During the late Ming and early Qing, information on reproduction was transformed with improvements in both technology and production as well as changes in social customs. In order to discuss the phenomenon, this article analyzes folk stories about Guan-yin. The first section of the paper addresses the means by which Guan-yin replaced Hariti as a popular fertility goddess. The second section focuses on the fact that barren parents were encouraged to donate money to publish and promulgate sutras, so that they would be rewarded with a son. The final section of the paper traces the role of nuns in the dissemination process of information on reproduction, using the practice of consuming afterbirth as the focal point for discussion.