Mai Hact: "Dear why have you called me with you and why is the midwife still here? I thought she would have left by now."
Midwife: "Oh that, she is in the beginning stages of labor, Mai. Her mother could not be here, so she felt she would be comfortable with you here to help here with her first delivery. Or did she think wrong?"
Mai Hact: "What!!! She finally started labor! Of course, I do not mind being here with her. I already know it is hard on her without her own mother being here. Do we need to send word to them?"
Midwife: "I do not see what harm it could do, that way they can be here in a couple of days to at least see their grandchildren."
Cedren: (Leans hard into Nuvaro as a sharp pain hit her once more. Grabbing his hand, she buries her face into his side.) "By the gods, this pain hurts. I never found out how much it would hurt; I never asked my mother."
Mai Hact: (She reaches down and start to softly massage Cedren's stomach in hopes of soothing her.) "Well the experience is different for us all. But each pregnancy does get easier. That much I can tell you."
Cedren: (Looking up at Mai with a look of pain and minor discomfort…) "Really? You are not just telling me that to make me feel better, are you?"
Mai Hact: (Looking at her with the most serious face and tone she could muster…) "I would never just say something to appease. I say it because it is true, at least that is the way it was for me, though you may want to ask some of the other new moms as well."
Nuvaro: "Right now I am at a loss on how to make Cedren feel better other than just be here for her. I am a first-time father myself you know mom."
Cedren: "It is fine my love; she is doing what she can to help keep me calm. It is a process after all. I am just not sure how long the labor is supposed to last. I am just a little scared right now."
Midwife: "Well it is different for everyone. I have delivered babies where they took as little as an hour to a max of two days. So, it just depends. But you are carrying more than one, so I do not know how long it will be. I will check you again in about an hour unless your labor pains start getting worse. Let me know right away if they seem to be coming faster, okay."
Cedren: "Okay I will. I am fairly sure with Nuvaro and his mom here, they will be counting the minutes for me."
With a slight nod, she turned saying she would be back in about an hour, she had to get her things prepped for the delivery. Rushing out, the midwife ran towards her home to pick up much needed supplies. After a little while she returned to Nuvaro and Cedren's room, telling one of the maids to brings in several containers of water, in her arms, a stack of folded cloth and herbal antiseptics. She wanted to be well prepared and have plenty of supplies. In the corner of the room, the three cribs Mai had the town woodcraftsmen make. They had thankfully been finished and dropped off just several days before. The midwife then entered the room and headed straight for Cedren once again. She laid everything out in a specific manor as she prepped herself. Walking towards one of the bassinets, she pulled one close and placed it next to the bedding. After she placed everything she intended to use, she looked at Cedren and said she needed to check her once again. With a nod of acknowledgement, she grabbed onto Nuvaro' s hand with one of hers and with the other, grabbed onto one of Mai's. The midwife then started her examination again, this time she was up to four already, she was widening faster than she had thought. Looking to Cedren she asked how she was fairing. Cedren just lifted her head slightly with a rough smile.
Cedren: "I am doing alright; it just hurts like nothing I have ever experienced. Serious muscle spasms after training hurt less."
Midwife: "I am sorry about that, but it is normal, here drink a little bit of this elixir I had the town alchemist make to ease the pain. It should make you feel a little bit better."
Cedren: (Grabbing the cup, Nuvaro brought it up to his wife's lips…drinking it down slowly…) "Thank you my love, I sure hope it helps like she said."
Nuvaro: (Looking down at his wife he smiled big…) "I am certain she would not give it to you if it did not help at least a little bit. How are the pains?"
Cedren: "Coming faster now, each wave is just about ten minutes apart now. Is that a good or bad thing?"
Midwife: "Wow, that close already, and you have been quiet this whole time? That is utterly amazing. I might have to check you again before too long."
Cedren: (She had already started breathing harder and faster and was contemplating whether or not she should put herself back into beast form.) "I understand."
The midwife seeing her breathing getting faster decided to check her again. When she did, the next thing the midwife knew was her water breaking the rest of the way. She hurriedly gathered up the first set of cloths together and placed them under her. Nuvaro got a little nervous himself because this was his first child and the first birthing. His mother knocked him in his shoulder as if to say, "man up and stay calm". Bringing him back to his senses a little bit. He resumed lightly rocking his wife and squeezed her hand softly. She squeezed back a little harder as another wave of pain hit once again. It had now gotten to the point where it was down to a couple of minutes between each wave. By this point, the midwife was on the verge of playing catch. She was staying on the ready and the next thing she knew, Cedren's last wave of pain had cause her to start raising her upper body some and pushing. After the sixth or seventh massive pain push, the first child had been born.
Cedren was rather surprised that her first child had been born in beast form, that was something she never knew happened. Apparently, it surprised the midwife as well. She spent around five minutes cleaning up the first child. But with the child being in beast form, it made it hard to tell if it was male or female. Mai got up and tended to the first child as Cedren started pushing once again as the second child decided it was time to arrive. Once again, the child was born in beast form, with an ever-increasing puzzled look on her face the midwife tended to the child and placed the second in the crib next to the first. Looking up at Nuvaro, Cedren was a little scared because the look on the midwifes face was not making her feel at ease. But due to being in the middle of labor, it was not like she could get an immediate answer. Another couple of minutes past and yet another wave of pushing cramps hit as she prepared herself as she leaned forward slightly. The midwife once again had just about had to catch the child as she helped by lightly pulling to try and help alleviate Cedren some.
After the third push, the third child was now being prepped. And just like the first two, this one was also in beast form. The midwife just shook her head and cleaned up the child and placed it next to the other two as Mai had been softly wiping her grandchildren off with a damp cloth. Only Mai seemed unfazed by the fact that they were in beast form, which was good cause it helped to keep Cedren calm. After about five more minutes, they were surprised by a fourth child. Once the final child had finally come and was cleaned off, Cedren's body shed the last of the birthing process. Getting herself cleaned up some, she looked at Nuvaro with a soft smile, a weary look upon her face as she looked up at him.