“I’m worried about Mom’s surgery. I want to be with her.”
Mollie held Clare’s hand and, with some difficulty, sat down on a chair while holding her belly.
Several other relatives chimed in, “That’s right, Mollie, you’re about to give birth soon. You shouldn’t be moving around too much.”
“Isn’t it almost your due date?”
Mollie smiled gently, “It’s still two weeks until my due date.”
“Two weeks is still a long time. When you’re a week away from your due date, you need to start paying attention to your body. The baby could come any day,” said a mother of two, sharing her experience with Mollie.
Just as she finished speaking, Mollie suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.
The pain made her stomach churn.
The baby was moving vigorously inside her, and the movements were almost visible on her belly.
Due to good nutrition in the later stages of pregnancy, her face had become rounder. Now, her features were scrunched up in pain, her face pale as she tightly grasped Clare’s large hand. “Honey, my stomach suddenly hurts!”
“What?” Clare was startled.
The mother of two was also surprised. “Isn’t it still two weeks? Why is it hurting now?”
“Is she about to give birth?”
“Has the water broken? Is there any bleeding?”
“Oh my! Call the doctor quickly!”
“Go to the obstetrics department!”
Everyone started urging at once, some already running to find nurses.
The scene became chaotic.
When Clare heard that Mollie might be about to give birth, his mind went blank.
He stood there helplessly, almost stumbling as he tried to support Mollie. His voice trembled, “Honey, hold on… we’ll go to the obstetrics department right now.”
“Why are you walking? Carry her!” Austin was anxious for his son. Why did he look so clueless at this moment?
Hearing Austin’s shout, Clare quickly picked Mollie up and hurried towards the elevator.
“Yes, yes, Dad is right. Why did I let you walk?”
A relative had already pressed the elevator button. “The obstetrics department is on the third floor.”
Two nurses from the nurse station also rushed over, contacting the obstetrics department as they ran. “We have a pregnant woman about to give birth. Please prepare. We’re from the surgery department. Yes, yes.”
“How are the contractions? What’s the frequency?” one nurse gently asked Mollie. “If it’s about every two minutes, it means you’re about to give birth. Is there a lot of wetness below?”
“Yes… I felt a warm flow just now. I’m not sure if it’s bleeding or…” Mollie answered through gritted teeth, sweat pouring from her forehead.
“It should be bleeding. Don’t be afraid. Breathe deeply and stay calm.” The nurse followed them into the elevator. “I’ll take you there.”
The elevator quickly descended to the third floor.
As the doors opened, several nurses from the obstetrics department were already waiting. Seeing Clare carrying Mollie out, they immediately said, “Come with us to check how dilated she is.”
“Come here for an internal examination.”
Clare didn’t hesitate and followed the nurses to the examination room.
Austin and several Hipps Family relatives followed closely behind. “Mollie, don’t be nervous. Listen to the doctors and midwives.”
“Yes, giving birth isn’t scary. Just follow the doctor’s instructions. If you can’t give birth naturally, there’s always a C-section.”
“Just push hard. If it doesn’t work, go for a C-section.”
“C-sections are tough. The incision takes over a month to heal. Do you think it’s that simple?”
“It’s easy to take the baby out, but recovery takes a long time!”
Relatives began discussing fervently.
In the examination room, Mollie lay on the examination bed as the doctor put on sterile gloves and began checking.
“Oh! You’re already four centimeters dilated. That’s fast.”
“What do you do for work? How’s your health usually?”
Mollie answered nervously while lying there, “I’m with Sky Division. I train regularly and am in good shape.”
“No wonder you’re already four centimeters dilated after bleeding. Alright, wait a bit longer until you’re six centimeters dilated.” The doctor instructed Mollie to get off the examination bed. “Go for blood tests and fetal heart monitoring every half hour.”
A nurse helped her up. “Come with me.”
From the doctor’s tone… it seemed like giving birth was easy…
While Mollie was preparing for childbirth, Sylvia was assisting Dr. Jakobe with Queena’s surgery.
After general anesthesia, the elderly lady closed her eyes.
Seeing her calm face made Sylvia feel distressed.
Fortunately, it was benign.
Dr. Jakobe felt immense pressure, as if being supervised by the top surgeon.
Sylvia’s surgical skills were unmatched; everyone knew that.
Yet here she was assisting instead of leading.
A nurse wiped his forehead. “Dr. Jakobe, are you hot? Should I turn off the heater?”
“No, no need.” Dr. Jakobe almost blurted out that he was stressed, not hot!
Heating systems were usually turned off by March 15th by the central heating company.
It was about a week away from March 15th.
Spring was in full bloom.
“Dr. Jakobe, are you nervous? Is it because I’m here?” Sylvia glanced at him; his breathing was noticeably rapid.
“No, no.” Dr. Jakobe couldn’t admit it.
Sylvia suggested, “How about I leave so you can focus on the surgery?”
She turned and walked towards the rest area outside the operating room.
Dr. Jakobe nearly cried.
Her leaving made him even more nervous…
He took several deep breaths before starting the surgery.
After resting for a while and feeling bored, Sylvia left the rest area and went to the corridor outside.
She didn’t see Clare and found it odd as she looked at several Hipps Family relatives. “Where are my uncle and grandpa?”
Where was Mollie?
“Miss Andrews, your aunt is about to give birth! She was taken to obstetrics.”
“Yes, yes. How’s Grandma’s surgery going?”
Sylvia’s expression turned strange upon hearing that Mollie was about to give birth. “Giving birth? There’s still two weeks until her due date! How did it happen early?”
Without answering their questions, she rushed towards the elevator.
One elevator was at the top floor; another was on the first floor.
She decided to take the stairs instead; it would be faster.
By the time she reached obstetrics, Mollie had already been taken to the delivery room.
“She’s six centimeters dilated and just went in to give birth,” Clare said urgently upon seeing her. “They gave her an epidural.”
“I know; she can also have a water birth,” Sylvia said as she headed towards the delivery room. She instructed a nurse, “Prepare sterile gowns and gloves for me; I’m going in.”
“Dr. Sylvia? Are you Dr. Sylvia?” The nurse asked uncertainly.
Sylvia pointed to her doctor’s badge on her white coat pocket. “Yes, I’m Sylvia. The woman in labor is my aunt.”
“Alright, I’ll get them right away.” The nurse hurriedly fetched sterile gowns and gloves for Sylvia.
Dr. Sylvia was well-known; she had recently performed a groundbreaking surgery that amazed everyone in the hospital. A patient’s shattered knees were successfully reconstructed by her skilled hands!
Her surgery would be featured in an upcoming medical journal issue as a case study.
When Sylvia entered the delivery room, Mollie was sweating profusely and following the doctor’s and midwife’s instructions while pushing.
Seeing Sylvia enter made the doctor frown. “You’re not an obstetrician; why are you here?”
“This is my aunt; I want to be with her during childbirth,” Sylvia said as she approached Mollie. “There are better delivery methods like water birth; why wasn’t it arranged?”
The doctor rolled his eyes impatiently. “She’s from Sky Division with excellent physical fitness; she doesn’t need a water birth. I believe natural delivery is better for her.”
“Even with great fitness, water birth reduces some of the pain of childbirth. Natural delivery can lead to many stitches during an episiotomy! Stitching is very painful!” Sylvia didn’t want to argue further; it was pointless. She instructed a nurse directly, “Prepare for a water birth immediately.”