Is ‘smartness’ determined by nature? If so, as in the proverb “An onion will not produce a rose,” a superior family will produce a superior child and a not so superior family, a not so superior child. The proverb illustrates the notion that heredity will play a major role in deciding a child’s smartness. This has been one of the greatest concerns of educators and parents alike.

What actually affects the intelligence of a child? Currently, environmental factors are weighed more heavily than heredity in detecting a child’s intelligence. The fact that a newborn baby has a prenatal memory, and that he can understand what is going on around him during birth, and can save this information into his memory, are seen as major discoveries of the latter half of the 20th century.

The discovery that a fetus is conscious, and possesses intelligence and memory, has led to the notion of ‘Taikyo’, or prenatal training of the unborn child. In Asia, Taikyo or unborn child education has been accepted for over three thousand years.

These facts show, at least vaguely, that the smartness of a child is not strictly hereditary but depends on how he is being raised. What would parents do if they found that their child could be raised to be smart depending on the environment and education he is to receive? This is contrary to the notion that being smart or not is hereditary and that they as parents can do nothing about it. If they can influence the outcome, would they not find great hope in education?

Look out for more in the site after a month’s time in the ‘intelligent parenting’ section.

Water birth is safe if done in a proper way with temperature of water maintained and checked at intervals. The temperature should be maintained between 95 F to 101 F, which is close to body temperature.
Read up more in our site about how it is done.

It helps in various ways because it is said to facilitate dilation and also helps in the reduction of blood pressure.
Also since it softens the perineal skin, chances of tear is less.
What is amazing is that babies come out smiling as the temperature is close to body temperature and the umbilical cord helps to anchor the baby.
Only when the baby is brought out, it starts crying.

Barbara Harper-‘director of water birth international research, resource and referral service writes that’

“most people find great comfort and repose with water. Perhaps because we begin our lives surrounded in liquid in the womb, this basic familiarity stays with us throughout our lives. Human beings are comprised primarily of water, and many special characteristics we have link us to aquatic mammals. Perhaps carrying the memory of a time when the human species had an ‘aquatic interlude’. A three day old fetus is 97%water and at eight months the fetus is 81% water. By the time a human has grown to adulthood, the adult body is still 50-70%water, depending on the amount of fatty tissues”

Of course one should go ahead only when the entire set up is good and facilities are adequate.

Read up more about water birth in the site.visit the site on other aspects of labor.