Off the grid, avoiding the use of any modern technology was a cult. In the grand scheme of things it had men and women both, but they were often separated with tasks and duties. They eventually just became separate cults based on gender, only mingling for breeding and parenting.
So childbirth was always mainly women. No medicine, no needles, no instruments, no help. Just a woman and her child, with few select other women to help, and occasionally the father if he wishes to be present.
Vickie, who had always been a bit sceptic about the cult’s birthing techniques, is now bearing her first child with Keegan, whose been her best friend her whole life, the cult naturally pairing the two. Keegan, of course, wants to be present to support his life long friend and his child.
Vickie, however, was in fear of this birth. She knew of modern medicine, she had found old books and read up. She knew what she may need and she knew she may never get it. She knew her birth may last weeks because of this. She was frightened.
Yet, it was her time. As a contraction swiftly crept over her stomach while she was cuddling with Keegan, conveniently, she let out a low groan. Keegan shot up with worry. “Vick? Is it time?” He rubbed her way overdue belly, by the cult’s calculations, the baby should’ve been here two months ago. Vickie’s been pregnant for a year.
She whimpered and nodded as Keegan sprang to action. He immediately picked her up despite her weight and carried her to the birthing tent where three other women were in labor. Vickie felt fear further strike her heart as she realized those were her friends who she hadn’t seen in weeks, who had been here, for weeks. She thought they were just settling with their children. No, they’re still in labor.
A contraction gripped her stomach as she squeezed Keegan’s hand. “There we go Vick. He’s coming.” He rubbed back her hair with the most precious look in his eyes. One of the midwives came over to her, not needing to ask her to change as the cult embraced being naked and everyone walked around without cloth on. “Let’s check your dilation love.” And without warning slid wrist deep into Vickie’s birth canal as she whined. “Oh stop this is nothing! The child stretching you out will be far worse.” The midwife prodded at her cervix. “Only 3 centimeters, you need to focus!” The midwife prodded her cervix extra hard as a scold. The cult didn’t know that a mother couldn’t control it. They didn’t use modern medicine. The midwife was genuinely angry at her for not dilating quick enough.
Keegan even grew irritated after the first 24 hours. He begged the midwife to teach him how to check her so he could keep up with it and force her into dilating. He was currently wrist deep in her, irritably angry and prodding harder than necessary. “GOD DAMNIT VICKIE DILATE!” he stuck his fingers in the 4 cm dilated hole and began to scissor and try to stretch it even though it was not working. She cried out loudly.
48 hours pass, she’s starting on her fourth day of labor. She’s barely 6 centimeters dilated. Keegan has gone on a search of tools as she screams in pain. They don’t know that they can break her water or that pitocin exists. Keegan comes back with a speculum type thing that the cult hasn’t even progressed enough. He sticks the speculum in her opening she screams out. He spreads her wide as he then dips his hand in and massages around her cervix basically tearing it open.
It’s day eight of labor. She’s 8 centimeters dilated and nothing is helping. She sleeps in the 2 minutes break she gets between contractions. Keegan is constantly prying at her cervix while the women help him. They’ve never had a birth last this long. Keegan is currently grabbing at her water with his hand trying to rip it out through the still too small opening. It breaks. Going everywhere. As she screams out in pain and Keegan poked at her cervix harder to scold her and the midwives all smack her. They think she can control her water breaking all over his hand. They think she did it out of spite.
On day twelve she finally reaches ten centimeters. Keegan pulls everything out of her cunt and screams at her to push and she does so, the head banging through her cervix. The women around her place a hand on every part of her body to comfort her and restrain her.
They all chanted lowly, telling her to push. So she does. Her body crying out as screams tear from her throat, the large child making a bulge in her lips. Women squeeze at her nipples and work at her clit as Keegan begins stretching her lips apart.
She pushes gigantically sending the head straight out almost reaching a full crown. Keegan screams at her. “Push! More! Harder! Go! Go! Get my child out this tight cunt. Push Vickie! HARDER!” He screams louder at her. She tries to maneuver under the hands of the women but they just hold her down and hold her legs apart. So she pushes hard screaming as the head fully pops out, ripping her lips apart. Keegan gets a hold of the kid and begins to pull. He’s still screaming at her.
“PUSH VICKIE! Harder Harder! More!” She pushes and he pulls, the child finally making an exit. He immediately forces the child to suck at her sore nipples as he rips the placenta out and has a midwife sew her up. He just wants to get back to their tent as a family, and the midwives need this bed for many other laboring mothers of the cult.
