Closed Pregnancy Studies with Maya Frostfawn

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Summer 7, 523 AV It was a warm, early summer morning as Eva got ready in the bathroom. While she was pregnant, Eva kept herself busy by either looking through flyers or doing some light cleaning around the house. She knew she was close to the end of her pregnancy as her body started feeling sore and the baby was moving lower. Not only that, Moritz had expressed to her their limited knowledge about what was to come and hinted that he may know someone with medical knowledge. Well, today was the day she was to meet with this supposed someone at the house. She finished pinning up her hair from her face then took a wet cloth and wiped away some of the sweat and dirt from sleeping. She then applied some of her homemade concealer before concluding the day with some five second breathing exercises. Breath in for five seconds, hold for three, then release for five. Rinse and repeat four to five times or until she felt calmer. Once she had readied herself, she made her way outside of the bathroom and into the main living area, where the scent of food woke her up further. Her child started to wriggle around at the scent, and she gave a tired chuckle as she rubbed her stomach. She hadn't been able to eat as often nor as much as she used to, but now it felt like she was starving. When she came to the dining room, food was already being set on the table by Moritz. Eva gave him a warm smile and greeting before walking over to kiss his cheek. The last few months of them living together was an eventful and stressful turn of events once they discovered she was with child. She had to really learn how to keep herself calm when her hormones were acting wild, and even as she nears the final days of pregnancy, she is still sensitive. After the two eat their meal and Eva sends off Moritz, she begins to clean up the dining table in preparation for the guest she was to receive. It still made her anxious to meet someone she only heard about a few days ago. However, for the safety and wellbeing of her child and herself, she needed to get some sort of medical knowledge under her belt. A few bells had past when she heard a knock on the door. She had been idling by the time by doing some minor cleaning and reading over some job flyers. Now, she rose from her chair by the fireplace and waddled her way to the door, placing her hand on the handle and calling out to see who it was. Granted, she guessed who it could be, but Eva was too weary to just open the door for anyone in Sunberth, too many unfortunate events. Once an acceptable answer was given, she opened the door and smiled, greeting her guest. Word Count: 491

[Maya Frostfawn]

Maya hadn't quite gotten used to it yet--the need to hide. There hadn't been a need back when she was alive, not truly, and in her limited time as a being walking a fine line between the realm of the living and the dead, as one of the undead, there hadn't been a need until more recently, when she had left the safety of Sahova behind and moved onto Sunberth in search of things she wasn't entirely sure she could always name. But there was a need now, for if any discovered what she was whilst she was walking Sunberth's streets, surely they'd shank her for being one of the undead, fearing that she may claim their bodies in the night. Or even the light of day. Crime didn't seem to discriminate between the hours in which the sun or the moon reigned; it ruled Sunberth, and a sense of both unease and fear seemed to fill the air. Not wishing to use up any more of her kit's limited uses, considering how low her funds had grown despite her new job, she decided to stick to good old, trustworthy dirt, which was bloody everywhere it seemed. So once again, as she had done on many days prior, Maya stepped out of her run-down flat and into the light of day and retrieved a few handfuls by scooping them into her palms, dumping the pile on her table, and then retrieving a few more until she was satisfied she had enough to work with. When she was done, she closed her door behind her and settled at her table--she had agreed to meet someone Moritz had mentioned to help with their pregnancy. Although grimy hands were less than ideal to work with, it could not be avoided given her state of being. Without giving it a further thought, Maya reached for some of the dry earth she had piled onto the table and began to rub it into her hands and wrists until they were evenly coated. She was going to make herself look like a poor, over-worked grunt again--someone who had just gotten off a day of hard labor. Her uneven gait, and general inability to move swiftly because of her undead status, should lend an air of authenticity to the disguise she was trying to pull off. The tired were known for moving sluggishly, even awkwardly after a hard day, as though they were trying to bear some massive, unseen weight upon their shoulders. She was glad she could have something she could lean to as she reached for another pile of dirt and began by rubbing it into her cheeks. Several dry grains tumbled past her knuckles and onto the floor as she continued rubbing, reached for another pile of dirt to rub into her chin, and then her forehead. More dirt cascaded onto the floor as she dusted her skin. When the last grains had fallen, she moved her hands around her face, rubbing the dirt into the spaces she had missed before--the area around her eyes, her nose... When she was satisfied she had covered every inch of her skin, she began to pat it so it looked a little more natural, and then harshly wiped her hand across her forehead, close to her hairline to make the dirt there seem lighter and more natural. When she had finished with that motion, she patted her skin again to try and make it seem like she hadn't just wiped a bunch of dirt away from her flesh. She wished she could check herself in a mirror when she was done. She really needed to invest in a mirror when she had money, but supposed the disguise was good enough--she had used it before and she hadn't been caught yet, so it had to be decent at the very least. At least, that was the conclusion she had drawn from her previous experiences. When she was done applying the dirt to her skin, she pulled her hood farther up on her head, casting even more of her face in shadow. Then she reached for her bag, put her embalming fluid inside in case of an emergency, rose from the table, and made her way out and into the streets of Sunberth. The air was warm and there was little wind. She thought nothing of it as she headed toward the main part of town, toward her destination, toward the pregnant woman she was supposed to meet and train in the art of pregnancy, (if you could train someone in the art of pregnancy. Was pregnancy even an art)? So, she could make it safely through the birthing process along with her newborn babe. The irony was, Maya wasn't quite so gifted in that medical area, but she wasn't about to tell anyone that. She couldn't get any better unless she practiced, after all.

