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She first mentioned the idea at the wildling camp. As the King and Queen of The North, Jon and Sansa ventured to the great houses of the North after they got married to strengthen the loyalty of the Northern Lords. They also went to the Wall to oversee the reparation of Castle Black. Jon finally decided to go Beyond the Wall to visit Tormund and other Wildlings, maintaining peace between the freefolk and the north. He was grateful that Sansa didn’t complain along the journey.
“It’s important to keep the relationship with the wildlings. Besides, I never went beyond the Wall and you always said that it’s beautiful,” she said with a smile when he asked her opinion about going to the camp. His wife is no longer the brat that he used to know when he was barely a child. Sometimes he forgot about it.
They spent a sennight in the encampment. Jon brought her to a lot of beautiful places around the camp. She never loses her smiles on those days. Sansa also got closer to the wildling women while Jon spent the day with Tormund and his man. She was especially close with Nelda, the old woman with a tongue as sharp as a sword. Sansa learned about their culture, way of life, and view of the world. She discussed with Jon as they lay together in their small tent, which she didn’t mind no matter how small and uncomfortable it is.
“I watched Igna give birth today,” she said as they laid down in their makeshift bed.
Sansa laid on her side, putting her head on Jon’s arm while his arm wrapped around her small waist. She traced imaginary lines on his chest.
“Watched? Didn’t women usually helped other women to give birth?”
He has heard about the wildling woman’s birth as Bolrik, Igna’s partner didn’t join them on today’s hunt. It seemed like he was there to wait for the birth of his child.
“Yes, ummm, they did it differently here.”
“They did a lot of things differently here,” said Jon with a chuckle.
He could feel her smile though he could not see it. Her finger is slowly tracing his scars now.
“Aye that’s true. But this one is.... I don’t know how to say it. Good? Gentle? I think it’s better than the birth on Westeros.”
“How so? Not that I know or ever saw any birth on Westeros before.”
She gave him another chuckle.
“I saw my mother gave birth before and it looked so hard. She had to stay still, laying down on the bed and push the babe out of her body. Father wasn’t allowed to be present at the birth chamber, they said that it’s a bad omen. Only a maester and her maids accompanied her. But here.....”
She lifted up her head and stare at him. He could see her expression brighten and her eyes lit up as she talked.
“They made it so natural here. A babe’s birth is something that could be enjoyed along with the pain. Do you know that the father helped the mother to birth the babe?” she asked though she knew that he’ll only shake his head.
“Yes the father was present on the birthing chamber all along. Bolrik was there for Igna throughout the process. The other women waited on the side if something unexpected happened. Nelda said that the couple could do anything while waiting for the babe to born. I took a peek and saw how they danced along when the pain comes. And when it finally time to push, Igna could take any position that she feel comfortable, be it standing, sitting, squatting, kneeling, anything! Nelda said that the mother knew what’s best to help the babe out of her body. She gave birth to the babe standing! Standing Jon! Could you believe it? I never heard anyone in Westeros gave birth like that!”
She was so thrilled when she told him about it. Her eyes twinkled with excitement. Jon smiled at it, feeling her happiness seep through their bodies. He kiss her lips when she stopped talking.
“Talking about birth and babe.... How about we try to put a babe on your belly?” he said as he turned them around and trapped her underneath him.
She giggled lightly before Jon shut her up with another kiss on her lips.
***
It didn’t take long for Jon’s seed to finally take a root at Sansa’s belly. The couple welcomed the news happily, along with their people in Winterfell. Jon can’t stop to coo on Sansa’s belly whenever he got the chance. The first few months were rough for her. It seemed like she can’t gulp down anything as she’ll soon vomit it again. Jon tried as much as he can to help her, even as much as helping her to vomit on the chamberpot. Sam and Gilly said that it was expected during the first few moons but it didn’t make Jon less worried.
Sansa finally was able to eat her food after three moons time. Jon sighed in relief at this turn of event. As she finally gained her energy back, she started to go back to her job at managing the castle. Jon said that he could ask Sam, Gilly, or Davos to do her job but she didn’t hear a word.
