Betty and Matt eat a light breakfast while Joyce gets some laundry started. Shortly after 10am, Rosalina awakens from her early morning nap and nurses. Matt and Betty play with her for about 30 minutes before putting her down to rest.
"Have you had to supplement with formula at all?" asks Joyce.
"Actually, I haven't. As Zoe commented, I seem to be in the "high producing category," rather than in the "typical" or "low producing" ones," responds Betty.
Matt adds, "Rosalina is thriving, and that is what is most important. But, I do wish that your breasts, while are certainly a pleasure for me to look at in any size, didn't seem to be causing you discomfort."
Raising her eyebrows, Betty retorts, "I get the feeling you are enjoying my "centerfold sized chest" look," which results in all three of them laughing.
"I certainly agree with you that I wish I were more comfortable," continues Betty as she rubs the sides underneath her breasts, "I swear, it feels like something is digging into me."
"Here, lift up your shirt and let me take a look, I want to make sure you don't have a clogged milk duct," instructs Joyce.
Smiling slightly, Joyce asks, "Do you have other nursing bras, because the weight of your breasts has apparently broken the underwire in this one."
Glancing at Betty, Matt remarks, "I'm glad it wasn't a clogged duct. Betty does have other nursing bras, but she wanted the ones with underwire for the day time to provide extra support."
"The other ones we bought have mesh in them, which will have to do for now. Definitely no running for me for a while," comments Betty, trying to make light of the unexpected situation.
"You can look online and all, but, as you just said, your best bet is likely to go with non-underwire bras and just modify your activity if you are afraid of gathering attention from your breasts moving," suggests Joyce.
"Rosalina went over 4 hours between feedings last night and Zoe thought Betty could start trying to use the breast pump. What do you think?" asks Matt.
"Betty's milk supply is certainly established, so it is a good time to try the pump, especially because you want to introduce Rosalina to a bottle within the first month or so or she may refuse it," replies Joyce.
As Matt leaves the room to get the pump and its accompaniments, Betty announces, "Matt already did the initial cleaning of the various parts, so now it appears time to see if it truly feels like being milked."
"I'll meet you all in the study, since we thought it may give Betty a little more privacy," calls Matt from the kitchen.
Joyce pushes sleeping Rosalina, who is in her bassinet, towards the study, with Betty sitting down at the table waiting for Matt to return. He enters the room, with both Matt and Betty chuckling slightly at the number of items he puts down on the table. Joyce shows them how the various pieces of the pump fit together.
"Given your recent experiences with the bras, I think we need to see if the cones fit or if you'll need a larger size," states Joyce, which makes both Betty and Matt's eyes grow wide.
After having Betty put the cones on her breasts and then take them off, Joyce looks at Matt and tells him, "Please call the Lactation Station at the hospital and tell them you need to purchase a set of both the large and extra large cones for the pump, that way you won't have to make two trips."
"We'll have wait until Matt gets back to try the pump, which is a nice one by way," says Joyce.
Matt takes a quick shower and prepares to leave for the store. He gives Betty a sweet kiss and hug, as she looks mildly upset about the delay in using the pump.
"I called Mommy Mania and told them to hold any of the mesh bras in Betty's size for me. I'll pick those up on the way back from getting the cones. Is there anything else you think I need to get?" Matt asks Joyce.
Joyce replies, "Actually, some faster flow nipples. The ones that come with the pump are slow, since that is what most babies need, but, since Rosalina sometimes has to catch her breath when Betty's milk lets down, I suspect she'll want ones that go a little faster."
"Feast or famine, apparently," jokes Betty as she tries to lighten her own mood.
Matt whispers in her ear, as he gives her another kiss, "I'll get something for you too, in addition to lunch, since these items are really more for Rosalina than you."
"Thanks, I could use a pick up me," responds Betty, smiling slightly at her husband due to his thoughtfulness.
Matt first stops at the hospital, locates the Lactation Store in the maternity wing, and pays for the cones and faster flow nipples. He then goes to Mommy Mania and purchases the 4 bras in Betty's size that they have in stock-two are white, one beige, and one black; he also gets a pair of lacy black underpants and a silk material nightgown, which results in a smirk from the salesperson. He stops at a jewelry store, selecting gifts for both Betty and Rosalina. Lastly, he goes into a nearby Thai restaurant, insisting that the entrees are prepared with minimal spice. About a 10-minute drive from the town home, Matt calls to make sure nothing else has been added to his errand list.
