Read Raven's article about the First Trimester.
Read Raven's article about the Second Trimester, Month 4.
Read Raven's article about the Second Trimester, Month 5.
Pregnancy Month 6: The Yang Ming of the Foot/Stomach
“In the 6th month of pregnancy, the fetus begins to receive the essences of metal to form the musculature (sinews, muscular movement). The woman wants to be a little active, not remain completely quiet, to go out walking in the countryside, to go often to watch dogs and horses running. It is appropriate to eat the flesh of birds of prey and wild animals.
This is called metamorphosis of the lineaments*, the spinal column and the muscles to maintain the nails, to strengthen the back and spinal column. The yang ming of the foot supports it. The yang ming of the of the foot is the circulation of the stomach, it governs the mouth and eye.
In the 6th month, the mouth and eyes of the child are completely formed, this is why the yang ming of the foot supports it.” – Mawangdui *(lineaments translates as characteristics, contours, or distinctive features of the body.)
Muscles and the 4 Limbs
In the 6th month, the Mawangdui says that the fetus builds muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and is the month where the spinal column and its strength are introduced. In the 5th month, the fetus received the Qi to use the 4 limbs, which speak to the mother through quickening. Now, with another month in development, the muscles of the limbs come into play. Beside the mother feeling the subtle movements of the fetus stretching and perceiving sleep or awake states, she now becomes aware of it using its body to extend, contract, kick, and even change position in the womb. The muscles of the four limbs, plus the anatomical connection they have to the spinal structure, communicate clearly to the mother and to anyone who wants to palpate ongoing development. During this time, it becomes possible for abdominal palpation to determine the “lie” (physical presentation or orientation in the womb) of the fetus. Modern pregnancy care no longer spends time palpating for the fetal lie; instead, the use of sonography replaces that skill. In ancient times, and even until the introduction of the sonogram, this skill was essential to develop, as it monitored fetal growth as well as its position in the womb. Mothers whose hands are continually in contact with the activity of their fetus easily learn fetal positions and are often the first to mention a breech or transverse lie. As a TCM practitioner, this is a splendid time to palpate fetal development. Palpation is a hands-on relationship that fulfills the deep mammalian need for touch, it encourages the mother to make contact that communicates knowledge, and it hones the skill of a lost art which is one of saving life.
“In the context of the 6th month, the idea is about the correct display of the yang Qi which gives strength to the spinal column and to all the muscles attached to the spinal column for the development of all the movement of the four limbs.” Footnote 4
Developing Maternal Strength
In this month, the woman is told to “be a little active, not to remain completely quiet, to go out walking in the countryside, to go often to watch dogs and horses running.” Again, she is reminded to go out. No longer is she advised to be still and quiet, but now she is advised to go “walking in the countryside”. Once again, as pointed out in earlier months, this advice was likely written for China’s elite, who tended to remain inside, so it was no doubt a wake-up call for them to consciously use their muscles and bodies to develop the strength and endurance for the tasks awaiting them. Once again, the mother is reminded of balance. In this example, she is told to be “a little active”, meaning that she is not going to go out and do a marathon while six months pregnant, nor do anything that could zap her Qi and put her or her fetus in physical danger. Walking in the countryside is a wise example of movement; it causes the eyes to see the beauty of the earth, the lungs to be refreshed and exercised, metabolism to increase, the heart to circulate blood, and the muscles of the body to be strengthened. It also is a time to contemplate what is important while connecting to the earth. With each step, the kidney meridian is activated through the foot striking the earth at Yongquan/Gushing Spring/K1. When thinking of the fetus developing muscles, in week 23 the presence of fetal hiccups begins, which are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, the major muscle of respiration.
Physical activity cultivates Qi—for both mother and fetus. Not only has the mother been preparing herself for the ordeals before her, but she is also laying down habits of exercise, breathing, and moving for the benefit of her fetus. It is interesting that this ancient text advises the woman to “watch dogs and horses running”. These are not only examples of witnessing muscular strength and the exquisite movement made by muscles, but they link the expectant woman to mammalian life. In the many years of my practice, countless women have expressed their deep and valuable relationships to animals during pregnancy, where they treasured the lessons gained from these relationships. These lessons gave women knowledge for the entire parturient year, which includes the confusing months of early mothering, when women are frequently left with far too little guidance. I know that many of us living today do not have the opportunity to witness wild animals, but we do witness domestic ones. Therefore, I will broaden this message and suggest that domesticated animals still have much to impart relative to the parturient year.
