When an expecting mother nurtures a life in her womb, it is not just her physical health that impacts fetal development but her mental framework and state of emotions also heavily influence the baby’s brain architecture and IQ. Unfortunately, while modern medicine works stupendously to reduce rates of maternal and neonatal mortality, the focus on holistic maternal health and well-being has dwindled over time.

Keeping this in mind, two IIT graduates, meditation coach and senior gynecologists has conceptualized a new endeavor ‘iMumz’. It aims to revolutionize the way society approaches maternal health. The platform revives the focus on holistic maternal well-being engrained in the Vedic philosophy of Garbh Sanskar that strongly advocates the need for physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual wellness for a mom-to-be.

The iMumz app was recently launched by spiritual guru Brahma Kumari Sister Shivani in the presence of Dr. Dinesh Baswal, Deputy Commissioner, Maternal Health at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India and Dr. Shiv kumar Alle Mariyappa, Cardiac Surgeon, MD-CEO, United Global Health & Health Advisor to Prime Minister of India & Nepal.

Ravi Teja Akondi, Co-founder & CEO, iMumz said, “While modern medicine does a very good job at reducing maternal mortality rates and giving birth to physically healthier babies, the overworked system does not have the time needed to coach every individual mother about the right approach to mental well-being and lifestyle. Unfortunately, almost 15% of pregnant women end up suffering from a life-threatening complication during pregnancy while a whopping 70% have mild to severe anxiety. Modern lifestyle and prevalence of nuclear families significantly impacts the expecting women’s state of mind. iMumz aims to change this by becoming a constant companion of expecting mothers and coaching them in the right way of approaching maternal health. The digital platform has received immense support from gynecologists from across the country, who is actively recommending it to the patients.”

Pregnancy is a physiological process and the mind of a mother plays a huge role in the baby’s development. In fact, the mother’s state of emotions can have up to 51% impact on the baby’s IQ. Researchers have found that through neuropeptides released by a mother’s brain, babies can accurately sense her emotions and this profoundly impacts the baby’s brain architecture. The activity-based digital platform aims to take this awareness to a wide section of expecting mothers and help them adopt a mentally healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Jaideep Malhotra, Co-founder, iMumz, President - ISAR, ISPAT & SAFOMS said, “While we understand the importance of physical wellness for expecting mothers, the importance of mental wellness is often inadequately understood. iMumz aims to spread this awareness among mothers and guide them towards adopting the right mental approach to provide the baby the growth environment it needs. The activities we involve the mothers in include mindfulness, creative pursuits, relaxing music as well as yoga, among others. Scientific research has proved how these activities make way for healthy mental development of the baby through the mother’s mind and emotions.”

iMumz app engages women in a series of activities to practice mindfulness and mental exercises that help them control anxiety, experience positive emotions and stimulate their minds on an everyday basis. It includes brain boosting exercises that stimulate the baby’s mental development, music therapy to relax and control anxiety, and creative activities that improve the awareness and IQ of the baby.

The endeavor aims to bring about a paradigm shift in the approach to maternity health. Apart from acting as a life coach to mothers, the digital platform also intends to devise solutions and tools for clinics and hospitals to offer wholesome well-being to expecting women.