“Jon, I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”
They were working together in their solar. Jon looked up from a letter that he was reading and found his wife stared at him intently from across the table. He saw her thumb moving slowly through her palm, slowly massaging it. A sign of nervousness that Jon noticed as they spent a lot of time together, yet she kept a calm smile on her face. After all that happened in her teenage years, she is a master at maintaining her expression.
“Do you remember when I told you about Igna’s birth at the Wildling Encampment?” she said as Jon nodded, “I want to give birth like that.”
Jon’s eyes widened to hear her words. He blinked a few times, waiting for Sansa to laugh it off as a joke. But she just smiled calmly at him. Her eyes showed her determination at her ideas.
“Sansa, I can’t help you to give bir-“
“Do you want to let me face the pain alone?” she cut him off.
“Of course not, but-“
“I’m sure you can do it. We still got a few moons to learn. We can ask Sam and the midwife to teach us! Please Jon, the wildling had been doing it for-”
“No,” Jon said slowly through his gritted teeth.
“Jon-“
“No, Sansa. My mother died giving birth to me. What would I do if the same happened to you?” he said as he gave her a somber look. He might never meet Lyanna Stark in his life, but the fear of losing his wife in the same way as his mother had started to creep up as soon as he learned about Sansa’s pregnancy.
Sansa went silent at this. She seemed to just remember the way her aunt died in the birthing bed. She stood up slowly and walked to him. Her arms slowly wrapped his head and buried it on her chest. Jon gave a long sigh and let her scent blow his sadness away.
***
The Stark’s stubbornness isn’t easy to beat. Sansa might retreat at that time, but she brought the topic from time to time. No matter how hard Jon refused the idea. Sometimes, they got in a fight because of that.
“Gilly and Sam did it too! There’s only the two of them for Thalina’s birth!” Sansa shouted, referring to the birth of Gilly and Sam’s daughter just two moons ago.
“Sam is a maester! In case you didn’t know this, but I’m no maester!” he said, trying hard not to keep his temper in check. His wife could easily turn from happy to sad to angry just in a few seconds. The further her pregnancy goes, the easier to make her temper flare. Sam and Davos had told him to bear with it as there’s nothing he can do about it.
“We could do it Jon. Please I trust you,” she said as she moved closer and wrapped her arm around his waist. He could feel a small bump nudged his body, “It’s not like there won’t be maester around. Sam and Maester Lucan will stay in the room, staying alert if anything goes wrong. You can merely shout and they’ll come to you,” she pleaded to him.
His mind couldn’t think clearly as he felt so angry at Sansa. His jaw clenched and his eyes didn’t meet her pleading gaze. He stared ahead of her.
“No,” he said firmly.
Sansa let go of him as soon as he said that word. She sulked at him for a whole night, not letting him touch her at all.
For almost a moon turn, she didn’t mention anything about birth and spend her days just like usual. Jon almost thought that she had given up the idea. Almost. He should know firsthand how stubborn a Stark is.
That morning some Wildling was seen arriving at Winterfell. Jon frowned upon hearing that, worried that something bad might happened Beyond the Wall. As he went out to see them, his frown just got deeper. Sansa had already welcomed the guest who was none other than Nelda, the wildling woman who became closer to her at their last trip Beyond the Wall. She is also the one who told Sansa about childbirth culture in the wildling. No, Sansa wasn’t giving up on her idea.
“No! My answer is still no Sansa! Childbirth could be very dangerous! Look at my mother! Look how she died in her birthing bed! I can’t do this! I don’t want to lose you!”
“What about my mother?! She did fine to birth her five children! Five, Jon! It’s not something that you should be afraid of!”
“Not afraid? It only took my mother one child to die of childbirth! One child, Sansa! It’s not something that you should take it easy!”
“I didn’t take it easy Jon. That’s why I ask you to learn with me, Nelda and Sam. We’ll know what to expect and we’ll learn how to do it.”
“No!”
Jon can’t help but shout at her. His patience had grown thin the moment Nelda stepped into the castle. He quickly knew her intention and a quarrel can’t be prevented that night. Sansa calmly watched him turning back and forth in their chamber while she sat down on their bed. She just listened to his long rant about how childbirth is a dangerous moment and should be handled carefully, how she was so precious to him, and how he didn’t want to lose him. Her heart swelled at his angry confession, though those are things that hindered her intention of giving birth with only him.
