Shen Yanming and Zhang Heping chatted casually, while Bi Qiaoan in the delivery room had gradually adapted to the intensified pain and stopped screaming.
Of course, there were also reasons, such as her sore throat and the doctor's advice not to shout in order to conserve energy.
She lay in the hospital bed, feeling the little one inside her struggling to get out, and her body even started to spasm.
And so, time passed second by second, and she followed the doctor's instructions, pushing harder and harder.
But even strength has its limits.
Seeing that the woman in labor was in unbearable pain, the doctor asked, "Can you still hold on?"
Bi Qiaoan nodded and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "It hurts!"
"I know, but you've already suffered so much. Don't let all your previous efforts go to waste, okay? If you switch to a C-section, you'll have to go through all that suffering again after the baby is born."
But if you just hang in there, there won't be any major problems after the baby is born. Your body will recover quickly and easily.
Bi Qiaoan felt she didn't even have the strength to nod, so she mouthed, "Okay!"
"Alright, let's put in a little more effort, come on!"
The doctor's encouragement was based on the mother's strong willpower; they didn't want her to suffer twice.
Another reason is that previous prenatal checkups showed the baby was in the correct position and the fetus wasn't large. A vaginal delivery shouldn't be a problem.
She just hadn't expected the mother's reaction to be so strong.
Someone who is so sensitive to pain would have asked for an epidural long ago, but she insisted on getting one.
This touched even the doctor. So his voice softened, no longer as cold as before.
Bi Qiaoan was so tormented by the pain that she couldn't notice the other person's emotional changes and just kept exerting force.
It wasn't until dawn that she felt something slip out of her body. At that moment, she was in excruciating pain, yet also deeply moved.
Tears streamed down my face, and before I could ask anything, my stomach started hurting again.
The nurses in the delivery room quickly picked up the pink and chubby little monkey.
Amid his loud cries, I cleaned him up a bit. Then I wrapped him in a blanket and took him outside to show his father.
"Mr. Shen, may I ask which one of you is Mr. Shen Yanming?" the nurse called out as she opened the delivery room door.
Shen Yanming stood up excitedly and said, "Yes, it is. How is my wife?" He didn't notice the little baby the nurse was holding.
As if sensing the lack of care from his father, the little boy burst into tears. The sound was so loud it nearly woke up the sleeping patients and their families.
Shen Yanming then looked down at the little guy. He saw that his skin was wrinkled and red, his eyes were closed, and his nose and mouth were small.
It's not exactly pretty, but it's definitely not ugly.
Because he was crying, his little mouth was open, revealing his pink gums and tongue, which was indescribably cute.
Zhang Heping came closer and, after seeing the tiny bundle, exclaimed in admiration, "Hey Lao Shen, you and Qiao An have really strong genes! Look at this! It's already so delicate-looking at birth. It'll definitely be beautiful when it grows up."
Shen Yanming nodded as if in agreement, and said proudly, "That's for sure. Our baby was nurtured with lots of love, how could it not be beautiful?"
From dejected and anxious to arrogant and smug, it only takes a short time to see the baby.
As if the baby understood, he shut his loud little voice and waited for things to unfold.
Zhang Heping nudged Shen Yanming with his elbow and said, "Hurry up and ask if it's a man or a woman?"
Although he could ask, Comrade Shen is the child's father, and it would be presumptuous of him to ask such a question.
Shen Yanming then realized that he had only asked half of his question, and the nurse hadn't replied yet.
He looked at the other person expectantly, but the question that came out was still: "How is my wife?"
The nurse chuckled. She had watched Shen Yanming and Dr. Zhang interact and found it very sweet, so she hadn't interrupted.
Hearing the question now, he was even more certain that the person in front of him was the legendary "Mr. Nice Guy," so he nodded and said, "Your wife is fine, but because she's pregnant, she has to continue. She's in good shape and shouldn't have any problems."
Shen Yanming smiled and nodded, then looked at the baby and asked, "And what about him (her)? How is he (her)?"
The nurse opened the swaddle and showed it to Shen Yanming before saying, "It's a boy, weighing four pounds and three ounces. He was born at 4:30 a.m. on June 1st. I need to take him for blood tests and injections now."
Shen Yanming wanted to touch his cheek with his finger, but he was afraid that he would hurt the child if he used too much force.
He pursed his lips and thanked the nurse, saying, "Thank you for your hard work!"
The nurse smiled and said, "It's not hard work, your wife is the one who's working hard! Well, I'll take the child to get checked out first."
Shen Yanming nodded, but as the nurse turned around, he gave Zhang Heping a wink, signaling him to follow.
Having spent many years together, they had developed a certain tacit understanding. Zhang Heping nodded and followed.
Then, as they walked, he chatted with the nurse and told her he wanted to stay with her.
The nurse didn't think much of it, assuming that Dr. Zhang was just bored and wanted to walk around. It was good to have someone accompany her to the examination; that way, she wouldn't have to be so tense all the time.
Shen Yanming had Zhang Heping follow along not because he distrusted the doctors and nurses at the hospital, but because he knew from their conversation that the hospital was crowded and somewhat chaotic.
He was always afraid of something unexpected happening, and the consequences were something he couldn't afford to bear. So he didn't hesitate to assume the worst about people, just to put his mind at ease.
After the two left, Shen Yanming remained anxiously waiting in the same spot.
Because no one was there to talk to, his anxiety was amplified, and he would occasionally have thoughts that would scare him.
He disregarded his image and pressed his ear against the delivery room door, only to find that there was no sound inside.
I wanted to push the door open and go in, but I was worried that I would frighten the doctors and nurses and cause some serious consequences.
And so he left the doorway and paced back and forth in the corridor.
Half an hour later, a heart-wrenching roar rang out, making him involuntarily shudder.
He wanted to rush in and ask, but he didn't dare. He could only stand at the door, forcing himself to move, tears welling up in his eyes.
The joy of having a son vanished in an instant.
He stood there, his mind in turmoil, and after a short while, he saw Xiao Xiaoting come out carrying a swaddled baby.
Before she could speak, Shen Yanming asked anxiously, "What happened to my wife? She was screaming so pitifully just now. Is something wrong with her?"
Xiao Xiaoting understood his feelings and could only comfort him, "She's fine. She just collapsed from exhaustion after giving birth to her second child. Don't worry, she's not in any danger."
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