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Pregnancy conception undergoes a change every seven days. Currently, women who experience spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) mostly do so in the third, fifth, and seventh months of pregnancy; those in the second, fourth, and sixth months are fewer. This is because the meridians nourish the fetus, with Zang organs being Yin and Fu organs being Yang. The third month is governed by the Heart meridian, the fifth by the Spleen meridian, and the seventh by the Lung meridian, all belonging to the pulse patterns of the Five Zang organs. Yin is prone to deficiency, hence miscarriages are common. If a miscarriage occurred in the third month previously, upon subsequent pregnancies reaching that period, it will likely miscarry again in the third month due to the weakness, as the Heart pulse has been injured; thus, one must pre-adjust the Heart in the second month. The same applies to the fifth and seventh months; one must frequently take herbs that invigorate the Spleen, benefit Qi, and nourish Blood (Ying). Once pregnant, daily administration without interruption is ideal. Only the first-month miscarriage is unknown to people. The first month belongs to the Liver meridian; anger often causes miscarriage, and washing the lower body opens the orifices leading to miscarriage. After one miscarriage, the Liver pulse is injured, causing subsequent miscarriages. Most childless individuals today suffer from first-month miscarriages, not from infertility. Therefore, after initial intercourse, rest is most appropriate; avoid further intercourse to disturb the Uterus, avoid labor and anger, avoid lifting heavy objects, avoid bathing, and take more herbs to nourish the Liver and calm Qi, ensuring no repeated miscarriages and stabilizing the fetus. If multiple consecutive miscarriages occur with severe damage to the Fetal Origin, more medication is needed, as long-term use can restore the Fetal Origin. Herbs should focus on nourishing Blood, regulating Qi, tonifying Kidney, and benefiting Spleen, such as Siwu Tang removing Chuanxiong and Raw Rehmannia Root, replacing with Prepared Rehmannia Root, adding Ginseng, Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, Tangerine Peel, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root, Donkey-hide Gelatin, Dipsacus Root, and Eucommia Bark. For traumatic injury, the main treatment should be expelling stasis and generating new blood; Foshou San is best; for abdominal pain, add Motherwort Herb; once pain stops after ingestion, both mother and child are safe. If the fetus is already damaged, bloody discharge will occur together; add Child's Urine, Processed Cyperus Rhizome, Motherwort Herb, and Tangerine Peel, decoct into thick juice and drink. If falling from height causes abdominal pain, bleeding, and irritability, add Raw Rehmannia Root and Phellodendron Bark to tonify and stabilize; if caused by sexual activity leading to abdominal pain and bleeding, add Ginseng, Atractylodes Macrocephala Rhizome, Tangerine Peel, Poria, Roasted Licorice Root, and Amomum Fruit powder to preserve; if the fetus is expelled with excessive bleeding, faintness, and a large but weak pulse, use strong Ginseng Decoction mixed with Child's Urine. Minor miscarriage originates from severe Qi and Blood deficiency; post-miscarriage, deficiency increases, requiring more adjustment and tonification than normal delivery.

Chao Yuanfang discussed that each meridian nourishes the fetus for thirty days, yet among the Twelve Meridians, only the Heart and Small Intestine do not nourish the fetus. Why? The Heart is a Yang organ, the Small Intestine is a Fu organ, both governing blood generation and connecting to the vessels. The Classics state: Zang organs connect directly to the Heart; the Heart stores Blood, and vessels represent Qi. During pregnancy, menstrual flow stops to nourish the fetus. Thus, the fetus relies on Blood as its root, always involving the Heart, and should not be analyzed by sequential meridian nourishment. In the third month, the Pericardium meridian nourishes the fetus. The Ling Shu states: The Pericardium governs the vessels. If Qi and fetus are separated, the pulse may show deficiency or intermission. The Classics say: The Heart combines with the vessels. Although Heart and Pericardium are two meridians, they essentially belong to one Zang. If the relevant meridian is imbalanced at the appropriate time, the fetus becomes unstable, potentially leading to bleeding and miscarriage.