“Please my love. Don’t do this to me. This is dangerous. I don’t want to lose you and our babe,” he said as he kneeled down in front of her.
Sansa leaned down as much as her swollen belly let her. She held Jon’s cheek and caressed it slowly, giving her husband a soft smile. Jon closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
“I didn’t ask you to be a maester or some sort Jon. I just asked you to support me throughout the birth. I’ll do most of the hard work actually,” she said with a chuckle. Jon can’t help but let out a smile on his face.
“I don’t want any maester or lady maid to meddle because I want the moment of birth of our child,” Sansa grasped Jon’s hand and put it on her belly, where their child grew day by day, “to be special just for us. I want us to be the ones who welcome him into this world.”
“You’re so sure that it’s a boy,” he commented in which Sansa replied with a chuckle. His face had relaxed a bit.
Jon slowly leaned down and put his cheek on Sansa’s belly, trying to hear the babe’s heartbeat. Sansa ran her finger through Jon’s raven curls.
“If the maester was meddling, they’ll force me to do it in the only way that they’ll know. I won’t be free to do what I want,” she whispered slowly.
“No one will do that to you,” Jon replied.
“That’s what I feel if I had to do it with the maester and all. I want to be able to decide what I want to do with my body.”
Jon closed his eyes. The frown in his forehead just getting deeper. He knew how vulnerable Sansa after what she went through since she went to Kingslanding. He didn’t want to take the freedom from her hand yet he was afraid to lose her. He let out another deep sigh.
“Let’s just learn about it for now. We have a few moons to prepare before the babe arrived. I promise Sam, Maester Lucan and Nelda will be close and on their guard for the whole time. You only need to call them when you felt something amiss and I won’t object to it,” Sansa gave a compromise to him.
Jon let out another sigh before finally nodded his head.
***
Sam predicted that it will take another three moons for the babe to make an appearance in the castle. Jon and Sansa used their spare time between their duty to learn about childbirth. Sansa was glad that Jon took their study seriously. He listened intently to everything that Sam, Nelda, and Maester Lucan said. Nelda told them a lot about what Sansa would feel once the birth started. How her body will change to accommodate their child’s journey to the world. Her words felt more practical since she experienced it first hand with the birth of her children, while Sam and Maester Lucan’s words were more theoretical. Jon was shocked to find a way to know whether the mother is ready to push the baby out. Sansa enjoyed the expression that he showed when Nelda showed him how to do it.
“But...., but it was like....” Jon shut his mouth, his face blushed at the thought.
“Like you pleasure her? Aye,” Nelda’s witty tongue put his mind into words, “Of course, it’s not exactly like that. You have to feel around her passage to know how wide it’s opened. At first, it’ll open just a finger’s wide. Then it goes to two fingers, three and so on. Not until she reaches ten fingers wide, thus she can start to push. Mind that she might feel the urge to push before she reaches ten but you had to remind her that she must not push yet.”
“Pushing before ten could make her bleed a lot. It could also lead to birth fever. So please remember this, do not push before ten,” Sam continued.
Sansa felt her heart swell in happiness every time she found Jon reading books about pregnancy and childbirth. He really took this seriously. At night when they laid together in their bed, he often asks her to let him feel and learn about her body. Including her birth canal. In which Sansa agreed to wholeheartedly. They both like it though, as it often leads to another round of passionate lovemaking.
Maester Lucan was a bit reluctant to teach them. He was still skeptical and worried about Sansa’s idea. He often reminded them of her status as a Queen of The North.
“Yours and the heir’s safety should be the highest priority, my Queen,” he said when he got the chance to say his concern.
“My good maester, do you think I would ever endanger my child’s safety?” Sansa calmly asked the maester, in which he didn’t dare to answer.
“Precisely, that’s why you need to teach me and Jon everything that we need to know. So that we’ll know how to do it and know when to call you.”
Some of the northern lords and ladies also mentioned their concern about her decision. The news spread out like a wildfire once their king and queen started their study about childbirth. It’s considered a scandal and bad omen for a father to be present on his child’s birth. Not only the father will be present, but he’ll also help the birth of his babe. Being the stubborn Stark she is, Sansa paid no mind through those comments and gossips. Though there are times that those comments affect her confidence. As the day of the birth getting nearer, her belly growing bigger, Sansa and Jon waited nervously for the arrival of their babe.