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Eva welcomed the woman with a warm smile, feeling nervous with another person in her home. She wanted to usher the woman who just entered back out of the door and go do some breathing exercises, but she needed the knowledge to help her have a happy and healthy baby. She gestured to the table for the woman to sit and tried to control her knocking knees by clenching her jaw briefly. “Would you like some tea? Or maybe some coffee, though the coffee is a bit older as I made it earlier.” She tried to keep her voice even and calm by focusing her attention on every word she spoke and not the woman in front of her. Eva went and retrieved a plate of sweets from the kitchen and brought them to the table, along with a tray with a couple of cups and a kettle of hot water. In one small dish held some tea leaves and in a small jar was some honey. Eva gave a nervous smile and tucked some hair out of the way as she took the items off of the tray. “So, where would you like to start? I don’t have much information on being pregnant or having any children.” She eased herself into the chair across from the woman before she wiggled and curled her toes as a distraction. She was so nervous, and the longer the woman was here, the more nervous she got. Wait, was her hair okay? It wasn't showing its array of colors was it? She looked at the woman’s face to try and read her expressions, but did not have any experience with that sort of thing. Oh god, oh dear god, all she could do was give a smile as she raised a cloth to her neck and dab away the sweat. The longer she sat there, the more tense and awkward the atmosphere became. Word Count: 318

[Maya Frostfawn]

When the nuit arrived at her destination, she was welcomed warmly into the stranger's home. Although, the Vantha seemed nervous to receive her. Perhaps she was a tad shy, or one of those women who pregnancy hormones effected in strange ways, making them all jittery and nervous where they wouldn't be under normal circumstances, (when they weren't pregnant). "Thank you," Maya said as the door was shut behind her and she took a seat at the table, folding her dress neatly about her so as to conceal as much skin as possible before settling fully. Maya smiled, her eyes glimmering. "No thank you, although I appreciate the offer, I ate earlier." She lied. She could not remember the last time she ate or drank or the last thing she ate or drank... probably some water and fish, if she had to guess, and would make no move for the offered refreshments, although the scent of cinnamon? Was it cinnamon? would tickle her nose with its warm, exotic notes. "That would depend entirely on you, my dear, and what you would like to know. You are the one who is pregnant, after all." A pause. "It sounds like this is your first. Have you any idea how far along you are?" she asked. If the Vantha wasn't sure what she meant by her line of questioning, she'd clarify that she was asking if Evalynn knew how long she had been pregnant. She was a human, clearly, so she would be so for about nine months before it was time for the baby to come out, barring any complications of course. "You seem nervous, do try and relax. Breathe in and out, gently," a pause. "We could begin with a bit of a routine examination, if you want some time to gather your thoughts." A pause. "The aim would be to ensure that you're healthy and the baby is too. Have you been eating well? Craving anything? Drinking a lot of water? Sleeping and getting a tad of exercise?" All routine questions that she'd ask of any normal patient, not just a pregnant woman.

