人参 乳香(焙去油各一钱) 辰砂(五厘) 为末。白酒送。白汤亦可。
产妇房中。宜老成安静者二三人。坐守。夏月更不宜多。恐热气壅盛。能令产母发晕。宜轻
宜劝安睡待时。不可交头接耳。致令忧疑。水温再易凉者。宜预烧
红秤锤。置醋瓶。以防产毕血晕。宜预煎生化汤。以候儿下地即服。
产妇第一宜慢临盆。盖早必揉腰擦肚。若系试痛。则生采强取而出。即或正生。恐儿身未转。
惟忍痛以待。产母手中指节或本节跳动。此时
浑身骨节疏解。胸前陷下。腰腹重坠。大小便齐急。目中金花爆溅。此乃瓜熟蒂落之候。临
盆用力得其时矣。
产妇切忌听稳婆言。盖此辈惟利自图。罔顾他人性命。一进门来。即令坐草。或适当其时。
非其时。欲了此适彼。则生采活剥。甚有逼死胎儿在腹。用碎割之法
。以见己功。借此尚欲居奇射利。以至母则受伤。子则惨死。祸不胜言。
(〔吴按〕既有此辈。要在我用他。不可他用我。)
临产全赖养精神。惜气力。夫欲惜力。莫如安睡。欲养精神。全赖药食。故产妇能上床安睡
时至。何妨产下裤中。能进饮食。凡无大碍。适意之物。不妨随意食
之。以壮神力。如不欲饮食。亦当将鸡鸭肉清汁汤。或补药食。勉强饮之。以接神力。
临产催生药。切忌兔脑鼠肾二丸。并回生丹。盖兔鼠二丸。例用香窜之味。产时百脉解散。
至儿出而香味未消。其损多矣。且令毛窍开张。招风入内。祸不
可言。若回生丹。以大黄红花为君。其余亦多消导。夫产妇血已耗。而又破多。致产后发热
等症。夫此二方。古今称为灵宝者。尚如此。外此更无论矣。如必须用药。莫若加味芎归汤
。佛手散。二方顿去宿血。聚生新血。有益无损。可称易得而利产者也。慎勿以熟方忽之。
Ren Shen (Radix Ginseng), Ru Xiang (Baked and de-oiled Frankincense, each 1 qian), Chen Sha (Cinnabar, 5 li), ground into fine powder. Take with white wine; plain water is also acceptable.
In the delivery room, it is advisable to have two or three mature and quiet attendants on guard. In summer, there should be even fewer people, lest excessive heat causes dizziness in the parturient woman. The atmosphere should be relaxed, encouraging the woman to sleep peacefully until labor begins. Avoid whispering among attendants to prevent causing anxiety and suspicion in the mother. If the bathwater cools, replace it promptly. It is advisable to pre-heat a brass scale weight red-hot and place it in a vinegar bottle to prevent postpartum blood syncope. Shenghua Tang (Decoction for Generating Blood) should be pre-decocted to be administered immediately after the infant is born.
The parturient woman should ideally approach delivery slowly and calmly. Premature pushing may involve rubbing the waist and abdomen. If these are false pains (trial pains), forcing delivery can lead to difficult birth. Even in true labor, one must wait, fearing that the fetus has not yet turned into the correct position. One must endure pain and wait for the right moment. When the middle joint or proximal joint of the mother's middle finger throbs, at this time the joints throughout the body loosen, the chest sinks, the waist and abdomen feel heavy and descending, and there is an urgent need to urinate and defecate simultaneously, accompanied by visual flashes ("golden flowers exploding"). This is the sign that "the melon is ripe and the stem falls," meaning the timing for exertion during delivery is appropriate.
Parturient women must strictly avoid listening to midwives (Wenpo). Such individuals often act solely for their own profit, disregarding others' lives. Upon entering, they immediately instruct the woman to squat on the straw. If it is indeed the right time, so be it; but if not, eager to finish and attend to other cases, they may forcibly pull out the baby, or even cause fetal death in utero, using crude methods to display their skill, thereby inflating their reputation for profit. This results in injury to the mother and tragic death of the child, with disasters too numerous to recount.
([Commentary by Wu] Since such people exist, you should utilize them, rather than letting them control you.)
Delivery relies entirely on conserving spirit and preserving strength. To preserve strength, nothing is better than sleeping peacefully. To nourish spirit, one relies on medicine and food. Therefore, if the parturient woman can sleep in bed until the moment of delivery, even if the baby is born in the bedding, it is acceptable. As long as she can eat, any suitable food without major contraindications may be consumed freely to boost physical power. If she has no appetite, she should still drink clear broth from chicken or duck meat, or take tonic foods/medicines, forcing herself to consume them to sustain her strength.
For emergency delivery drugs, strictly avoid Rabbit Brain Pills and Rat Kidney Pills, as well as Huisheng Dan (Revival Pill). These pills typically contain aromatic and penetrating substances. During labor, when the meridians are dispersed, if the aromatic scent remains after birth, it causes significant damage. Moreover, it opens the pores, inviting wind pathogens inward, leading to dire consequences. Huisheng Dan uses Da Huang (Rhubarb Rhizome) and Hong Hua (Safflower) as chief ingredients, with other components being mostly digestive or resolving agents. Since the parturient woman's blood is already depleted, using blood-breaking herbs leads to postpartum fever and other syndromes. These two formulas, known since ancient times as "Lingbao" (Spiritual Treasure), are thus harmful; other formulas are even worse. If medication is absolutely necessary, Jiawei Xiong Gui Tang (Modified Ligusticum and Angelica Decoction) or Foshou San (Buddha's Hand Powder) are preferable. These two formulas eliminate old blood and generate new blood, offering benefits without harm. They are easily obtained and beneficial for delivery. Do not neglect them simply because they are familiar prescriptions.