New mothers | Bleeding in early pregnancy is a sign of fetal restlessness. Traditional Chinese medicine explains the causes of bleeding and recommends two dietary therapies to help stabilize the pr...

Expectant mothers face both physical and psychological changes during early pregnancy. Some may experience bleeding or spotting, which is often considered a miscarriage and can cause anxiety about the baby's health. Registered Chinese medicine practitioner Wong Ching-ching recently told the *Sing Tao Daily* that pregnant women experiencing bleeding should rest in bed as much as possible. If the bleeding is mild and the fetal heartbeat is normal, traditional Chinese medicine can be used to help stabilize the pregnancy. She also explained eight common causes of bleeding and two dietary therapies to help stabilize the pregnancy.

Dr. Wong explained that threatened miscarriage is more likely to occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, such as vaginal bleeding, lower back pain, and lower abdominal pain, but without the expulsion of pregnancy tissue. Slight vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, intermittent but without lower back pain or abdominal pain, is called "leaky fetus" in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Lower back pain, a feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen, or vaginal bleeding during pregnancy is called "restless fetus." Both are considered threatened miscarriage in Western medicine and require rest and care. Pregnant women can take medication under the guidance of a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner to reduce bleeding and protect the fetus.

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She pointed out that if a woman has kidney deficiency, insufficient blood and qi, or uterine polyps and fibroids, the chance of miscarriage will increase. If brown or dark-colored discharge occurs during pregnancy, it is generally recommended to rest in bed more; conversely, if bright red bleeding persists, or even accompanied by abdominal pain, medical attention should be sought as soon as possible. When the pregnant woman's fetal heartbeat and development are stable under monitoring in the hospital, she can rest assured. Early brown discharge is actually not uncommon, and the causes are generally as follows:

Dr. Huang stated that in early pregnancy, if bleeding occurs but the fetal heartbeat is normal during an ultrasound examination, traditional Chinese medicine dietary therapy can generally help stabilize the pregnancy. The following dietary therapy is suitable for expectant mothers experiencing only light, intermittent bleeding, along with symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, lower back pain, abdominal distension, pale complexion, palpitations, and shortness of breath:

Astragalus, Codonopsis and Black Chicken Soup

Ingredients: Half a black-boned chicken, 15g of Codonopsis pilosula, 15g of Astragalus membranaceus, 10g of wolfberries, 10 dried longan arils, 10 fox nuts, 2 slices of ginger, half a piece of dried tangerine peel, salt to taste, 15g of Eucommia ulmoides.

Instructions: Blanch the black-boned chicken to remove excess oil, then place it in a soup pot. Add all the herbs (except goji berries) and 1500 ml of water. Bring to a boil over high heat for 10 minutes, then simmer over low heat for 50 minutes. Finally, add the goji berries and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

If bleeding is accompanied by lower back pain, weak knees, dizziness, tinnitus, lower abdominal pain, frequent urination, nocturia, or a history of more than two miscarriages, traditional Chinese medicine believes that bleeding in expectant mothers may be due to kidney deficiency leading to an unstable fetus. In such cases, the following Longevity and Fetal Health Decoction can be prepared.

Shoutai Yiyuan Decoction

Ingredients: 10g dodder seed, 15g mulberry mistletoe, 10g teasel root, 5g powdered donkey-hide gelatin, 10g codonopsis root, 10g atractylodes rhizome, 2 eggs

Instructions: Except for the donkey-hide gelatin and eggs, put all the other medicinal herbs into a soup bag. Add 1500 ml of water to a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the hard-boiled eggs (shelled) and cook for another 15 minutes. Put the donkey-hide gelatin powder into a soup bowl. Pour the hot soup into the bowl and wait for the donkey-hide gelatin to dissolve before drinking. Both the eggs and the soup can be consumed.

Dr. Huang reminds pregnant women that they should not consume either of the two soups mentioned above if they have symptoms such as a cold, phlegm in the throat, feeling hot, fever, headache, or dry mouth. Additionally, some pregnant women are naturally prone to heatiness, and excessive consumption of tonics or spicy foods may also cause bleeding. Symptoms include bright red vaginal bleeding, restlessness, hot palms and soles, dry mouth and throat, and constipation. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that during pregnancy, blood gathers to nourish the fetus, and excessive Yang energy can generate heat, causing this heat to disturb the Chong and Ren meridians and the uterus, leading to threatened miscarriage, fetal restlessness, and bleeding. For this type of expectant mother experiencing bleeding, it is not recommended to consume tonics; a light diet, plenty of water, and bed rest are advisable.