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Eva was found out, the other person caught on to her nervousness and that just made her clench her jaw briefly. If the other was able to see how nervous she was, were there other things she was able to catch onto as well? She instinctively wanted to shoot her hand up to her hair to make sure it was all tucked away, but doing so would just hint at something she wanted to hide. And then she needed to answer the questions. Eva wasn’t sure how far along she was, but answered with a guess, saying she was nearing nine months? She had lost track of when her last menstrual cycle was, and therefore, lost track of the first signs of pregnancy. At the mention of an examination, she fidgeted with her hands, trying to remain as calm as possible. She had heard rumors that examinations were very personal and invasive. She would need to take off her clothes and reveal her bare body. Eva couldn’t do that or the most obvious sign of her being Vantha would be revealed. She gave a shudder and smiled weakly. “Could…you possibly tell me what goes on during the, uh, examination? I know its to check on the baby, but what would I need to do?” Eva pressed on the tips of her fingers, one by one, and slowly started to feel herself calm? Or was it dissociating? Either way, her mind sounded silent and her body seemed to relax some. She then took a brief moment after her question was answered to think about the other questions about her habits. Had she been eating and drinking? She could remember drinking a ton of water and teas, but when was the last time she had a full meal? And cravings? That was a list, as there was always time to think about food when she worked around the house. “Well, uh, I know I drink a lot of water, but I don’t know the last time I had a full meal. With me doing daily chores, I get exercise doing that. Though, sleeping is a bit difficult. I get hot easy, but cant get comfortable out from under the covers. Sometimes it is hard to breathe while other times I feel like my legs are going to fall asleep if I sit up too long during the night.” Word Count: 396

[Maya Frostfawn]

Maya watched Evalynn fidget. She wasn't entirely sure why she was so nervous considering she wasn't the most threatening woman. Perhaps the woman was simply that way? Or shy. Whatever the case, Maya made no further remark on the woman's behavior, instead, turning her attention to the Vantha's own line of questioning. She smiled softly, although she doubt the woman could see it, simply to try and put her at ease if she could make it out. "Certainly." A pause. "First, I'd begin by giving you a routine examination to check on your health. That would involve checking your body for any muscle spasms, swelling, abnormal pains... that sort of thing. Essentially, I'd press into your skin with my fingers and see how you respond and if I can feel anything beneath the surface. I'd check your heart rate, how your body responds to various stimuli, and the like. From there... it would be best to check on the baby. See if I can feel it moving around and I'd check to make sure your womb was intact and there are no complications with the pregnancy itself. That would involve me feeling around inside you; it could be a tad uncomfortable, but I would naturally do my best not to hurt you. It wouldn't harm the baby in any way." She smiled before falling silent, listening. "That's not entirely surprising. Many women struggle during pregnancy, especially if they are not used to it or haven't had any children before. While it's important and good that you are drinking regularly, you need to be sure you are eating too so you and your baby are getting all the nutrients you both need--you, to maintain your health, and your baby to be born in optimal health. It's ideal to maintain a balanced diet--something with a bit of everything in it, although your stomach may call for one thing or another more than the rest." Had she been human, she may have chuckled. "I'm glad you're moving around. It'll help keep you limber and stretch out some pains. You may simply need to add some more stretches to keep that feeling at bay--the one where your legs threaten to fall into a deep sleep." A pause. "Do you always sleep sitting up or do you switch positions during the night? I've heard it can be helpful to sleep on your side with a pillow tucked against you... although the heat is another issue entirely, which may simply be chalked up to the weather we're having and not the baby that's in your belly." A pause. "Perhaps it would help if you slept nude if you don't normally? Or in lighter clothing if you aren't comfortable and can afford it. I'm not sure what you do for work." A small smile. "Some cool water to sip during the night may also help. Or chewing food with cooling effects, something like peppermint should be easy enough to find if you simply take the time to look." Another pause. "Now... as for the difficulty breathing... that could be a number are things... is the thought of being a mother soon causing you stress? Do you normally struggle to breath in this sort of weather?" she asked.

