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Discourse states: Yang qi exerts and yin qi transforms, thus conception occurs. When the three yin meridians converge, female offspring are more likely to be born. However, at three months of gestation, it is called "initial fetus" (shǐ tāi), at which point the blood vessels have not yet circulated, and the fetus changes according to the mother's form. At this stage, the sex has not yet been determined; therefore, medication or methods are administered before the third month to transform a female fetus into a male. The method involves placing an axe under the pregnant woman's bed with the blade facing downward, without others knowing. To dispel disbelief, one may place a hen's nest under the same condition when a rooster is brooding eggs; if all chicks in the hatch are males, it confirms the efficacy. Although untested personally, this knowledge should not be ignored. Generally, within three months of conception, the fetus changes according to external stimuli. Thus, ancients established prenatal education (tāi jiào) to ensure the child is virtuous, long-lived, loyal, filial, benevolent, righteous, intelligent, and free from disease. During the ten months of pregnancy, one should frequently view beautiful scenes and avoid perverse influences; this is true good teaching.

To determine the sex of the offspring, upon feeling pregnant but less than one month along, use a bowstring as a belt tied around the waist, and remove it after three months. This is the secret method of the palace, not transmitted externally (from *Fangshi Jing*).

*Bowuzhi* records: A woman pregnant for less than three months should wear her husband's clothes and hat, walk around a well three times at dawn, and look at her reflection in the water without looking back; she will surely give birth to a boy. Chen Cheng had ten daughters. His wife walked around the well three times, chanting: "Female is yin, male is yang; females bring disaster, males bring auspiciousness." She locked the well for three days without drawing water. Upon the due date, she indeed gave birth to a son.

At age fourteen, a girl's Tian Gui (heavenly water/essence) arrives, the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel) becomes unobstructed, and the Chong Mai (Penetrating Vessel) becomes abundant, allowing menstruation to occur regularly, thus enabling conception. At age sixteen, a man's Kidney Qi becomes robust, Tian Gui arrives, essence overflows, and yin and yang harmonize, thus enabling conception. Those who have children in old age do so because their Qi and blood meridians remain open and Kidney Qi is sufficient. Men do not father children beyond sixty-four years, nor women beyond forty-nine years, as the essence of heaven and earth is exhausted. Human lifespan does not exceed the number of years until Tian Gui ceases.

Spirit is derived from Heaven, and the physical form is endowed by Earth. In the first month, fat forms; in the second month... [text missing]; in the third month, the fetus forms; in the fourth month, muscles form; in the fifth month, tendons form; in the sixth month, bones form; in the seventh month, the body is complete; in the eighth month, fetal movement occurs; in the ninth month, restlessness increases; in the tenth month, birth occurs (from *Huainanzi*).

Pregnant women should avoid seeing ugly things and eating abnormal flavors. One should not see rabbits, lest the child have a cleft lip; one should not consume ginger, lest the child have polydactyly (from *Bowuzhi*).

Hao Weng, whose name was Yun Bolingren, moved to Zhengpu in his later years. People regarded him as a divine physician. A village woman suddenly became mute and appeared dead overnight. Hao Weng said, "This is stagnation of blood and vessels. No medicine is needed; hearing the rooster's crow will cure her." Another person stumbled and fell while walking/jumping. Hao Weng said, "This is Mai Jue (pulse syncope); activate the sinews using hot herbal compresses," which proved effective. The wife of scholar Chen Yaozun was ill; other physicians attributed it to labor injury. Hao Weng said, "Immediately stop all medications; this is a pregnancy symptom. I congratulate you on having a son." It turned out to be true. Two other pregnant women suffered from throat obstruction and inability to speak. Hao Weng said, "The fetal sac is large, obstructing the meridians. Once the child is born and meridians flow, speech will return. Do not use toxic drugs." He also examined an extremely robust man and said, "The mother's Qi is already dead; she survives only by relying on the fetus's Qi." As predicted, the child was born, and the mother died. The miraculous cases treated by Hao Weng are too numerous to recount (from *Shao Shi Hou Wen Jian Lu*).