In my own life, I witnessed two extraordinary lessons from animals birthing. At 12 years-old while at a summer camp, I happened upon a cow in the act of birth. For a child born and raised in San Francisco, this was an extraordinary opportunity to witness birth in all its straightforward simplicity and ease, and was an experience indelibly imprinted on my young mind. Then, 12 years later while 7 months pregnant with my first child, the first animal I was ever in relationship with was a cat who gave birth in a corner of my closet. I had been reading books on how to deal with the pains of labor, but while witnessing my cat, I saw that she purred and purred and purred in between the contractions of six kittens. Her joy and pleasure in labor and delivery gave me much to think about, especially relative to the current expectations of having to endure labor, which was not presented as pleasurable. That mama cat opened my psyche so that I was able to enjoy labor in a way I had not expected, and it became a lesson I imparted to many expectant mothers as I worked over a 50-year period.
Today, I share living on 13 acres with a herd of cattle. Daily, I watch them rest on the ground once or twice for 30-minutes or more. When they are expecting to calve, they lie down and take long breaks from grazing. In their postpartum, as they rest together, the calves spend half of their time resting next to their mothers, and half romping with each other while their mothers watch them with calm attention.
The pregnant woman is advised to eat the flesh of wild animals and birds of prey. The agility and strength of wild animals is then ingested into them. Wild animals have extraordinary physical abilities, and their muscles reflect this. Just imagine a large bird sweeping down to snatch the body of a chicken or rodent and carry it into the sky while heading to its nest. Or imagine the power of a wild cat chasing its prey, using all its instincts and physical powers in the hunt. A part of each of us is in fact a reflection of what we eat. In times past, most people only ate food from an animal during a particular season, and some people still do that today. For those who fish and hunt i.e. salmon or deer, it is done during limited seasons. Others go the extra mile to find free-range eggs or grass-fed meat and dairy. Many reading this missive likely go the extra mile for organic foods.
Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee cites that in texts later than the classics, the woman was told to avoid an excess of sour tastes. This is due to the Liver’s tendency to store and, therefore, restrain circulation to muscles. In these later texts, she cites the advice of maternal activity because it builds strength, affects metabolic movement, and circulates the flow of Blood and Qi to the fetus.
The 6th month is the Foot Yangming, the Stomach meridian. In traditional Chinese thinking, it is very hard to separate the Spleen from the Stomach since they are united in determining ongoing health and the continuity of life. Because of this pairing, it is easy to think, write, or talk about these two organs as a couple. To the Chinese mind, they work together and are understood as a unit. The Spleen, the organ for appetite, directs the pure essences of digestion upward while also nourishing the Qi of the chest. Meanwhile, the Stomach, a cauldron, sends the turbid remains of what the Spleen did not use, and directs it downward for further transportation and, finally, elimination. The Spleen renews the blood and, together with the Stomach, transforms and distributes the nutrients and fluids to the entire body. This activity of nurturing is key, and it begins in both the eye and the mouth, two of the upper orifices that are mentioned in the 6th month.
“Perhaps by citing the mouth and the eyes we have all that is most subtle, the images and emotions passing through the eyes, and all that is most substantial, the food entering the body via the mouth. There is also the opposition between the emission of everything which is the reception into the interior of physical substances via the mouth. The foot yangming is also able to sustain the light of the vision which is alluded to in the name of the first point of the stomach meridian, Cheng Qi/Contain Tears.” Footnote 5
The mention of eyes is impressive in this month, as today we know that the fetus begins rapid eye movement (REM) during the 23rd week. The classics point out the use of the eyes by talking about what the woman sees “looking at horses and dogs running”, with eyes being an important step in appetite, and include the statement that the “emotions pass through the eyes”.
The foot yangming begins at the level of the eye and descends to the mouth; it passes the nose and returns upward toward the ears, which cover the upper orifices. The eyes, nose, and mouth are intimately related to the proper functioning of the Spleen and Stomach, from the sight of food to the smell and tastes. Also, the strength and health of the Stomach is reflected in the deep nourishment of eye formation, where many meridians (both Ordinary and Eight Extras) pass through, connect with, begin, and end. The ongoing and complex development of fetal eyes and mouth are just two examples of the prosperities that the classical texts report “blossoming” during the 6th gestational month. Perhaps this month not only develops future sight, but begins the complex functioning of the brain, with insight.
With today’s medical advances, babies born during the 6th month have the ability to survive, albeit with many support systems to aid their existence. This did not occur prior to the 20th Century, when there was no survival outside the womb’s safety, but with these advances and the maturation of the Spleen and Stomach, survival outside the womb is today made possible.
Summary
My reason for presenting the reader with these bygone beliefs and perceptions of human life is to open the reader’s imagination to infinite ideas and possibilities. With these fascinating and complex similarities to a modern mindset, these ancient ways of understanding human development may hopefully confirm and expand an awareness of this most magical time.
References
- Footnote 4: Ibid p75
- Footnote 5: Ibid p76