“Don’t listen to what those people say. I’ll still be with you for the whole time,” Jon said when Sansa doubted their decision.
Jon hugged her from behind as their hands cradled her swollen bump. They were alone in the Godswood, taking some time to pray to the Old Gods for the safety of the birth. Sam said that the babe might come in a moon's turn. Nelda said the babe will come when he’s ready.
“There’s no shame in being with your wife in her time of need.”
Sansa leaned down to his shoulder and smiled, all her doubt soon vanished as she heard her husband’s words. As soon as they studied and prepared for the birth together, his confidence in their decision is growing stronger. At times like this, she is so happy to get comfort for him. They really had started to support each other. Her hand slowly caressed her belly.
“We can do it. The three of us.”
***
That day started as usual. Jon and Sansa break their fast together. Just the two of them. As her pregnancy getting heavier, Sansa became clingy to Jon. Being the protective man he is, Jon let them be as intimate as possible. Today, they arrange a hearing for the smallfolk, listening, and solving their problems as much as they can. The two of them soon retreated to their solar after it ended to continue with letters, ledgers, and papers.
“It comes again?” Jon said as he saw Sansa stopped writing her letter. Her face winced in pain. His wife only nodded while massaging her taut belly.
The pain comes and goes since a sennight ago. Her belly will suddenly tense up. It usually stays for a few seconds to a minute long. It didn’t hurt her so much, only making her shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“The time is growing near,” said Maester Lucan.
“The womb is preparing the mother for the birth of the babe. It’ll come and goes. And when it kept coming, getting closer and longer, that’s when the babe is ready to be born,” said Nelda with her wise words.
Jon was worried. The pain had come three times today. He woke up at dawn to find her sat up uncomfortably at their bed while stroking her belly as if trying to calm the babe. Along with the hearing, he saw from the corner of his eyes when her body went rigid all of a sudden. She cradled her belly while keeping her face straight, trying to listen to one of the smallfolk’s complain. But Jon knew what happened. His hand slowly moved to her bulging stomach and felt how hard it is. She tried to calm him by putting her hand on his, with her eyes didn’t move away from the smallfolk. Jon understood that she didn’t want to make a scene in front of her people.
“They said that the pain could come when the mother is too tired. I’ll rest in our chamber for a while Jon,” she said, waddling slowly to their chamber before giving a soft peck on his cheek to calm her worried husband.
But Jon couldn’t brush aside his worry and uneasiness. Today her huge belly tensed more often than before. He finished his works as fast as he can before rushing to their chamber. A sigh of relief was coming from him when he found that his wife was sleeping peacefully on their bed. She lied on her side, her back was facing him. Jon was about to get out of the door to continue his duty when he heard a gasp coming from Sansa.
She got up and leaned on her elbow. One of her hands slowly stroking her belly while the other holding the sheet so hard. She took a deep breath and tried to control her breathing. Jon quickly approached her and sat on her side. His hand caressed her hair, trying to calm her down. She didn’t look up at him as the pain caught her.
“It’s already the fourth time today, my love,” he said after the pain washed away.
Jon helped her to sit up and leaned on the pillow. He gave her a knowing look in which she replied with a nervous glance. She bit her lower lip as her hand slowly stroking her swollen belly. The sudden realization that the birth of her babe is coming soon making her nervous. No matter how good they prepare for this moment, she still feels scared. Jon let his hand cradled her face, making her face his undeterred gaze.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” said Jon calmly.
Sansa let out a nervous chuckle. Her hand sat atop of Jon’s hand as she leaned her head on it, letting his touch calm her nerve.
“I need to let others know.”
Sansa nodded. She watched carefully as her husband went out to call for Sam, Nelda, and Maester Lucan. A loud voice could be heard from the outside as her husband frantic words shouting orders to the people. She giggled slightly while leaning back to the pillows. Her heart beat fastly at the thought of the birth. She had chosen an unconventional way to do it. Sure, the maester and Nelda will still be present. But the thought of it still made her nervous.
Jon needed to put off some of his works and dedicate some other works to other people. The castle was glad to hear that their queen had gone into her birth chamber. They prayed together for the safe arrival of the heir and the safety of their loving Queen.
