C-Section Date Selection: Why It’s Not So Easy

I think we all agree that one of the big blessings in life is to have a good child who grows up well. If you’ve been following my blog and seeing how I’ve been describing people with bad bazi charts, I’m sure you’ll be worried that your child ends up in that category.

I’ve been receiving an increasing number of c-section date selection cases recently, so I thought I’d write a bit more on it to let everyone have an understanding of what goes on in the minds of practitioners when they choose a date. Just a note: But you don’t call someone who picks auspicious dates a feng shui master because getting a good date isn’t a matter of feng shui. What you’re truly relying on is still BaZi or Zi Wei Dou Shu so you’re effectively going to an astrologer.

If you’ve not already read an old entry on whether c-section dates affect someone’s BaZi and fortune, do make sure you do so to get some context. There’s a reason why a c-section date selection has a premium fee – because picking one really isn’t an easy process, and it requires a lot of time and focus. It’s one of those services where the BaZi consultant has to leverage his or her knowledge and experience fully. An auspicious date for a c-section isn’t something that a practitioner can flip through an almanac to get.

C-Section Dates Are Counted As Your Real BaZi Chart

Yes, the c-section date counts as your actual BaZi. There’s no such thing as a birth date not being the ‘true’ one just because a C-section date was chosen. A lot of people feel that because a c-section date is a manipulation, the real BaZi chart of the baby will always be unknown as a result. I want to reassure everyone that this is not the case because I’m a c-section baby myself, and my life has played out exactly the way my BaZi chart says it would. The BaZi chart of someone is set when he or she takes the first breath upon birth, and the laws of nature are set in motion. Try the foundation and growth of a human being like a chemical process that unfolds over time.

That said, I don’t want everyone to think that one’s BaZi is something that can be manipulated. As much as I am an advocate of transcending your chart, some things, in my opinion, are still fated – the family we are born into, the foundation that we have I guess you could say what kind of children we might eventually have too. If one’s BaZi indicates some challenges coming from children, it’s unlikely one would be able to get a good c-section date despite getting a consultation for a date.

Many Factors Need To Be In Place To Get An Auspicious C-Section Date

Getting an auspicious C-section date is not as simple as just paying a practitioner and expecting your child to have a superb BaZi chart. Let me explain why:

1. The baby may be delivered earlier than expected and not according to schedule. This is an externality that you cannot control. On top of that, timings during the ungodly hours of 12 am to 6 am may be out of the picture despite them holding some good chart combinations, so we’re left with only a few choices in the end.
   
   
2. Not every doctor is willing to accommodate. The doctor may not be available during the given dates and times, especially when some of these dates fall during the early hours of the morning.
   
   
3. You have to have the affinity to meet a practitioner who can help select a proper birth date for you. BaZi proficiency is a must, and this person must know what they are doing. Have I met cases where another practitioner selected the wrong date? Of course, I have. As a client, and to be extremely blunt about it, you have absolutely no way of assessing how good a practitioner is other than by his or her reputation or popularity. It depends on your affinity with a legitimate practitioner and what fate has in store for you.

The above conditions are just a few of the many factors that must be met before we can say for certain that the baby was delivered at the right time and has a good BaZi chart. For all these factors to be in one’s favour, it is not easy. There are just way too many variables you need to consider. The logic is the same as the house you end up in being fated. Studying metaphysics and having access to a practitioner doesn’t mean you get to game life however you want.

I just wish to take this opportunity to remind everyone that BaZi and/or Zi Wei Dou Shu isn’t everything. It’s meant to be transcended. If your chart has indications of something that’s weaker in your life, you can still change it, but it’s not going to be easy. Exactly how you can do it is not something that anyone can teach you. Yes, your chart may indicate problems coming from children, but there are still things you can do to change things. Call it karma or whatnot, but I’d like to believe Heavens will bless good people with a good child.

Other Kinds Of Complications When Selecting An Auspicious C-Section Date

Anyway, back to the topic of discussion. There are other rarer kinds of complications when choosing a c-section date, such as the expectant mother bearing twins of different genders. We must consider that the male and female twins will experience their 10-Year Elemental Phases (大运) in opposite directions, so the chosen date should benefit both children equally, rather than just one of them. Yes, the direction of one’s 10-Year Elemental Phases is different for males and females, and on top of that, you cannot simply pick a birth date without looking at the phases the chart-holder will go through. I had a case like that where the mother was expecting monozygotic twins recently, and it was the most headache-inducing case ever. The funny thing was that the mother delivered early outside of the date range she gave me for selectio,n and thank goodness it was a good BaZi chart as well.