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

As Eva listened, she got a picture of how everything was to play out during the exam and relaxed just a bit. It still made her uncomfortable knowing the woman could see her gnosis, but judging by how professional she was, Eva concluded that the care of the child was more important to this woman. “I appreciate all the information you have given me, and I apologize for being so nervous. You have put me at ease with the information you have provided me.” A soft smile came to her as she sipped on some tea. “I will definitely try to keep in mind about the peppermint. I never knew of such useful information.” Eva fiddled with the handle of her cup and stared into her tea. Where would she get such an herb, and would it be easy to grow? She thought about asking the woman across from her, but changed her mind and smiled again. “I don’t usually have an issue with breathing. But I believe the issue arose a couple of months ago when I started to see an increase in size with my breasts. Maybe they are too heavy? But I don’t have any other support for my breasts other than a swim top I brought with me from Syka.” Eva sounded a bit disappointed as she talked about her problem. Her hands went to her breasts and she lifted them a bit, relieving tension and weight off of her shoulders. She wanted to let out a big sigh of relief, but opted for a soft smile and a relaxing of her shoulders. She looked at the woman before releasing her breasts and clearing her throat. “Excuse my display, I momentarily forgot that I had a guest. Anyway, where would you like to begin?” Word Count 298

[Maya Frostfawn]

Maya lightly inclined her head, as though to indicate thanks for the information she had provided weren't necessary. "I don't believe that's uncommon amongst pregnant women," Maya replied simply. "And it can be difficult to find the proper support. I believe some women favor corsets, but given your condition, I doubt that would be ideal since they can constrict breathing, among other things... and some women sort of... wrap their breasts in scarf-like clothing. Have you tried something like that?" she asked, not minding or thinking anything of the Vantha's peculiar display. "Perhaps it'd be best to start with the less invasive tests to help you get more comfortable and accustomed to my methods? From there, we can move onto the more invasive ones, as long as you're feeling comfortable. And by invasive, I mean, the test that involves me checking on the nature of your womb." A pause as Maya rose from the table and neared the Vantha. "We should be able to do a number of the tests from where you're sitting now, but some of the others would be easier to do if you moved onto a bed or a couch or something where you could recline. Does that sound agreeable?" she'd ask before extending each of her hands toward the Vantha's neck. "I apologize if they're cold," she'd say, as she pressed the tips of her fingers into either side of her patient's neck. She'd push them into the woman's flesh a fraction of an inch, wiggle them in small circles, before easing them down the length of the Vantha's neck and repeating the process, over and over, checking for any abnormalities. "I don't believe you have any illness within your neck," she said. "Your throat hasn't been dry or anything of that nature, has it?" she'd ask as she pulled her left hand away from the woman's neck and begin searching for a pulse to check her heart rate. Upon finding it, she'd begin counting beats for what seemed like a tick to calculate heart rate. She really wasn't good at it--determining time and remembering what was and was not normal. But as long as it didn't seem rapid to her, like it was racing, she'd pronounce Evalynn healthy in that department, although she couldn't truly confirm the veracity of her statement. When she was done with that, she'd ask Evalynn to open her mouth and say "ahh" to double-check her previous work and make sure there was no swelling she could see, before telling her she could close her mouth so that the next test would begin. This would involve testing her sight. For this test, Maya would raise a single finger and hold it roughly a foot in front of Evalynn's face. She'd ask her to follow it with her eyes, and then proceed to move her finger from left to right, up and down, all around, forward and back, and track Evalynn's eye movement in that way. She imagined everything would check out since Evalynn was young and seemed healthy, but it was always good to double-check to the best of her ability. (Maya wasn't exactly the most talented of medical professionals). When that was done, Maya would announce that they were going to move on to the examination of her middle and lower body. She would wait long enough for both Evalynn to ask any questions she might have, and to confirm her readiness before moving on. OOC: Feel free to announce the results of the various examinations I didn't mention or I can throw them into my next post. Also, wanted to let you know I'm headed on vacation this weekend and won't be back until next week. I will not be able to respond until Wednesday at the earliest, so please don't feel rushed to respond.

