Help! I'm in Another World and the Dragon Man Want Me To Get Pregnant!
Chapter 60: The Trials of Labor

Chapter 60: The Trials of Labor

The entire household made preparations for the baby.

They gifted Shen Xinghui a white baby robe—an elaborate, frilly garment traditionally worn by newborns regardless of gender in this world.

A nursery was prepared, and he met the maid who would assist as a babysitter.

The chef crafted nutritious meals to ensure Shen Xinghui’s health, which he gratefully enjoyed.

Ignatius stayed by his side, setting work aside entirely.

They talked about the future, laughing about their hopes and dreams.

When the baby kicked for the first time, Ignatius’s eyes lit up with wonder, and he smiled shyly, looking every bit the doting father.

Shen Xinghui began to feel the reality of becoming a mother sinking in, filling him with warmth and quiet joy.

In the middle of the night on the day the baby was expected, Shen Xinghui awoke with a strange sensation.

A sharp, contracting pain spread through his abdomen, tightening and then subsiding.

At first, he dismissed it as nothing, but when it returned in intervals—about fifteen minutes apart—his mind pieced it together.

"Wait... could this be...?" Shen Xinghui thought, recalling what he had read about "the proper experience of pregnancy."

This rhythmic, repeated pain... Was this it?

It was probably the beginning of labor, Shen Xinghui thought.

The kind of labor pain that starts with gradually increasing intensity.

The tightening sensation—kyuuuu—seemed to come more frequently.

Was the interval shortening?

"Ignatius?"

"Ugh, just a moment..."

The tightening sensation grew sharper, closer to intense stomach cramps, and the beads of sweat began forming on Shen Xinghui’s brow.

"Xinghui!" Ignatius called out, his voice laden with concern.

"I’m sorry, please call the midwife immediately," Shen Xinghui managed to say the words while crouching down.

Ignatius rushed out immediately.

During the brief lull in pain, Shen Xinghui tried to steady his breathing.

By the time the midwife arrived, the intervals had shortened to ten minutes.

"You still have some time where you feel fine between the pains, yes?" the midwife asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Then it’s still early. Use this time to eat something," she advised.

"What...?"

Was it really okay to take it so casually?

Shen Xinghui felt conflicted, especially since the pain was already sharp.

It wasn’t like the urge to use the restroom—it was different but persistent.

However, during the pain-free moments, he could move.

Following the midwife’s advice, he supported his heavy belly and ate light foods like small pieces of bread and sweet drinks.

She explained it would be impossible to eat once the real pain hit.

As he nibbled and drank, the breaks between pains gradually disappeared.

The pain became a constant companion, though somehow he adjusted.

It hurt, yet he managed to eat and even talk.

Meanwhile, Ignatius, by his side, looked far more distressed.

He moved nervously while rubbing Shen Xinghui’s lower back as instructed by the midwife.

Surprisingly, it helped.

While the pain in his abdomen remained sharp, the dull ache in his lower back eased with Ignatius’s comforting touch.

Above all, Shen Xinghui could feel his partner’s love and care.

"As it progresses, it’ll become more intense," the midwife warned. "But you mustn’t force anything yet. Trying to push too early will only strain your body."

"I got it," Shen Xinghui replied weakly.

Every hour or so, the midwife returned to examine him, placing her hands gently over his abdomen.

Between visits, she encouraged him to keep eating small, sweet snacks and drinks.

Although tasty, Shen Xinghui couldn’t help but notice the pain seemed to worsen afterward.

By the time the sun fully rose and neared midday, Shen Xinghui was lying on his side, unable to move.

The pain in his back was unbearable, rivaling the discomfort in his abdomen.

"Hmm, the birth canal has opened quite a bit, but it’s still narrow," the midwife remarked.

"Will it...really open all the way?"

"Of course. Here, you can still manage a sweet drink, can’t you? Take a good sip."

"I don’t want to drink anything..."

If Shen Xinghui wasn’t mistaken, drinking seemed to make the pain worse.

"Sugar is very important. It helps things progress smoothly," the midwife insisted.

So that’s why!

Shen Xinghui realized, feeling betrayed by the sweet drinks.

"However, he seems to be in so much pain..." Ignatius’s voice wavered, his eyes on the brink of tears.

Shen Xinghui, however, was already crying.

The midwife now looked more like a demon in his eyes.

As Shen Xinghui huffed and puffed to cope with the pain, Ignatius stayed by his side, rubbing his back and holding his hand.

Whenever a particularly sharp pain struck, Shen Xinghui would grip Ignatius’s hand with surprising force, making him wince.

Where was all this strength coming from?

Shen Xinghui could only wonder in his haze of pain.

"This isn’t the worst of it yet. Come on, take in some sugar to shorten the pain. Labor won’t progress otherwise," the midwife urged.

"Ahhh...!" Shen Xinghui groaned.

Despite the dread of more pain, Shen Xinghui steeled himself.

He hated the pain, but enduring it for longer was an even worse thought.

With tear-filled eyes, he gulped down the sweet drink.

Not long after, a sharp, squeezing pain shot through him like a vise, leaving him drenched in cold sweat.

"Fuuuu!"

"See? It’s progressing well," the midwife said with a satisfied nod.

As he squirmed and tried to adjust, Shen Xinghui felt something shift—a heavy mass seemed to drop slightly within him.

"Ngghhh!"

The sudden surge of pain forced a cry from his lips.

"It needs to open a bit more," the midwife commented.

How much more is ’a bit’?

Shen Xinghui inwardly screamed.

Come on, skill!

Do your job!

By mid-afternoon, Shen Xinghui was at his limit.

The waves of pain struck relentlessly, shooting from his lower back up his spine, leaving him unable to do anything but endure.

He wanted to curl into a ball, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.

Tears streamed down his face as he bore the agony.

The midwife, whom he now saw as a merciless demon, stuffed sweet snacks into his mouth and forced more drinks down his throat.