Jon came back to the chamber to find Sansa and Nelda together. Nelda had helped Sansa to change into a more comfortable chemise. She was sitting at the edge of the bed, having another contraction while holding on Nelda’s hand tightly. The older woman sat beside her, showering her with words of comfort, and reminded her to breathe. After it passed, Sansa looked up and smiled at him.
“I, Sam, and the maester would be around if you need something.”
The two of them nodded and watched as Nelda went out of their room. They had agreed to be outside of the room and come back when the time of the birth is coming near. Jon changed his clothes into a comfortable tunic and breech. He sat on his side of the bed, slowly helping Sansa to move her body to his side. It had become quite a chore as Sansa’s pregnancy progress. Sansa willfully leaned her head on his strong arm. Their hand met at the swell of her belly, slowly caressing it.
“Our babe is eager to get out. Nelda said that maybe he’ll come tonight if he’s that eager. Though I didn’t dare to hope. It’s only midday now. People said that the birth could last for a day for a first-time mother,” Sansa said.
“You should come soon, child. Don’t let your mother be in too much pain,” Jon said while leaning closer to her belly, pretending to scold their babe. Sansa let out a laugh to see her husband.
“He’ll come when he is ready.”
“Aye. So what are we going to do while we wait? What would you like to do?”
“Sam and Nelda said to get some sleep while the pain is still far away. But I’m not sleepy Jon. Will you read some stories to lull me to sleep?” she said with hopeful eyes.
Jon smiled and kissed her forehead.
“Anything for my queen.”
***
Sansa slept for a while, waking up a few times when her belly tensed. She ended up sleeping on her side, finding the position the most comfortable. Jon held her from behind for the whole time, whispering comforts in her ears, guiding her to breathe through the pain. His hand cradled her belly and stroking it slowly.
As the hours went by, the pain was getting closer, longer, and stronger. Sansa couldn’t bear to sleep anymore. Jon spread out his leg so that Sansa could sit in front of him. He pulled her closer, letting her back rested on his chest. Her head laid on his shoulder while he slowly caressed it. Her breathing grew faster as the pain came. She unconsciously gripped Jon’s leg, trying to fight the pain.
“Take a deep breath, my love. Relax. Our babe needs you to give him some air,” he whispered softly in her ears, still caressing her auburn hair that had started to get damp from the sweat.
“It hurts Jon...” she whimpered as another contraction passed. She snuggled closer to his neck trying to find some comfort in him.
“I know. I’m so proud of you. He is getting closer.”
Sam, Nelda and some of the maid had come to their chamber to help them. Though at first, she had the idea to do it completely alone with Jon, she had realized that it was a bad idea. She still limited it to those people who can come into her birth chamber. The maid had come and go to bring water, fruit, bread, and some clothes to wipe her sweat. Sam and Nelda had checked her progress from time to time. The last time Nelda checked her passage, she said that Sansa had already reached five fingers wide.
“Tell me something to take my mind off Jon,” Sansa had said as the people had left them alone again.
Hours passed by as he told him a lot of stories. Stories from his time at The Wall and Beyond The Wall. Stories from his childhood, memories with her father and brothers. There’s a lot of things that she didn’t know about his childhood. She often regrets how she behaves around him before. How that could make her miss her kind, brave, honorable brother-turned-cousin-turned-husband.She smiled when he told her about them. She looked up at him, there’s a twinkle in her eyes along with the weary as the birth progressed.
“I wonder, should we name him Eddard or Robb?” she asked him.
“Ah, that will be a hard choice, my love,” he answered, pretending to think hard about it.
Sansa sat up and turned around, still with that smile and twinkle in her eyes. Though there’s no denying the birth had really worn her down, but the excitement was also radiating from her.
“How about if it’s a girl?”
“Aren’t you so sure that it will be a boy?”
“Aye, I’m sure but there’s a little possibility that I’m wrong. Though I’m sure that I’m right.”
Jon chuckle to hear her witty answer. Sansa laughed along with him. They never talked about the babe’s name before. Both were sure that the name will come when the babe arrived in this world.
“Lyanna,” she whispered slowly, Jon almost didn’t hear it.
