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In the summer during intense heat, the delivery room should be kept cool to prevent hot air from steaming and causing the parturient to suffer heat damage to the Qi level, resulting in headache, flushed face, and stupor resembling drunkenness. This often leads to Qi deficiency and inability to deliver. It is advisable to take Liu Yi San (Six-to-One Powder). The patient should also be placed in a cool room to dissipate heat; sleeping on verandas, water pavilions, bamboo mats, or bamboo beds is not recommended. If encountering fierce winds and rainy weather, one must also be cautious to avoid it.

During hot summers, one must worry about contracting Summerheat Sha (a sudden illness caused by summer heat). For those without symptoms, absolutely do not lightly try medicinal herbs. If there is no pain from blood clots, Sheng Hua Tang (Life-Birth Decoction) need not be taken either. If sudden abdominal pain occurs, one must first guard against Summerheat Sha. One can use the "twisting method" (pressing the skin to observe reactions) for testing: if the skin turns red immediately upon twisting, and becomes purple and raised after multiple twists, it is undoubtedly Summerheat Sha. Do not mistake it for blood clot pain. The twisting method should be used to unblock stagnant blood. Rice soup and porridge are strictly forbidden until the abdomen feels hungry, indicating that the Sha pathogen has subsided, at which point food can be consumed. Meals should be taken with slightly warm dry vegetable soup, avoiding sugar and greasy foods.

In winter, delivery requires warmth to prevent cold from causing blood coagulation and difficult labor. Prepare many charcoal stoves to warm the mother's waist, back, and lower body. Clothing should be warm, especially the lower body. Unfortunately, worldly customs often dictate that before labor, regardless of how cold it is, women remove their trousers early, wearing only a single skirt around the lower body. Poor families, lacking stoves, may experience prolonged freezing leading to blood coagulation and stagnation, causing the birth canal to tighten and harden, preventing the baby from coming out. In such cases, quickly decoct Xiong Gui Tang (Ligusticum and Angelica Decoction) with Pao Jiang (Prepared Ginger) and Rou Gui (Cinnamon Bark) for consumption. Continue using the stove to keep the waist and back warm, and delivery will occur. Another effective method is decocting a large basin of Zi Su Tang (Perilla Decoction) to fumigate and wash the vulva. Yet some people, unaware of this principle, blame difficult labor, which is unjust.

For deliveries in severe cold, prepare new, thick cotton pants with an open crotch beforehand. Wear them when labor begins so they do not need to be removed, avoiding cold-induced difficulty.

When initial abdominal pain starts, remain calm mentally. Understand this is a natural and easy process; do not panic. Observe if contractions become gradually tighter and more frequent; this indicates true labor. Only then inform others to assist. If pain is slow, it is likely false labor (prodromal labor). Rest and eat normally, do not move around. This stage is critical and must not be ignored. Mistaking false labor for true labor and preparing for delivery prematurely is a grave error. Endure pain as the priority. Whether false or true labor, rest and eat normally. When pain is intense and regular, delivery becomes easier. Distinguish between false and true labor by observing the duration and rhythm of pain. Do not hastily prepare for delivery, rub the waist, or massage the belly. Stand steadily and sit upright; do not sway the body. You must take charge yourself; others cannot do it for you. Your life is at stake, unrelated to others.

At this time, conserve energy and nourish the spirit. Sleeping in bed with eyes closed is best. If unable to sleep, get up, walk slowly with support, or stand holding the bed for a moment. If pain eases, return to sleep. Sleep is the best method, preferably supine to keep the abdomen relaxed and facilitate fetal movement. When the mother sleeps, the fetus also rests, making turning less strenuous. Both mother and fetus should conserve energy for the final effort. Remember this well. Regardless of timing, do not exert force prematurely. Do not listen to midwives saying "the head is here," which causes premature pushing and delays progress. This follows the natural law of heaven and earth. When the time is right, the fetus will emerge naturally. Anxiety arises from fear that the fetus lacks strength and exhausts itself turning, failing to exit the birth canal. At that specific moment, apply slight force to assist, and the baby will slide out naturally. Like a ripe melon falling from the vine, Qi and Blood separate, joints open, and things proceed smoothly without force. After birth, even the mother may not understand what happened.

Some ask: Defecation requires force, why not childbirth? Feces require manual expulsion, but the fetus moves itself. Wait for its natural movement; do not force it. The fetus sits upright in the womb, then lowers its head and turns downward for birth. The abdomen is narrow, making external assistance difficult. Let it turn slowly to the birth canal, head down, feet up, emerging upside down. If forced before turning, feet may emerge first ("Lotus Stepping Birth"). If forced while turning, the baby may lie transversely with a hand emerging first ("Basin Washing Birth"). Even if turning downward, premature force may cause the head to lodge against the pelvic bone. These complications arise from forcing too early. Advise everyone: do not force unnecessarily. However, total non-use of force is incorrect; force is needed only for the duration of drinking tea. Otherwise, do not move randomly. Just as feces won't pass if the time isn't right, neither will the baby.