Just a snippet of what typically goes on with clients with special cases, which require a bit more communication:

Disclaimer: Do read this paragraph in a casual and cheeky tone. I don’t always sound this friendly, especially when I get busy and everyone’s trying to text me. This client just happened to be my age, so conversations were casual. Trust me, and I’m very open about this, I do ‘scold’ people, but only those who are toxic. I know it’s unusual that I’m charging fees and then scolding my clients, but really, you have to be in my shoes to understand. I don’t want to put on a front – it’s tiring, and my goal is to ensure that people benefit from the consultation and walk away with something valuable. I’m really not in this to entertain, and nothing is entertaining about this field in my opinion, although some practitioners try to frame it that way for reasons I can’t comprehend.

You Will Not Always Get The Auspicious C-Section Date You Selected

I’ve had a few cases where even though a date was selected for my clients, some complications did happen and the baby was not delivered on the selected date and time. I did notice that this usually happens to clients whose BaZi charts are a bit to the weaker side and their charts indicate issues coming from children, and they were harbouring hopes of getting a good date for their newborn.

You could say that the couple just wasn’t fated to have a child with a good BaZi chart. This is not something a practitioner can alter because that’s fate. Regardless, whether or not you still wish to engage a practitioner for something that is not guaranteed is up to you. I’ve always advocated that one’s BaZi chart isn’t everything, and the whole point is to transcend it, so again, I wouldn’t say couples with weaker charts will never get a child with a good BaZi chart and I believe Heavens will step in when appropriate.

What’s The Point Of Engaging A BaZi Consultant If Everything Is Fated?

I know this is what’s on everyone’s minds. This is where things become a bit of a paradox. The simplest way I can put it is that it’s up to Heavens to decide if a practitioner is part of the equation and process. I’m not saying this because I am indirectly hinting that everyone should engage me, but rather, practitioners will know such things are an affinity, so sometimes there is really no point advertising our services because we know whoever’s fated to meet will meet.

The clients who pick an auspicious date from me eventually go for BaZi consultations and eventually feng shui audits, and I end up being their long-term consultant for other things, and it becomes a very fulfilling long-term working relationship where I give my best for them. This is what I’m trying to say by “affinity”.

Case Studies On Auspicious C-Section Dates

My clients usually end up engaging me to read the chart of all the family members, so the insights and how everyone’s chart ties together is really, really interesting to me as a practitioner. Before I go on to the case studies, I have to say that getting a good BaZi chart is extremely rare. It really, really doesn’t come easily. Usually, clients would give a two-week range where the c-section procedure will happen, and there’s a chance that all 14 days aren’t so ideal, although practitioners still pick the best one. Fortunately for the below two case studies, there were some really good dates available.

The above chart belongs to a baby girl born earlier this year, but technically was still in 2017 (丁酉年) in the eyes of BaZi (八字). I’ll just put down my comments on why this date was chosen in point form:

• Overall, the date selected is when the Daymaster is most balanced compared to the other days. There’s a presence of a strong Direct Resource (正印) coming in to support the Yang Wood (甲木) Daymaster, and the Daymaster is rooted in 寅 Wood as well. When the natal chart itself is balanced, no matter what elements the chart-holder encounters during his or her Elemental Phases, the disruption will be minimised. There are case studies in the Chinese classics pointing out the importance of this – I’ll try to find it and paste it here when I have the chance.
• To take things up a notch, because this child is born during winter, a bit of Fire is required, which this chart definitely has. There’s a Yin Fire (丁火) appearing, and also a 寅午 Fire combination appearing. The only issue is there Fire here is not as strong as we would like it compared to the presence of Metal and Water.
• Fortunately, the Elemental Phases come into play to mitigate this. This child will encounter Wood and Fire phases as she progresses, so it definitely suggests the child is developing very well as an individual. When this happens, an auspicious structure we call 伤官配印 is formed.
• Yang Wood people welcome Yang Metal in their charts, which she encounters in her chart. I know most people would think encountering 七殺 (7-Killings) is a bad thing, but that’s not true. In some cases, 七殺 brings out the best in the chart. The term 偏官 is more suitable here, actually. One thing I realised about BaZi courses outside is that a lot of them don’t go into detail about how 七殺 is analysed properly. Some people focus solely on the positives, while others emphasise the negatives.

