CHAPTER 216: CHAPTER 216 POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

An Junxi felt a turmoil in her heart. She held her mother’s hand tightly. Mrs. An looked at her daughter’s once slender and tender hands now full of calluses and couldn’t help but shed tears. How much more suffering would her daughter have to endure?

The typhoon hadn’t subsided for half a month, bringing tremendous destruction to the island. All communication on the island was completely cut off, and power outages began.

An Junxi often woke up in fright at night. Childbirth was already a terrifying thing for her, and if she couldn’t give birth in a hospital, she would be even more scared.

Mrs. An was equally afraid. She prayed all day for the typhoon to pass quickly so they could go to the hospital in town to wait for the birth.

Finally, on a pitch-black night, An Junxi woke up startled from her dream. She felt a cold wetness beneath her and fearfully woke her mother, "Mom, I think I’m about to give birth."

It was half a month earlier than the due date.

The two elders quickly got up. Mrs. An saw that her daughter’s water had broken and panicked, not knowing what to do. Mr. An gritted his teeth and said, "We can only call the midwife first. Xi Xi, don’t be afraid, the baby will be born safely."

Mr. An braved the rain to find the midwife. This midwife had delivered many babies and was very experienced. Hearing that An Junxi was about to give birth, she disregarded the wind and rain and followed Mr. An to their house.

Sister Chen also came over. She lit several candles in the house and used the last few pieces of dry wood to boil two pots of hot water.

An Junxi’s stomach began to ache. She clenched her fists tightly, and as the pain grew stronger, she couldn’t help but cry out, "Mom, it hurts so much, I’m so scared!"

Mr. An was anxious outside the room and shouted, "Xi Xi, don’t be afraid. Mom and Dad are here."

Mrs. An wiped the sweat from her daughter’s forehead and constantly comforted her, saying, "It’s okay. Bite your teeth, and the baby will come out."

The midwife said, "The cervix hasn’t opened enough yet. Hold on a bit longer."

Sister Chen felt her way in the dark and cooked something for An Junxi, "Eat something, even if just a bit, or you’ll have no strength later."

An Junxi couldn’t eat but forced herself to eat two bowls. After several hours of pain, with two hours left until dawn, the candles had long burned out. Sister Chen brought over fishing lamps from her home, which barely provided enough light.

An Junxi’s cold sweat had soaked her hair. She barely held on until dawn. The midwife said, "We might have to wait until night. Go and borrow a few more lamps from the Chen Family to avoid being in the dark."

An Junxi was panicked. Would it take that long?

Mrs. An held her hand tightly, "Don’t be afraid. When I gave birth to you, I was in pain for two days. But didn’t I give birth to you and raise you beautifully?"

Under her mother’s comfort, An Junxi dozed off a bit, occasionally waking up from the pain, and ate a little each time she woke. This is how she endured until nightfall. When another wave of pain hit, the midwife said, "It’s almost time. When I tell you to push, push hard."

An Junxi used all her strength, feeling like she couldn’t hold on several times. The midwife encouraged her, "I can see the baby’s head. Just a bit more effort!"

An Junxi gritted her teeth and almost screamed hoarsely. The midwife said, "Don’t rush. Breathe, and then push again."

An Junxi was out of strength and cried, "I can’t, I have no strength left..."

Sister Chen, who had never given birth herself, didn’t know what to do. The midwife said, "Even without strength, the baby has to be born, or both the baby and the mother will be in danger!"

Mrs. An said anxiously, "Xi Xi, Yi Ke is waiting for you and the baby to come back. Come on, try one more time."

Thinking of Gu Yikun, who had been eagerly anticipating their child, An Junxi took a deep breath, grabbed the blanket, and with her last bit of strength, the baby’s cry finally pierced the night.

An Junxi’s tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and overwhelming exhaustion made her fall into a deep sleep.

The midwife cut the umbilical cord, "It’s a girl."

The baby cried loudly. Mrs. An held the little one in her arms, tears of relief streaming down her face.

After sleeping for an entire day, the first thing An Junxi asked when she woke up was, "Mom, how is the baby?"

Mrs. An wrapped the baby in a small blanket, "She cried very loudly. She’s very healthy. Come, hold her."

Holding the tiny, soft baby, An Junxi couldn’t help but cry, "Baby, Mama finally brought you into this world."

Mrs. An handed her a tissue to wipe her tears, "Don’t cry. Crying during confinement can damage your eyes."

Holding back her tears, An Junxi checked the baby’s body from head to toe, ensuring that all limbs were healthy before feeling a weight lift from her heart.

Mrs. An said, "The baby is so pretty. Her eyes, mouth, and eyebrows look just like her dad. Only her nose looks like yours. Have you thought of a name?"

Looking at the wrinkled baby, An Junxi couldn’t tell who she resembled. She gazed at the baby’s little red face and said, "Let’s call her Ai Xi, Gu Aixi."

If Yi Ke knew he had a daughter, what would he feel?

Mrs. An murmured, "Gu Aixi, it must be Yi Ke who chose this name. It’s so beautiful."

Weak after giving birth, Mrs. An took care of An Junxi during her confinement. Only when feeding the baby did An Junxi discover she had little milk.

Mrs. An said, "You’re too thin and don’t eat enough. How can you have milk?"

Several times, the baby couldn’t get any milk and cried until her face turned red. Mrs. An had no choice but to mix some formula.

Hearing the baby’s cries, An Junxi went from uneasy to irritated. She struggled to suppress her bad mood, trying to learn from her mother how to care for the baby. But perhaps she couldn’t hold the baby comfortably. The baby would cry whenever she held her. Mr. An took the baby and said, "Don’t cry, baby. Grandpa’s here."

An Junxi felt like she couldn’t do anything right. Her mood worsened, she had no appetite, and she became irritable and anxious all the time.

At first, Mrs. An thought she was just adjusting to being a mother. Until one night, she got up and saw An Junxi standing by the sea in thin clothes, understanding then something was wrong.

Mrs. An anxiously pulled her daughter back, telling her husband, "Our daughter might have postpartum depression. What should we do?"

Mr. An didn’t understand much about it. He could only say, "Stay with her more often. Don’t let her overthink. I’ll handle the fishing."

An Junxi didn’t know she had postpartum depression. She just felt very suppressed and unsure of what to do in the future.

Mrs. An patiently stayed with her, teaching her to care for the baby. The first time Gu Aixi called her "Mama," An Junxi truly felt this was her and Yi Ke’s child.

With the hope of returning to him, she slowly emerged from the painful postpartum depression. By then, Gu Aixi was already one year old.

Gu Aixi learned things quickly. After recognizing people, she became very attached to An Junxi. One day, while washing clothes outside, she heard Ai Xi calling "Dad." She ran into the house and saw her mother pointing to a man on the cover of a finance magazine, teaching her, "This is Dad."

Gu Aixi’s chubby finger pointed at Gu Yikun’s face on the cover, her little mouth curling into a smile as she called out, "Dad."

In that moment, An Junxi saw a bit of Gu Yikun’s shadow in her daughter’s smiling face. Tears welled up in her eyes. This must be the inseparable bond of family.