Some doubt the claim that the fetus emerges naturally, asking if ancients mentioned this. Ancients summarized key principles, leaving details for later understanding. "Ripe melon falls" implies natural emergence. "Pulling shoots to help them grow" warns against mistaking prodromal labor for active labor. Observe chicks hatching or silkworms emerging; they act when ready. No magical drugs or skilled midwives are needed. Ancient texts mention births delayed by years because the fetus refuses to emerge; no one can force it, nor stop it if it chooses to come.

Some ask: Is delaying by an hour harmful? No. If the time is right, birth will happen. If it doesn't, the fetus may have exhausted its strength. Let the mother sleep so the fetus can rest and recover strength, then birth will occur naturally.

Some worry: If the fetus reaches the cervix and the mother lies down, is it obstructive? No, it is better. Sitting or standing keeps the fetus suspended, which is tiring. Lying down allows the fetus to rest. Some fear suffocation: The fetus hasn't suffocated in ten months; why now?

Some ask: Can malposition due to excessive force be treated? Yes. Immediately induce sleep and administer a large dose of Jia Wei Xiong Gui Tang (Modified Ligusticum and Angelica Decoction). Gently push limbs back inside, then sleep overnight for natural delivery. If they refuse to sleep, no amount of manipulation or medication will help.

Q: What causes prolapsed intestine (Pan Chang Sheng)? A: Excessive force. Chronic Qi deficiency combined with bearing down during labor causes Qi and Blood to sink, dragging the intestine out. Once this happens, it recurs easily. Waiting for the natural time prevents this.

Q: Why does some labor start suddenly with pain, catching people off guard? A: This is normal. Fetal vitality is full, mother and child separate, and the fetus exits naturally. Everyone experiences this if they endure.

Q: Diet during labor? A: Anxiety and pain cause fatigue and loss of taste. Nutritious food is needed, but avoid grease. If unable to eat, drink clarified chicken, duck, or meat broth frequently to boost spirit. Food is life; do not go without.

Q: Cause of prodromal labor? A: At 7-8 months, the fetus is fully formed and active. Maternal internal heat or irregular routine disturbs the fetus, causing movement and pain. This occurs in 50% of cases and is normal. Rest and eat normally; it settles in 1-2 days. If pain persists, use Tiao Tai (calming fetus) medicine. Labor may follow days, weeks, or months later. Many mistake this for active labor, staying awake, rubbing waists, or using drugs to extract the baby prematurely. This leads to near-death for the mother and high infant mortality. It results from insufficient fetal nourishment and incomplete Qi/Blood, akin to cutting open an egg to hatch a chick. People blame difficult infant care without investigating these causes. Also consider cold injury or food stagnation.

Q: How to identify prodromal labor? A: True labor has rhythmic, tightening contractions. Prodromal labor has irregular, alternating fast/slow patterns.

Q: Differentiate food stagnation vs. cold injury? A: Food stagnation causes periumbilical pain worsened by pressure. Cold injury causes dull, constant lower abdominal pain relieved by warmth.

Q: Is mistaking true labor for prodromal labor harmful? A: No. If the time is right, the baby comes out anyway, perhaps just onto the bed or clothes. Hence the emphasis on correct identification.

Q: Are experienced催产 (induction) drugs usable? A: Avoid ancient strange formulas like Shu Shen Tu Nao Wan (Mouse Kidney and Rabbit Brain Pill) or popular Hui Sheng Dan (Revival Pill). They are unnecessary. With rest and no force, the baby delivers naturally. Sleep is the best strategy for any difficulty.

Q: Are these pills beneficial without harm? A: Far from harmless. Mouse/Rabbit pills deplete Qi and Blood using aromatic, dispersing herbs. Postpartum vessels are open and Qi/Blood deficient; these herbs disperse further, leaving aromatic residues and opening pores to wind invasion. Hui Sheng Dan uses Da Huang (Rhubarb) and Hong Hua (Safflower) to violently break blood, worsening depletion and causing postpartum fever. These "precious" formulas are harmful; others are worse.

Q: Are there any safe induction drugs? A: Yes, Jia Wei Xiong Gui Tang and Fo Shou San (Buddha's Hand Powder). Pregnancy/delivery requires sufficient Blood. Sufficient Blood is like water for a boat; movement is assured. Fear lies in Blood deficiency or premature rupture of membranes causing dryness. These formulas use large doses of Xiong Gui to clear old blood and generate new blood. Ingredients are common, strengthen the body, prevent postpartum illness, and are truly beneficial without harm. Sages understood Yin-Yang principles to create these for humanity. Yet people ignore common remedies for strange ones, caring only for novelty, not benefit. How lamentable!