Now, let’s make this more interesting by bringing in Zi Wei Dou Shu (紫微斗数):

I first shortlisted the date and time using BaZi before I generated the Zi Wei Dou Shu chart, and was delighted to see that both methods pointed towards the same conclusions. If you’ve read through some of my previous entries on Zi Wei Dou Shu, you may recall me mentioning the importance of having benefactor stars such as 左辅右弼，天魁天鉞， and also 化禄，化权 and 化科 (she meets all three, which is fantastic). I cross-referenced the parents’ chart with the child’s chart, and true enough, the parents’ charts indicate that they will have a good chart. Of course, this chart isn’t perfect. Relationships may be more challenging, so some intervention will be necessary to ensure she ends up with the right partner.

The above chart was for a baby boy recently, just that in this case the client wasn’t able to get this selected date, so we had to settle for a date that’s not as ideal in my opinion. This case was particularly challenging as the 2-week range presented didn’t present a lot of options and it presented me with a dilemma. If could have chosen a date where it suggests the chart-holder will be average his whole life, or have a tougher start to life but will start to thrive once he reached 30. In a lot of ways, his chart is a bit like mine in that he will be a late bloomer. Some comments on the above chart:

• Most people might be distracted by the 七殺 appearing. Yang Earth sitting on 戌 is not as strong as we think, actually. The risk here is that 七殺 gets strengthened by Fire, especially when he will be born in summer, but fortunately, his Daymaster absorbed the 丁 Fire away to give an output of Wood, and Wood can control 七殺 here and form what we call 食神制殺。
• His chart definitely requires more Water given that he’s born during summer, so that’s where the 子辰 Water combination comes into play, which is why 辰时 was picked as the birth time.
• I have to say, the only thing that I’m a little concerned about with this chart is that it belongs to the late bloomer, so I’m praying the earlier years of this child won’t be so tough like mine were.

There’s a lot of pressure whenever I pick a C-section date for someone because it feels as if the life of the child is in my hands. I’m not saying this because I’m superstitious or am trying to sell this service or something, just that I’ve seen enough case studies to know there’s some real impact there. The only thing I hope for is that I am the reason why the child has a good chart, and it’s part of his or her plan. In any case, this post is to share with everyone that picking a c-section date is not easy. It’s not just about flipping through a book or almanac and picking a date from there – it’s not done this way.

The Family Members’ BaZi Charts Will Always Paint A Cohesive Story

What most laypeople don’t realise is that the BaZi charts of family members will always paint the same story. This is the reason why I keep saying if one’s chart says they’re not fated to have a good child, it’s very unlikely to happen, only for some mysterious reason, one’s chart is transcended. But the transcending of one’s chart is not up for the practitioner nor any human being to decide – it’s up to Heavens.

What this also means is that there is no point in worrying too much about whether or not your child will get a good BaZi chart through natural or mechanical means. What’s most important is that you, as a parent, are being the best version of yourself. Because if you don’t do well, your children will naturally follow suit. That’s just common sense.

There’s a lot of rigour and analysis behind this process, and I think it’s important for people to understand it a little. Of course, there are methods or ‘hacks’ to make the process a bit more efficient. For example, if I know the child will be born during summer and the chart lies to the ‘dry’ side, I’ll already skip all Fire and Earth Daymaster charts. In most cases, both the Year Pillar and Month Pillar are out of your control, but a practitioner will definitely get an idea of what to look out for after taking these two Pillars into account, and the shortlisting can be done after that.

Just to put this upfront, I only provide this service to parents where a C-section is already a medical necessity. I don’t encourage parents to get a C-section done for the sake of getting a good BaZi chart for the child. If you’re meant to have a child with a good chart, you will get it no matter what. If it’s in your fate wills it such that you have to approach a practitioner to pick a date, you will naturally be pushed towards that direction as well.

– Sean