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The smoothness and ease of childbirth depend entirely on the care and regulation during pregnancy. This is indeed the source of the flowing water, the fundamental principle. One must know that a woman giving birth is similar to a hen incubating eggs. The chick inside the eggshell, when it is about to emerge, pecks open the shell itself to come out. Similarly, the infant inside the amniotic sac opens the membranes by its own sucking action to be born. Cases of difficult or prolonged labor are mostly caused by thick and tough membranes and an overly large fetus. If a pregnant woman can observe prohibitions against licentiousness and other vices, childbirth will not be difficult, and she can also ensure the longevity and health of the infant. If one does not guard carefully from the time of conception, it is like abandoning the source while chasing the stream; how could this succeed?

After a woman becomes pregnant, sexual intercourse must be strictly prohibited. Therefore, in ancient times, pregnant women would live in separate rooms and not share a bed with their husbands, to avoid arousing desire. Generally speaking, if this prohibition is violated within the first three months of pregnancy, desire may rise and the uterus may reopen, leading to various ailments such as vaginal bleeding (Lou Xia) and threatened miscarriage (Tai Dong). If violated after three months, it may cause the membranes to thicken, resulting in difficult labor. It must be understood that fire of desire damages the fetus, inevitably leading to the accumulation of turbid pathogens. Consequently, the child may suffer from conditions such as pale complexion, toxic acne, sores, and diseases, which are difficult to cure. All these result from the negligence of parents. Observe other things, and the principle becomes clear. Cattle, horses, dogs, and pigs give birth easily and without harm in every litter, whereas humans cannot achieve this. This is because these animals do not mate after conception; when approached by males, they kick them away to prevent closeness, a behavior called "protecting the fetus." In contrast, humans often fail to abstain after conception and thus suffer these harms. Rather than enduring difficult childbirth and having children who are sickly or die young, it is better to abstain from temporary desires to receive boundless blessings. Women may find it hard to understand, so husbands should explain this to them in detail.

Anger and indignation most severely damage Qi and Blood. Once Qi and Blood are damaged, they naturally cannot nourish the fetus, often leading to threatened miscarriage. Even if the fetus is fortunately not disturbed, anger entering the womb may cause the child to be prone to diseases after birth.

Pregnancy relies on Blood to nourish the fetus and Qi to protect it. Pregnant women should engage in mild physical activity regularly to ensure the free circulation of Qi and Blood and keep the uterus active. This strengthens Qi and promotes fetal vitality. However, sitting for long periods, lying down excessively, or engaging intensively in domestic tasks such as spinning and weaving, without walking around to relax, leads to stagnation of Qi movement and lack of moistening flow of Blood. This causes the fetus to become stagnant and inactive, resulting in difficult labor. It also weakens fetal Qi, leading to the birth of weak and sickly infants. Although pregnant women should engage in mild exercise, they must not climb high places, use ladders, lift heavy objects, or act recklessly, to avoid the risk of falls and injury. It is common to see hardworking women in the fields who experience abdominal pain on the way and deliver immediately. In contrast, women in wealthy families often suffer from difficult labor. This is evidence of the dangers of excessive comfort and inactivity.