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A question was raised: There are pregnant women who menstruate monthly while the fetus continues to grow normally. There are also cases where, between three and five months of pregnancy, there is heavy bleeding but the fetus does not miscarry; some deliver at term, while others deliver after a month past the due date. What is the rationale behind this? Monthly menstruation with continued fetal growth is named "Sheng Tai" (Prosperous Fetus). This occurs because the woman's Qi and Blood are abundant; beyond nourishing the fetus, there is surplus blood. When a fetus of several months' gestation experiences heavy bleeding, it is called "Lou Tai" (Leaking Fetus). This happens because external stimuli disturb the fetus, agitating the Ren Mai (Penetrating Vessel), causing blood to flow downward without damaging the uterus. However, during pregnancy, blood loss depletes Qi and Blood. Although the fetus may not miscarry, the deficiency often leads to post-term delivery. I have witnessed 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 properly. For those who have passed ten months of gestation without delivering, one should administer herbs that greatly tonify Qi and Blood to nurture the body, thereby avoiding complications during delivery. *Ji Sheng Fang* states: Humans receive their vital Qi at conception, and the Twelve Meridians mutually nourish each other. If a fetus in the womb appears withered or dry, it is due to the mother's weak congenital constitution, which is insufficient for complete nourishment. This results in an imbalance of Yin and Yang and Qi and Blood, leading to either cold or heat conditions. The fetal sac loses nourishment, becoming withered and dry, thus failing to grow. It is best to supplement the mother's Qi and Blood, so that the fetus will naturally grow.

Li Shizhen stated: For women, Tian Gui (Menstrual Essence) arrives at age fourteen (2x7 years), and ceases at age forty-nine (7x7 years); 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. Conversely, some women give birth at ages fifty or sixty, as recorded in the *History of Liao*, such as the wife of Ji Xi who bore two sons and two daughters at sixty. These are extreme examples of abnormality.

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, leading to spiritual weakness, demonic essences can exert influence, presenting symptoms resembling pregnancy; hence it is called "Gui Tai" (Ghost Fetus). However, Yu Tianmin said: Thoughts entertained during the day appear in dreams at night. Individuals with licentious dispositions and weak constitutions experience constant activation of the Ministerial Fire of the Liver and Kidney; thus, those suffering from consumptive diseases often dream of intercourse with spirits. The so-called "Ghost Fetus" is a pseudo-fetus, not truly formed by spiritual intercourse. As stated in the *Classic of Internal Medicine*: Endless thoughts and unfulfilled desires lead to white leukorrhea and turbid urine, which flow into the uterus and congeal into 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? In Hua Borén's medical case records, there is the case of Ms. Yang. While visiting a temple at dusk, she saw a deity in yellow robes in the temple corridor, felt her heart stir, and that night dreamed of intercourse with him. Her abdomen gradually enlarged like pregnancy. Hua Borén diagnosed it as a Ghost Fetus. After she explained the cause, he prescribed blood-breaking and abortifacient herbs. She expelled material resembling tadpoles and fish eyes, totaling about two sheng, and recovered. Was this truly an encounter with a deity? The answer is: Such events occur, but the principle does not exist. How could a form made of wood and earth engage in intercourse to produce semen and form a fetus? Such a thing is impossible in the world. Investigating the cause, it was not the deity confusing the woman, but rather the woman being influenced by her own mental state induced by the deity.

Xue Lizhai stated: Ghost Fetus arises from the interference of the Seven Emotions, causing damage to the Spleen and Lung, leading to weak Qi and Blood and deviation from normal physiological patterns. Disharmony of the Chong and Ren Mai contributes to this condition, 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 syndrome, focusing on tonifying Yuan Qi and assisting with herbs that promote circulation and dispersal. A case involved a woman with amenorrhea whose abdomen gradually enlarged over eight months. Her complexion alternated between blue/green and yellow. Treatment with fetal disorders formulas failed. Examination revealed a blue complexion, choppy pulse, and alternating chills and fever, indicating Blood pathology of the Liver Meridian. Yellow complexion, abdominal distension, poor appetite, and fatigue indicated Blood pathology of the Spleen Meridian. This was a syndrome of Spleen and Liver injury due to depression and anger, not pregnancy. She was cured using modified Guipi Tang (Restore the Spleen Decoction) and Xiaoyao San (Free and Easy Wanderer Powder).