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A question was raised: There are pregnant women who menstruate monthly while the fetus grows naturally, and there are those who experience heavy bleeding between three to five months of pregnancy without miscarriage. Some deliver at term, while others deliver after a month or more past the due date. What is the rationale behind this? Monthly menstruation with fetal growth is named "Sheng Tai" (Abundant Fetus). This occurs because the woman's Qi and Blood are robust; beyond nourishing the fetus, there is surplus blood. When a woman with several months of pregnancy experiences heavy bleeding, it is called "Lou Tai" (Leaking Fetus). This happens when external stimuli disturb the fetus, affecting the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), causing blood to flow downward without damaging the uterus. However, blood loss during pregnancy, even if the fetus does not miscarry, depletes Qi and Blood, often leading to post-term delivery. I have seen cases of delivery after twelve to thirteen months, seventeen to eighteen months, or even over twenty months; these are all due to insufficient Qi and Blood, making it difficult for the embryo to develop. For those who do not deliver after ten months, one should administer herbs that greatly tonify Qi and Blood to nurture the body, thereby avoiding complications during delivery. *Zong Lu* states: Humans receive their vital Qi from conception, and the Twelve Meridians mutually nourish each other. If the fetus in the uterus appears withered or dry, it is because the mother's innate constitution is weak and insufficient to fully nourish the fetus. Yin and Yang, Qi and Blood are imbalanced, either cold or hot, causing the Bao Tai (Fetal Sac) to lose nourishment, resulting in withering and lack of growth. It is best to supplement the mother's Qi and Blood, so that the fetus will grow naturally.

Li Shizhen said: Women begin menstruating at age fourteen (Tian Gui arrives) and cease at age forty-nine (Tian Gui ends); this is the normal pattern. Some girls give birth at ages twelve or thirteen, as recorded by Chu Jishi regarding the daughter of Su Daqing from Pingjiang, who conceived at twelve. Some women give birth at ages fifty or sixty, as recorded in the *History of Liao*, where Ji Xi's wife gave birth to two sons and two daughters at sixty; these are extreme abnormalities.

When the internal organs are harmonious, Qi and Blood are substantial, and wind pathogens or demonic influences cannot interfere. If Ying Blood is deficient and Wei Qi is damaged, and spirit and vitality are weak, demonic essences can manifest, presenting symptoms resembling pregnancy, hence termed "Gui Tai" (Ghost Fetus). However, Yu Tianmin stated: Thoughts during the day become visions at night. Individuals with licentious natures and deficiency often experience rising ministerial fire in the Liver and Kidneys, leading to dreams of intercourse with spirits. The so-called "Ghost Fetus" is a pseudo-fetus, not an actual conception through spiritual union. As stated in the *Classic*: Endless thoughts and unfulfilled desires lead to white discharge flowing into the uterus, forming a ghost fetus. In reality, it is the accumulation of the woman's own blood and seminal essence forming a mass, causing chest and abdominal distension, resembling pregnancy. Is this not a pseudo-fetus? Hua Borun's medical case involves Ms. Yang, who visited a temple at dusk, saw a deity in yellow robes, felt her heart stir, and dreamed of intercourse that night. Her abdomen gradually enlarged like pregnancy. Dr. Hua diagnosed it as a Ghost Fetus. Upon hearing her story, he prescribed blood-breaking and fetus-expelling herbs. She expelled material resembling tadpoles and fish eyes, about two sheng in volume, and recovered. Was this truly an encounter with a deity? The answer is: Such events may occur, but the principle does not exist. How can wooden and earthen forms engage in intercourse to produce essence and form a fetus? Such a principle is impossible in the world. Analyzing the cause, it was not the deity confusing the woman, but the woman being influenced by her own perception, leading to this condition.

Xue Lizhai stated: Ghost Fetus arises from emotional disturbances damaging the Spleen and Lung, leading to Qi and Blood deficiency and deviation from normal pathways, causing disharmony in the Chong and Ren vessels. It is characterized by insufficiency of Yuan Qi and excess of pathogenic factors. If menstrual irregularities are observed, immediate regulation and tonification should be applied to prevent this condition, focusing on tonifying Yuan Qi and assisting with herbs that promote circulation and dispersion. A case involved a woman with amenorrhea whose abdomen enlarged over eight months, with complexion alternating between green and yellow. Treatment for fetal disorders failed. Examination revealed a green complexion, choppy pulse, and alternating chills and fever, indicating Blood disease in the Liver Meridian. Yellow complexion, abdominal distension, poor appetite, and fatigue indicated Blood disease in the Spleen Meridian. This was a syndrome of Spleen and Liver injury due to depression and anger, not pregnancy. It was cured using modified Guipi Tang and Xiaoyao San.