[Evalynn Frostfawn]

Eva listened with consideration, imagining using a scarf-like clothe to tie up her breasts. She pursed her lips and decided against it before she suddenly felt something cold against her neck. Goosebumps rushed down her body and her skin felt tight as she gave a bit of a shiver. She chuckled lightly and softly apologized before listening to the question. With a small sound to indicate her saying no, tilted her head a bit subconsciously as the woman checked her pulse. Eva kind of let her mind wander a bit, looking over the woman a bit. Her look was cut short when he had a finger put in front of her and told to follow. She didn’t know why, but she did anyway, only assuming it was for heer to have her sight checked. It was a ordeal tracking the finger, but she got it done and rubbed her eyes. They felt tired after that and sort of hurt, but it subsided with a quick rub. She was then asked to open her mouth, to which she did and stuck out her tongue. Why did she do that? She furrowed her brow after questioning herself. It just felt right to do it and figured it would help the woman see her throat. “Alright, lets go to the couch. I can get up from there a lot easier than the bed.” Eva smiled gently and huffed as she rose from her chair, leading the way. After reaching the couch, she eased herself into a reclining position and looked up at the woman. “Is this okay?” Word Count: 264

[Maya Frostfawn]

Maya would listen absently for a response as she continued her examination, before concluding that the Vantha was in good health and removing her cold hands from the Vantha's body. She'd take a step back from the woman to provide her space in which to move, blink, before following her to their new examination surface. "This should be fine." A pause. "At this point, I'd like to check your body for any unnatural pain, bruising, or other marks. See if I can feel the baby and they seem healthy, and then check to ensure your womb is intact, which I imagine it is." A pause. "Would that be alright? Most of the examination we can conduct with you clothed if you'd be more comfortable, but other portions would be impossible unless we move the folds out of the way, since I'll need to be able to see your skin to conduct a thorough examination." A small smile, a pause, before she'd extend her hands toward Evalynn and start pressing her fingers into her flesh. Feeling around her breasts, her swollen belly, her sides for any lumps or abnormalities, anything that didn't feel symmetrical--the same on both sides. It was harder to be certain of one's results with clothes in the way, but Maya wasn't entirely aware of that fact yet, and was more concerned with the patient's comfort and avoiding any unwanted comments about how cold her touch was. "Let me know if you feel any pain when I do this," Maya said as she continued to press her fingers into the woman's skin, listening for a response as she moved her fingers over one flesh of skin to the next, pressing and kneading before moving on. When she was finished, she'd announce that she wanted to check on the baby, and would set her cold hands on Evalynn's swollen belly--it should be enough, as long as she could feel it moving around inside the womb, Maya supposed it was healthy. That seemed logical enough. She wouldn't move her hands, simply spread her fingers wide and wait until she felt something. A kick--she always heard mothers complaining about their babies kicking, making it far harder for them to sleep than when they hadn't been pregnant with them. If she felt something, she'd say the baby seemed healthy and if she didn't, she'd ask when the unborn child was the most active, for it could have been resting during the examination, which would make it far harder to determine its state of health. But no matter, there were other signs that could indicate the child wasn't well--mainly, the state of the mother. For, Maya felt, perhaps wrongly, that the child could not be healthy if the mother wasn't. If she was pale and covered in sweat, vomiting, sneezing, coughing, releasing blood from her nethers, or something of the like.