“Just like your mother’s name and it’s a good northern name,” she continued
Jon smiled at that and nodded, “Aye, Lyanna is good.”
Sansa’s smile suddenly gone and turned into a frown. She soon closed her eyes tightly, riding out the pain that suddenly comes. Her fingers gripped Jon’s thigh firmly, leaving redness and mark around it. Jon shifted slowly as not to make her uncomfortable with his movement. He caressed her back while guiding her to breathe through the pain.
“Let me check you again, my love,” he asked her after the pain passed.
Sansa nodded breathlessly, still feeling the effect of the last contraction. Jon helped her to adjust her position carefully, making sure there’s enough pillow behind her back. He opened up her thigh and put his finger through her birth canal. When Nelda checked her before, she also showed him firsthand how to check and measure her passage. Sansa winced at his finger intrusion. It usually brings such a pleasure for her but it only made her uncomfortable right now.
“Sorry, it’s still five fingers wide though,” he said.
Sansa’s face clearly fell at his words. It’s been hours since the last time Nelda checked her. The sky had gotten dark but her passage stayed on five fingers. She’d already felt so tired after all of those pain. How much longer she had to endure it? She knew that it could take hours but feeling the slow progress directly had plummeted her confidence.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay. You can do it,” Jon said, sensing her feeling.
She stared at him with teary eyes, trying so hard to resist the tears that had already brimming in her eyes. Jon took her into his arms and he could hear her sob softly.
“You are so strong Sansa. You can bear it, I know you can. Our babe just likes to take it slow. He didn’t like to leave your womb, it’s too comfortable.”
Her sob soon turned into a giggle.
“He should come out soon. Didn’t he want to meet us?” she replied.
“Aye, he wants it. But it’s been nine whole moons that he stayed inside you. Can’t blame him if he didn’t want to leave it. It’s too great to be inside you. I know how that felt really well,” Jon answered and gave her a wink.
Sansa can’t help but laugh at his answer. Jon smiled and rubbed his thumb on her eyes, relieved that she gained her composure again.
“Let’s help him find his way out. Didn’t Nelda say that standing and walking help the babe come sooner?”
“Aye, and dancing,” she replied. Talking about dancing had brought the light back in her eyes which Jon felt so grateful.
“Anything for my queen.”
Jon slowly stood up and stretched his hands to help Sansa. Sansa took his hand and heaved herself up with a great effort. Her legs wobbled a little with the weight of her hugely pregnant belly.
“Oh,” she suddenly said.
Jon went alert at her voice. His eyebrow rose up in question.
“It’s just... it felt different,” she whispered trying to turn her feelings into words.
Her hand went back to her lower back and started massaging it slowly.
“There’s a slight pressure here..... and down there...” she told him, still trying to figure out the new feeling.
“It might be a sign that he comes down,” Jon said.
Sansa nodded in agreement, “it might be.”
Jon guided her to walk around the room, taking step by step circling their chamber. She leaned her body on him as she waddled around. She could feel the pressure building down there, along with the uncomfortable feeling on her back. They would stop when the contraction came. It gets stronger and longer when it comes. She had to work hard to maintain her breath.
“Ohhh, hngggg,” her whimper soon turned into a moan.
Jon put her arms around his shoulder and let her clung to him. His hand rubbed her back as she once said that it lessened the pressure a bit. She involuntarily swaying her hip from side to side, easing the pain that goes through her body.
“It didn’t stop, hnggggg. It should have stopped, ohhh,” she whined when the contraction last longer.
“He’s getting closer my love. You are helping him to come now,” he whispered as they swayed from side to side, riding the pain together.
The contraction had come so close. It’s getting too tiring for her to walk around the room. They stood still, swaying their hips from side to side, dancing as Sansa may call it.
“Ohhh, there’s a great pressure down there. I might have to push,” said Sansa through gritted teeth, not sure how to respond on the feeling on her body. But the pressure on her birth canal was so intense. Jon could feel her grip on his shoulder was getting tighter. Her belly tensed as the contraction came.
“Wait Sansa, we have to-“
“Ohhhh!” Sansa moaned as the pressure was getting stronger.
A sudden burst of water came down from her, wetting the floor. They both looked down, watching the water that trickles down from her body. Sansa was still panting from the last pressure and pain, though she felt a bit of release on her birth canal.
