Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life-Chapter 706 - 701: The Birth of Lady Zhangsun

Lin Wanwan and Li Lizhi stood up at the same time. The latter grabbed Lin Wanwan’s arm, eyes filled with anxiety, and said, "Le’an, I’m entrusting my mother to you."

Lin Wanwan patted her hand and said calmly, "Don’t worry, it’s fine. Haven’t you been accompanying Her Highness the Empress in walking and exercising every day? She will definitely give birth to your little sister safely."

"That’s good, that’s good." Li Lizhi let go of her hand, her brows slightly furrowed, not daring to relax.

For a woman, childbirth feels like stepping halfway into the gates of hell.

Even in modern society, there is still a probability of difficult labor leading to death, and under ancient conditions, the mortality rate is even more unspeakable.

If one is not careful and hygiene is inadequate, even if the delivery goes smoothly, one might die from postnatal infection.

Lin Wanwan followed the palace maid into the birthing room in Lizheng Hall for Empress Zhangsun, a room Lin Wanwan specifically instructed the palace maids to set up for the Zhangsun clan.

Everything inside was spotless. Lin Wanwan had prepared plenty of alcohol gel stored in large porcelain jars (actually bought directly from the modern world), and all the pharmacists and palace maids assisting in the delivery had already disinfected with alcohol gel.

The fetus of the Zhangsun clan was in a correct position; the greatest danger in her childbirth was the lack of strength due to physical weakness.

Although Lin Wanwan had instructed her to walk for half an hour daily as exercise, considering Zhangsun’s physical condition, she still felt childbirth wouldn’t be that straightforward.

Luckily in history, Zhangsun did not die from difficult labor, which can be considered good news.

Upon entering the birthing room, even though there were no cries from Empress Zhangsun, the crowd was a bit flustered.

It wasn’t until Lin Wanwan appeared with arrangements and instructions that the crowd began acting orderly.

The fetus of Empress Zhangsun was just initiating labor, and it would take at least several hours for the cervix to fully open, so everyone being anxious was of no use now.

"Your Highness the Empress, I will perform acupuncture now to alleviate the pain. Try to relax your mind, rest well, and conserve your energy; it will take at least several hours before the real tough battle begins."

Zhangsun, with slight sweat from the pain and heat, nodded at Lin Wanwan upon hearing this.

Lin Wanwan sat at the bedside of Empress Zhangsun, calmly performing acupuncture to alleviate the pain of contractions.

Compared to modern painless injections aided by anesthetics, relying on acupuncture alone had much less effect, but it was certainly better than doing nothing, enduring the pain.

After Lin Wanwan administered the acupuncture, Zhangsun felt the pain slightly lessen, closing her eyes to endure.

Lin Wanwan had ample experience in delivery.

In the Great Tang, her medical skills were most effectively used in her role as a "midwife."

Even if the woman lying before her was the most esteemed one in the entire Great Tang, Lin Wanwan had no reason to panic.

The fetal position was correct, all indicators were good; patience was key.

For Zhangsun, no summer day had ever been more stifling than today; her sweat flowed like streams, outside the scorching sun roasted the palace, even though many ice blocks were placed inside, it was still to no avail.

It was because of these ice blocks that Lin Wanwan was adamantly requested they be placed inside.

Because all the traditional knowledge passed down through generations among the palace midwives asserted that women can never be exposed to wind or catch cold during childbirth and confinement.

Placing ice in the birthing room, they really didn’t understand what this Village Lady Le’an was thinking!

But Lin Wanwan was well aware that modern hospital operating rooms and birthing rooms always have air conditioning running, keeping the room at the most comfortable temperature for the human body.

The notion that a maternity patient cannot have air conditioning doesn’t hold true; as long as not directly blowing in the wind, it’s fine.

The appropriate temperature can relax a maternity patient’s mood, aiding better childbirth.

Otherwise, the heat makes even normal people irritable, let alone maternity patients enduring severe pain.

To shield against the blazing sun outside, all the curtains on the windows of the birthing room were drawn down for light and heat blockage.

Sunlight trickled in through the gaps, casting mottled shadows everywhere.

Outside, Emperor Li Shimin was endlessly anxious, sending palace maids to inquire about the situation every moment.

Lin Wanwan was too lazy to bother, only letting the waiting palace maids in the birthing room handle it.

From the hottest noon till the similarly stifling night, Zhangsun’s cervix opened to eight fingers.

Actually, her progress was already quite smooth, but the Emperor and princes and princesses waiting outside were still anxious.

Under the hot weather, even the mood became particularly irritable.

Fortunately, Lin Wanwan was determined not to go out and deal or she’d be driven mad.

Due to her natural constitution, Lin Wanwan rarely sweated, but even in this windless birthing room, a thin layer of sweat surfaced on her.

As for others, it was beyond words, soaked by sweat multiple times already.

Whenever Lin Wanwan caught a whiff of sweat odor, she urged them to immediately leave, change into dry clothes, and come back.

So, nearly all the people in the birthing room had changed clothes three times today.

It no longer seemed like just the childbirth for Empress Zhangsun, as if everyone was giving birth together.

Among the midwives here, whether by status or medical skills, Lin Wanwan was the highest; naturally, she was in charge.

Her demands must be executed without compromise. Once, a midwife didn’t respond when Lin Wanwan urged her a third time to change clothes, which made Lin Wanwan frown and she finally complied.

The more experienced the midwife, the more stubborn she was.

But Lin Wanwan wasn’t a pushover either; she merely exerted her authority, and what could they do about it.

She would offer an explanation about why everyone needed to change into clean clothes but would definitely not explain repeatedly.

If you could understand, great; if not, you still had to follow orders, with no room for negotiation.

Finally, by midnight, the cervix of Empress Zhangsun was fully opened.

With the cervix fully opened, the next stage of delivery work could proceed.

The lighting at night in the Great Tang wasn’t good, but that was true for ordinary civilians.

The palace of the Imperial Family was able to remain well-lit.

In the Barefoot Doctor Manual, there’s a section specifically about how to set up an operating room under primitive conditions.

Binding a few flashlights together as operating lamps was one of the methods.

Of course, in the Great Tang, there were no flashlights, but there were glass palace lights.

Lin Wanwan tied several glass palace lamps to the canopy for illumination, which worked well.

She methodically laid out disinfected white cotton cloths and repeatedly instructed people in the birthing room to use alcohol gel for disinfection.

Due to her composed demeanor, the palace maids and midwives in the birthing room, originally agitated, gradually calmed down.

Only Zhangsun intermittently let out a few unbearable moans.

An hour later, the little princess was born smoothly, with the experienced midwives and palace maids proceeding to clean and report the joyous news.

Lin Wanwan, meanwhile, after Zhangsun delivered the placenta, began stitching her below, calling all the pharmacists over to learn.

Zhangsun had quite sensitive pain perception; during the stitching by Lin Wanwan, she couldn’t help but cry out several times.

But there was nothing to be done; for a happy life afterward, this step was indispensable; otherwise, it would bring long-term suffering.

Lin Wanwan in medicine never withheld skills; once coming to assist with childbirth, of course she gave it her all.