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A question is asked: What is the cause of "Shi Tong" (trial pains)? The answer is: When a fetus reaches seven or eight months, its limbs and five sense organs are fully developed, and it can already move. If there is heat in the mother's womb, or if her daily routine is irregular, causing the fetus to be restless, this leads to vigorous fetal movement and pain. This situation occurs in about five out of ten pregnancies and is not unusual. It is advisable for the mother to maintain normal eating habits and sleep peacefully for one or two days, after which the pain will naturally subside. If the pain persists, taking one or two doses of fetal-calming medicine will stop it. Afterward, delivery may occur within a few days, or up to a month later, or even three to four months later. Many people do not know this; they easily assume labor has begun, keeping the mother awake all day without allowing her to sit or lie down, holding her waist, rubbing her belly, pulling her, or using drugs to force delivery. This forcibly extracts the fetus, resulting in the mother facing death nine times out of ten, and nine out of ten infants dying. The tragedy is indescribable! Most cases of difficult labor in the world are due to this reason. Because fetal nourishment is insufficient and Qi and Blood are incomplete, it is like cracking an eggshell to take out a chick or tearing a cocoon to release a pupa; how can they survive? People only say that infants are hard to raise, but who traces the root cause to this level? Additionally, abdominal pain caused by cold invasion and food stagnation must also be known.

Another question is asked: How can one identify trial pains? The answer is: Observe the pattern of pain. If the pain intensifies in waves, it is true labor (Zheng Sheng). If the pain alternates between slow and fast, or becomes tight and loose intermittently, these are trial pains.

Appendix: *Yi Zong Jin Jian* states: When the gestational period is not yet full, if there is abdominal pain but the body returns to normal after the pain subsides, this is called "Shi Tai" (testing the fetus). One should nourish Blood to calm the fetus. If the gestational period is full, and abdominal pain comes and goes but the lower back does not hurt, this is called "Nong Tai" (playing with the fetus). One should not intervene lightly. Neither of these situations indicates the time for true delivery. Do not be anxious or confused; simply wait quietly for the proper time.

Another question is asked: How can one distinguish between pain from food stagnation and pain from cold invasion? The answer is: Pain from food stagnation is located around the umbilicus, worsens upon palpation, and may present as a hard mass beside the navel. Cold-induced pain is mostly below the umbilicus, characterized by a continuous, mild ache that does not increase or decrease, and provides slight relief when exposed to heat.

Someone says: Trial pains exist, but perhaps they are not very common? The answer is: They are very common. Question: How do you know? Answer: From the high incidence of difficult labor today.

Another question is asked: If mistaking trial pains for true labor causes such great harm, what if true labor is mistaken for trial pains, leading to a delay? Is that not harmful too? The answer is: There is no harm. If the time for delivery has truly arrived, the infant will find a way out. Even if the due date passes, the baby will simply be born in the pants or on the bed. What great harm could there be? That is why I emphasize this point so earnestly.