“Your water...” Jon whispered in awe.
“That’s what making the pressure,” Sansa said, still in a daze.
Jon blinked a few times, still in shock at the event that comes in front of him. One by one, things that he had learned with Nelda and Sam had come true. But seeing it with his own eyes couldn’t stop him from being a surprise. His instinct told him that the time is near as he walked Sansa to their bed.
“Oh, the pressure came back,” Sansa moaned as she slowly waddled. She could felt the babe getting lower with every step that she takes. The pressure on her birth canal is getting stronger and stronger.
Jon helped her to sit at the edge of the bed. Sansa heaved another breath as she sat down. She leaned back and let her arms support her.
“I’ll call Nelda and Sam,” he said to her.
“Hurry,” she whimpered.
Nelda and Sam came to the room after Jon called them. Along with some maids to clean up the mess on the floor. Nelda kneeled in front of Sansa, who was panting as another pain gripped her.
“Breath, my child. Help your babe come down,” she said.
“Ahhhhh, it hurts so bad, hnggg,” Sansa said in between her gritted teeth.
Jon sat at her side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, slowly rubbing her arm while guiding her to breathe. Sansa turned her head and nuzzled into Jon’s neck, trying to follow his guidance. As the pain came down, Nelda slowly opened up her thigh and checked her passage. Sansa yelped at the intrusion, checking her canal had become hurtful. She panted harshly as Nelda measured.
“Hurry,” she writhed and closed her eyes in pain.
“It won’t be long my child. Two more fingers and you can start to push.”
Sansa gave a weary smile. Feeling tired by the whole contraction and happy at the good news. It won’t be long now for her time to push the babe out of her body. She lied down to get some rest but soon realized that it was a bad idea.
“Ouch my back,” she whimpered as lying on her back gave to much pressure on her back. Jon helped her to stand up again as she was willing to quicken her progress. They were back to ‘dancing’ in the room. She clung on his neck while putting her head on his shoulder. Jon put his hand on her hips, supporting it as she swayed from side to side.
“Hngggg, it hurts so bad. I can feel him getting lower,” she said as her belly tensed up in another contraction.
Sam, Nelda, and some maid stayed on guard in the room, letting the couple bring their child into this world. Sansa opened up her leg little by little as her body told her to make room for the babe. The urge to push was unbearable but Jon always reminded her to take a deep breath. She bit her lower lip as she endured the pain. Moving her hips slowly, assisting her babe to his journey to the world.
“Hhhhh, Nggghhhhhh,” she made a small sound when she can’t no longer fight the urge to push.
“Are you pushing? You are pushing!” Jon said.
He gave a sign to Nelda and the woman soon knelt down behind Sansa. The old woman asked her permission to check her passage. Sansa gave a small nod as she fought the urge from within her body.
“Push when your body tells you to my child. It’s time,” Nelda told her.
Sansa looked up to Jon. The later gave a small nod of encouragement. Her hand clasped tightly around his neck. She clung her body to him as she prepared her mind and body to push their child out of her body. She could feel the familiar tense on her belly started to build up. Sansa took a deep breath before she finally bore down. She could feel the babe slowly moving down from her womb as she pushes. It stretched her passage trying to pass through it. She gasped at the feeling.
“Oh God, oh God, I can feel him, unghhhh,” she said before another contraction forced her to bear down.
She unconsciously moved her leg further apart, bending her knee and squat down. Jon moved in perfect union with her. He slowly moved to his knees while still supporting her body. She gave in to what her body told her to do, facilitating the movement of her babe from within. Jon whispered encouragement in her ears, telling her how good and strong she is.
“God, it hurts,” she said with a groan as her babe moved lower. She could feel its head starting to part her womanly folds.
“Great job child, I can already see the sign of the head,” said Nelda who knelt behind her.
Sansa bore down with all her power but the babe moved ever so slowly along her passage. He moved down an inch as she pushes and moving back up the moment she stopped pushing. This happened within some wave of pains.
“He came back up! Ohhhhh!” she complained.
She can feel Nelda massaging her folds with some aromatic oil. The massage helped to relax the taut skin, helping it relax. She bore down again with another contraction and felt the babe move down, stretching her folds calmly before coming back up a little as she stopped. Sansa growled in frustration at the slow progress.