Yang exerts influence, Yin transforms, forming pregnancy. Cold fetus causes pain; heat fetus causes fright. If Qi and Blood are deficient and cannot nourish the fetus, it miscarries naturally. Like dry branches dropping fruit or withered vines losing flowers. Some miscarry due to excessive Seven Emotions triggering internal Fire, which consumes substances; some due to physical strain causing trauma; some due to anger stirring Liver Fire causing excessive dispersion; some due to excessive sexual activity leaking Fetal Origin. It is like wind shaking a tree, disturbing its roots. However, minor miscarriage is more severe than major delivery because the fetal viscera are damaged and the placental connections rot. Treatment requires greatly tonifying Ying and Wei, generating flesh, nourishing visceral Qi, and slightly assisting in eliminating stasis. Those with a history of recurrent miscarriage should be treated early based on symptoms; treating at the time of miscarriage is too late.

Premature birth, unless caused by Seven Emotions, Six Evils, labor, or sexual excess, does not occur. Medication is similar to normal delivery, primarily following Zhu Danxi's principle of greatly tonifying Qi and Blood. Miscarriage before the third or fourth month when the fetus is unformed is called "Spontaneous Abortion." Miscarriage after the fifth or sixth month when the fetus is formed is called "Premature Birth." Both result from maternal Qi and Blood deficiency and Xu Ren meridian weakness, failing to secure the Fetal Origin; the longer the duration, the greater the deficiency. Hence, Qianjin Bao Tai Wan is excellent; Zhao Yangkui's modification of Liuwei Dihuang Pill with Eucommia Bark, Dipsacus Root, Schisandra Berry, and Donkey-hide Gelatin is even better, truly a sacred medicine for securing pregnancy.

Minor miscarriage must not be underestimated; care required is tenfold that of normal delivery. Major delivery is like a ripe chestnut falling naturally; minor miscarriage is like picking it raw, breaking the shell and cutting the stem. Neglect leads to disease and often death. This condition begins with collecting blood to form the fetus, continues with Jing and Blood nourishing it, and ends with insufficient Jing and Blood causing withering and miscarriage, resulting in little stasis. If abdominal pain presents with palpable masses, it is mostly Blood deficiency with rebellious Qi; increasing warming tonification generates new blood and removes stasis. Using stasis-resolving and stagnation-breaking herbs would aggravate rebellious Qi, often leading to untreatable conditions; beware! Furthermore, Blood deficiency causing abdominal pain, or True Yin deficiency failing to grasp Qi leading to hernias and masses, can be stabilized by taking Bawei Wan added with Achyranthes Root and Schisandra Berry morning and night.

Donkeys and horses protect their fetuses; stallions kick the mare's hooves when she is pregnant, named "protecting the fetus," hence no minor miscarriage occurs. Human fetuses reside in the Bao Zhong (uterus), nourished by Qi and Blood. Stillness keeps the Spirit contained; movement of desire causes Spirit leakage, fire disturbs internally, and the fetus miscarries. Those seeking conception know desire but ignore taboos.

Zhu Danxi said: Women whose menstruation stops for three months, with Chi pulse being choppy or weak, yet otherwise healthy, have incomplete Zhen Qi in the Uterus. Thus, Yang does not exert, Yin does not transform essence; although blood coagulates, it never forms properly, resulting in blood clots or membranes during delivery. Only with a surging pulse can the fetus be secured.

Premature birth results from discontinuous Qi and Blood failing to nourish the Fetal Origin. Within Qi and Blood insufficiency, there are variations in constitution (Yin/Yang bias) and temperature (cold/heat), requiring pulse-based regulation. For Yin deficiency with internal heat, using warming agents like Mugwort, Aconite, Atractylodes, and Amomum consumes Yin further, like plants without rain wilting. For Yang deficiency with internal cold, using cooling agents like Scutellaria and Peony damages Spleen-Stomach Yang, weakening Qi and Blood further, like fruits failing to set in autumn/winter. Thus, proper syndrome differentiation allows even extreme cold or heat to benefit the patient, as the Classics state: committing an error appropriately seems like no error.