🌿 Folk Prescriptions

The early stage of pregnancy is when organ formation occurs—supplements are not recommended.
During mid-pregnancy, expectant mothers tend to experience internal heat and fire, so they should consume nourishing blood, clearing heat, and cooling tonics such as chrysanthemum tea, fresh fruit juices, and foods rich in iron and calcium. Occasional consumption of nourishing fetal remedies is acceptable, but the specific formula should be tailored to individual health conditions (avoid unverified folk remedies and self-medication).
For physically weak expectant mothers, non-cold fruits like durian, cherries, rambutan, avocado, and papaya can be eaten in summer. However, cold foods such as watermelon, cantaloupe, pear, and bamboo shoots should only be consumed during midday in summer, not at night, to avoid diarrhea or increased phlegm and coughing. Avoid overindulging in icy desserts or cold foods, as this may pass on a cold constitution to the fetus.
Foods by Nature:
Warm and Hot Foods:
Spicy items: chili peppers, garlic, sate sauce, ginger, scallions.
Dry and fiery foods: any smoked, fried, or grilled items, leeks, fennel, cinnamon, lamb, dog meat.
Hot fruits: longan, lychee, durian, mango. Stimulating foods: coffee, curry, alcohol, pickled foods.
Cooling Foods: ice cream, watermelon, pear, grapefruit, coconut, orange, persimmon.
Cool Foods: melons (watermelon, honeydew, bitter melon, loofah, winter melon, cucumber), sugarcane, Chinese cabbage, lotus root, water spinach, white radish, mung beans.
Mild, sweet, neutral, easily digestible foods: guava, apple, grapes, orange, papaya, strawberries, cherries, mulberries, amaranth, spinach, carrot, chrysanthemum greens, cauliflower. Some traditional Chinese herbs may cause miscarriage or harm mother and child and should be avoided or used with caution.
Generally prohibited or cautious categories include:
Toxic herbs: aconite, processed aconite, king aconite, wild kudzu, dodder, pinellia, great elater, spurge, constant flowering, annatto, artemisia, pinellia, etc.
Herbs that break blood: peach kernel, achyranthes, dried lacquer, madder root, tree peony bark, dianthus, spikenard, safflower, logwood.
Emetic and laxative herbs: colchicum, croton, ipomoea, soap pod, winter melon seed, coix seed.
Strongly pungent, warm, drying herbs: magnolia bark, cinnamon, dried ginger.
These herbs require strict avoidance—especially toxic and blood-breaking herbs. Some can be used after processing, such as pinellia and magnolia bark. Use depends on specific circumstances.
Studies confirm that coix seed oil excites the animal uterus, rapidly promoting uterine contractions. Therefore, pregnant women should not consume it.