“Relax my child, help your passage to relax, and let the child move. He was helping you to stretch so that you won’t tear,” Nelda said, hands still massaging her folds.
Sansa felt the progress soon after. The head didn’t move back up instead it stayed in between her folds giving a burning sensation. She whimpered another pain as the head stretched her slowly.
“I want to sit down,” she said as this position was making her tired.
Jon and Nelda helped her to move slowly. It felt so awkward with the babe staying so low on her opening. She sat upright on the bed. Her eyes already stared at Jon giving an unsaid plea for his companion. Jon slowly positioned himself behind her. She quickly dropped her body on his chest, head resting on his shoulder as she panted slowly.
“Ahhhh, it hurts, it burns!” she groaned loudly as the babe’s head opened her slit.
In a daze of pain, Sansa tried to close her leg. Jon quickly held it with his arms, maintaining it to open up for their babe.
“Ssshh, calm down my love, take a deep breath,” he whispered.
“It hurts so much, ooohhhh!”
“Breath child. Take a long deep breath. Give a small push, you don’t want to tear. Your babe is kind enough to stretch you out slowly. Breath through it,” Nelda told her.
“Follow me, my love,” said Jon as he started to guide her to breath, taking a deep breath and threw it slowly
Sansa got a hold of her body and tried to follow Jon’s breath. She turned her head to face his face. Their gaze locked as she tried to regain control of the pain that goes through her body. She can feel the babe’s head stretched out her slit widely. Her breath getting quicker and shallower as she fought the primal need to push as hard as she can. She whispered Jon’s name along with the pain. Jon showered her with kisses along her sweaty forehead, telling her to hold it and breathe. Another urge wrecked through her body. This time she couldn’t bear it anymore and gave a long and hard push.
“Hngggggg! Gahhhh!”
Sansa could feel a sudden relief on her body. A feeling of emptiness that replaced the fullness. The pressure still stayed in her canal. A feeling of something hanging down in her region. Her hand slowly moved down from her stomach and found some hard roundness in between her leg. A sob went out of her mouth at the feeling.
“Oh God, he’s here,” she whispered in between sobs.
Jon gave many kisses on her face, head, and neck while whispering how great she is, how proud he was of her. He also let out a gasp at the sight in between her legs.
“He’s already so near my child, give it your all,” Nelda said.
Sansa bit down her lower lip and nodded. A sudden burst of energy came through her body. She panted slowly as Nelda instructed her to pant so that her babe can turn around.
“You are so great my love. Just a little more and we’ll meet him.”
Sansa’s hand gripped Jon’s thigh as she fought the urge to push. The pain came one after another, didn’t give the poor mother-to-be a time to rest. Though Sansa still resisted herself from pushing. The pain is written all over her face. When an unbearable urge to push come, Sansa stared at Nelda for permission to push. The old woman nodded slowly and Sansa gave a long and deep push.
“Hnggggg! Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“Just a little more child!” Nelda told her.
Sansa could feel the babe’s stretched her again. The shoulder getting out of her body one by one. She focused her attention on pushing, giving all of her energy.
“Hnggggggg!!!”
And with that final push, she could felt a relief on her birth passage that was followed by a babe’s cry. Sansa held out her arm and wrapped her babe in her chest as Nelda gave it to her.
“Oh god, oh god,” she said frantically as the babe cried and wiggled in her embrace.
Sansa can’t stop the tears that started running down her cheek. She sobbed loudly and cooed her babe. Her face flushed and tired but no one can deny the happiness on her face. She looked up to see Jon’s was silently crying behind her. His eyes didn’t leave the sight of their babe. Her hand went and slowly stroked his cheek.
“He is Eddard, Jon,” she whispered slowly.
Jon chuckled to hear that. The babe is a boy, with unruly black curl just like his father and grandfather. Along with grey eyes that made him a true Stark. He stared with so much love at his child who was now trying to get his first meal. Sansa gasped and smiled widely as the babe found her teats and started drinking ravenously. They are right to not prepare a name for him before his birth. The babe screamed its name as soon as it comes into his parent's embrace.
“Aye, Eddard Stark.”