After a while, the doctor had become trained in checking on the baby’s growth in the shortest time possible before ending the checkup. Even when the patients or their families asked about the gender of the baby, the doctor would always feign ignorance, saying that the baby’s position prevented them from determining the gender.
Knowing that she had misunderstood Qiao Nan and that Qiao Nan had no intention of finding out the baby’s gender, the doctor was slightly embarrassed and felt that it was inevitable that she had behaved so unprofessionally because of her prior experience. “I’m sorry. Why don’t you lie down again? I’ll check it again. Don’t worry. This won’t have any impact on you or the baby.”
Thinking back to the ultrasound scan, the doctor did indeed have her suspicions. It was just that she had determined the health and growth status of the baby at the fastest speed possible before ending the checkup earlier on.
Since Qiao Nan wanted to know how many babies she was carrying instead of the baby’s gender, the doctor’s attitude immediately changed for the better. To put it bluntly, nasty patients could file a complaint against her if she did not comply with such a request.
Hearing that she would need to undergo another check, Qiao Nan was confused. “We’re not done?”
The doctor rubbed her nose. “I think it’s better for me to do a more detailed check. Can I ask if there’s any history of multiple births in your family?” Often, it was hereditary.
After Qiao Nan lay down and heard this question, she was a little awkward. “I’m not so sure. Quite a few of my relatives passed on quite early.” Qiao Nan was unsure if her paternal grandparents had ever had such a history, and neither had she ever bothered to ask about it. As for the Zhai family, she was sure that they did not.
“Oh, alright.” The doctor did not press her any further. After all, she might hurt the pregnant woman’s feelings if she were to probe any more.
“Oh?” The doctor remarked as she conducted a more detailed scan. Hearing the doctor’s voice, Qiao Nan looked nervously at the doctor. “Doctor, is something wrong with my baby? Didn’t you say that everything was fine just now?”
It was normal for a pregnant woman’s mind to run wild. Compared to her dream, when she had given birth at the age of twenty, she was indeed old now. Besides, she had not been well-nourished in her youth, and as such, she was much skinnier than she had been in her dream. Her health was not as good, and she was even older than she had been in her dream.
Given her circumstances, Qiao Nan could not help but worry if her health had a negative impact on her baby.
“No, don’t worry. Don’t get too emotional either. You’re pregnant and your emotions will affect your baby. Don’t worry. Both you and the babies are doing well.” The doctor sighed. Thankfully, she had done a more thorough check. Otherwise, she might really have faced a complaint if the next doctor found out about this at the next checkup. Then, she would have to bid farewell to her career as a doctor.
It was all because of those families who favored boys over girls that she could not even do her job well. That would not do. She had to adjust her attitude and sort out her emotions. If she were to continue in this manner, she would not be fit to be a doctor.
The doctor was thankful that she had encountered someone like Qiao Nan to guide her back onto the right path. She had chosen this career because she was truly passionate about it and loved bringing new lives into the world.
“Babies?” Qiao Nan’s ears pricked up. That proved that her suspicions were right. “Doctor, how many babies are there?”
The auntie was taken aback too. After working in the Zhai family for so many years, she had seen many other families give birth to kids one after another. Even after the state had relaxed its laws on having a second child, most people had only one child with every pregnancy. No one in the quad had ever had twins!
She had never expected that the Zhai family, who used to be childless, would become the first and only ones in the quad to have twins!
That would not do. After the doctor was done, she had to make a call and inform the chief and his wife about this piece of good news! She wondered if Madam Zhai would faint from happiness after hearing about it.
“I’ve checked it several times. There are three embryo sacs in your stomach and I also heard three heartbeats. Congratulations. You’re going to be a mother to triplets!” The doctor had been in this line of work for a long time, but this was only her second time encountering such a situation. “I know you’re happy about it, but you ought to know your condition well. You’re already forty and this is your first pregnancy. Thankfully, you’re in quite good health. But you should still know that you’ll have a harder time than other pregnant women. Three children mean triple the happiness, but the danger…”
It was already dangerous enough for young and strong women to give birth to three children at once. The pregnant woman in front of her was already forty, no less! While she was happy for her patient, the doctor was more concerned. It was not easy to give birth to even one child. Now that she was carrying three children, the process of childbirth would definitely be arduous, not to mention the whole pregnancy process.
“The children are still young and small now, but the weight of your stomach will increase as they grow older. Then, it will be a great burden on your waist and hips. Multiple births also have a higher risk of the children being born prematurely, so you have to be careful. If possible, I would advise that you be hospitalized once you reach the seventh month of your pregnancy.”
Normally, pregnant women already felt uncomfortable with only one child. Now that she was pregnant with three, the burden was unimaginable.
“Do you mean that she has to be hospitalized once she enters her seventh month?” The auntie’s ears perked up, afraid that she had misheard the doctor. Three children meant triple the joy, but also triple the danger. Knowing that Qiao Nan was the Zhai family’s beloved daughter-in-law, Qiao Nan’s life mattered as much as the children’s.
The Zhai family would never give up the mother for the sake of the child.
“That’s alright. I understand. Thank you, doctor. I’ll take good care of myself and the babies. We’ll definitely be healthy and safe.” Qiao Nan let out tears of joy and her tears flowed uncontrollably.
In that instant, Qiao Nan was on cloud nine and she could not help but feel that she was the most blissful person in the entire world.
