Chapter 152 Labor Pains

Gu Xiao made a quick decision, threw off the covers and got out of bed: "No, I have to go to the hospital to get checked out. Anyway, Xiao Li is home, so it's convenient."

He quickly put on his trousers and shirt.

"No, maybe it's fake."

Nan Zhiyi still harbored a glimmer of hope.

Gu Xiao didn't allow for any further explanation and carefully helped her put on her coat: "Even if it's fake, I'll only feel at ease if a doctor examines it."

He strode out of the bedroom and knocked on Wu Ma's door: "Wu Ma, grab the hospital bag!" He then rushed downstairs to call Xiao Li, "Get the car ready, we're going to the hospital!"

The commotion alerted Commander Gu.

He opened the door and saw Gu Xiao half-supporting, half-carrying Nan Zhiyi slowly coming down the stairs. Nan Zhiyi leaned against Gu Xiao, her brows furrowed.

"What happened?" Commander Gu asked in a deep voice.

Gu Xiao settled Nan Zhiyi on the living room sofa. "I'm not sure, but the pain is worse than before. I need to take her to the hospital to get checked out."

Commander Gu pondered for a moment and said, "I'll make a call and let the hospital know to make some arrangements."

Gu Xiao and Nan Zhiyi exchanged a glance and both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Dad."

Gu Si waved his hand and strode out of the courtyard.

Soon, Xiao Li drove his car over.

Gu Xiao carefully carried Nan Zhiyi into the car, while Wu Ma followed behind, carrying the pre-packed maternity bag with a nervous expression.

We arrived at the military hospital.

There was someone on duty at the obstetrics and gynecology emergency department. Seeing the situation, the nurse immediately asked Wu Ma to accompany Nan Zhiyi into the examination room.

Gu Xiao was stopped outside.

In the examination room, after completing the examination, the doctor said to Nan Zhiyi, who was drenched in cold sweat, "Your cervix is ​​dilated to two centimeters; you're about to give birth."

Aunt Wu helped Nan Zhiyi straighten her clothes and then supported her as she slowly walked out of the examination room.

The doctor was instructing Gu Xiao: "Premature birth at late 36 weeks, the baby is fine. Family members, don't panic, take him to the delivery room for observation."

Gu Xiao stepped forward and took Nan Zhiyi from him, letting her lean against him: "Doctor... how long will it take to give birth?"

Doctor: "It depends on the individual. The cervix needs to dilate to 10 centimeters. First-time mothers usually need a little time. If you want to speed up labor, you can walk around slowly during contractions, or climb stairs, but don't overexert yourself."

Nan Zhiyi, having just endured a contraction, gasped in pain, "Will it... hurt for a long time?"

"It's hard to say; it could take anywhere from a few hours to more than ten hours."

The doctor closed the medical record book. "Go to the ward and wait for delivery."

As soon as they stepped out of the examination room, a head nurse came up to them politely: "Commander Gu, Madam Gu, please come with me. The ward is ready."

She led them through the corridor, bypassing the noisy ordinary maternity ward, and directly into the VIP ward.

The ward is spacious and clean, and has a private bathroom.

"Press the bell anytime if there is a problem, and doctors and nurses will come to check the cervix immediately."

The head nurse left after giving her instructions.

As soon as Wu Ma entered the ward, she was a little flustered. She put down her hospital bag and picked it up again, muttering to herself, "Amitabha, God bless me, this is really... more nerve-wracking than when I gave birth myself!"

She paced around the room twice before remembering that she should pour Nan Zhiyi a glass of water.

Gu Xiao remained calm as he helped Nan Zhiyi sit down on the edge of the bed, his fingers trembling involuntarily.

Another contraction passed, and Nan Zhiyi, panting, grabbed Gu Xiao's hand: "It's still early, right? I... I want to wash my hair first."

Her voice trembled with pain, but was unusually clear: "Otherwise, I can't stand not being able to wash for a whole month during postpartum confinement."

Gu Xiao was both amused and exasperated; even at a time like this, this thought was still swirling in her mind.

But looking into her stubborn eyes, he knew she wasn't joking.

"Okay, I'll help you wash. Safety is the most important thing."

He helped her into the bathroom and adjusted the water temperature.

Nan Zhiyi was initially a little embarrassed, but the pain and her heavy body made it impossible for her to complete the task on her own.

With no distractions, Gu Xiao carefully helped her remove her sweat-soaked clothes, helped her stand under the water curtain, and gently rubbed her long hair while lathering it with foam, his movements tender, as if afraid of hurting her in the slightest.

After she finished showering, Gu Xiao helped her dry off and change into a clean hospital gown.

He then took a dry towel and helped her dry her wet hair.

But as soon as she finished wiping, a new round of uterine contractions caused her to break out in a cold sweat, which she couldn't wipe clean no matter how much she wiped.

She leaned against Gu Xiao, breathing slightly heavily, but didn't utter a sound.

Gu Xiao looked at her wet hair sticking to her cheeks, her lips turning white from the pain, and felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his heart.

Having finally endured the pain, Nan Zhiyi remembered the doctor's words: "The doctor said that moving around more would help it go faster."

Gu Xiao almost fainted; his head was throbbing.

She looks so weak, why is she going to climb the stairs?

But he knew this was for the sake of a smooth delivery, so he could only grit his teeth and nod: "Okay, I'll walk with you in the corridor. Take it slow, and tell me immediately if you feel unwell."

Nan Zhiyi leaned on Gu Xiao and slowly moved along the corridor step by step.

Every few steps, contractions would strike, forcing her to stop in pain and grip his arm tightly.

Gu Xiao supported her, his own back also breaking out in a cold sweat, his heart clenching.

Watching from the side, Aunt Wu was terrified. She even forgot to chant Buddhist prayers, only saying repeatedly, "Slow down, slow down! Oh dear, this is truly suffering..."

Nan Zhiyi had just finished enduring a contraction and said jokingly, "Aunt Wu, don't many people say that all women go through childbirth like this, and that it's going to hurt no matter what? Am I being a little dramatic? Making you all so worried?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Ma's eyes reddened, and she quickly wiped her eyes: "You, you've been in pain since then, and you haven't uttered a single loud cry, you're sweating like crazy... It hurts me to see you like this, how can I not feel pain for you?"

Gu Xiao's palm, which was supporting her arm, was damp with sweat. Hearing her feigned nonchalance, his heart ached terribly.

"Don't talk nonsense. Pain is pain, there's no need to be dramatic. Don't worry about us, you need to conserve your energy."

Nan Zhiyi leaned against him, softly humming in agreement, and tried to comfort them, "You can still hold on, maybe you'll give birth soon. I heard Sister Wang say before that childbirth is like...pooping, you just push and it comes out..."

Gu Xiao frowned upon hearing this and quickly interrupted her, "Take a break, save your energy, and stop making these jokes."

He simply couldn't connect the two things, and he didn't want her to describe the pain she was enduring in that way.

Aunt Wu nodded repeatedly: "That's right! Zhiyi, don't listen to other people's nonsense. No one's childbirth is that easy. Eight out of ten have to endure the long process. What if you have to stay up all night? You've used up all your strength and energy now, what will you do then?"

I finally made it through another two hours, and it was almost midnight.

Although the weather in mid-May wasn't scorching hot, the exhaustion and pain during childbirth left Nan Zhiyi's hospital gown soaked with sweat on the back and front, her hair stuck to the side of her neck, and cold sweat kept appearing on her forehead no matter how much she wiped it away.