little fear already inculcated in me. [Also Check - Should Expecting Moms Worry Lunar Eclipse 2020? Precautions, Dates & More]

Superstitions Around Eclipses For Pregnant Women in India

It is still believed by a lot of people in India that if you do anything prescribed above, your baby might become handicapped or disabled and the probability of miscarriage is increased. If you stitch cloth your child may have a cleft lip. It is funny and there is no scientific explanation for all these. And there is no proven fact that it can actually harm. Seeing solar eclipse with naked eyes can harm your eyes irrespective of you being pregnant or not pregnant. Since time immemorial humans have also given birth and been pregnant along with other species during the time when there happened to be an eclipse. So it is improbable that an eclipse can cause a direct negative impact on a pregnant woman.

Follow Your Guts & Use Your Discretion

There are many who are born with disabilities and cleft lip in-spite of the following everything. Since there is no scientific explanation and eclipses do not have a special power to differentiate, between different human beings, I left for individual discretion to follow and do what you want. Safest is to take medical advice.

Did you also face issues like these when the eclipse happened while you were pregnant? Please do share your views and feedback in the comments section below, as we would love to hear from you.