Answering the phone, "Suarez-Hartley residence," Joyce states, "Rosalina just started nursing, so please head home now. I will start the water boiling to disinfect the cones and nipples. Betty should be able to try out the pump shortly after you get back."
Matt comes into the town home, hands Joyce the cones and nipples, puts the food in the refrigerator, places the other "surprise" purchases in his dresser drawer, and then goes to check on Betty and Rosalina, who are in the nursery.
"Great timing," remarks Betty, "She is finishing up right now, still spending about twice as much time on the first side than the second one."
Giving both Betty and Rosalina kisses on their foreheads as he sits down next to them, Matt says, "As long as she continues to gain weight at a steady pace, she can be as particular as she wants to be. Perhaps the pump will help even that out some."
"True, and I hope you are right about the pump so that I will not be as lopsided. It may seem like a silly thing to worry about, but I do," comments Betty as she hands Rosalina to Matt so he can burp her.
"Not silly at all," replies Matt, "Your breasts are currently being rented by our daughter, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have as much control of them as possible."
Joyce enters the room and reports, "The cones are cooling. Lets give your breasts about 10 minutes to rest and then you can try to use the pump."
"Fine with me," responds Betty, "I want to see how it works and feels too."
They proceed to the study. Matt plays with Rosalina while Joyce helps Betty get all the parts of the pump assembled. She reviews with Betty, and Matt, how the machine works, namely gradually increasing the pressure on the machine so that it remains tolerable yet gathers milk at the fastest rate.
Taking a deep breath, Betty announces, "I think I am ready. I am going to try to do it myself, since there are no guarantees that others will be present when I use it."
Betty turns on the machine and slowly increases the power level as Joyce instructed. Rosalina, who is in Matt's lap, turns her head towards the noise of the machine and then goes back to playing with her father's fingers. Betty and Matt glance at each other when the milk starts coming out, with Matt gasping slightly when it is apparent that Betty's milk let down, as the flow of the milk increases considerably.
After about 8 minutes Joyce suggests, "Since the amount of milk coming out is slowing down, you want to gradually reduce the pressure on the machine. We can then see how many ounces came out, but from here it looks very promising, especially for the first time you used it."
Betty does as Joyce instructed her to do, with Joyce taking the cones and plastic tubing to run them under hot water and clean them. Betty enjoys sitting in the chair topless for several minutes, with raised eyebrows from Matt making her laugh slightly.
"I take it you don't mind the topless look," jokes Betty.
"Of course I am enjoying it, but the big question is how does your chest feel?" asks Matt.
"Better than it has since the milk came in," replies Betty.
"While I certainly don't mind if you walk around like that all day," says Matt, which earns him a smile from Betty, "Here is the lanolin cream since your nipples had extra work today."
"Please put it on, that is still your job," retorts Betty, who then pulls him towards her and kisses him intensely when he is done.
Clearing her throat, Joyce reenters the room and comments, "You got 6 ounces from one side and 2 from the other, I've split them it into 2, 4 ounce bottles, one of which Matt can give to her this afternoon. That is a great amount for the first time using a pump."
Matt remarks, "I am looking forward to trying to give her a bottle, even if Betty did all of the work making the milk."
Matt adds, "I read we should try to use the bottle first, followed by Betty nursing her if needed since she'll be less likely to reject the bottle if she is hungry."
"Exactly right," responds Joyce. "I suggest you two go eat your lunch and then get a nap in before the bottle introduction."
"We will, thanks for your help," replies Betty, as Matt hands Joyce Rosalina and then helps Betty get up from the chair.
Betty and Matt eat lunch, which both of them enjoy. They then go to their room and get a 2 hour nap before Joyce is at the door letting them know that Rosalina is awake and ready for Daddy to try to feed her. Joyce gives Rosalina to Matt and then fetches the bottle. They all go into the nursery.
Joyce states, "Betty, I suspect you will want to watch, which is fine, but it is probably best if you sit back here since she will undoubtedly prefer nursing to the bottle."
"Yes ma'am," answers Betty, taking a seat as directed.
"Matt, you'll want to squeeze a little of the milk onto your finger and rub it on her lips and the nipple. You'll likely need to rub the nipple across her lips several times before she opens her mouth and tries to drink. You'll want to burp her after every ounce or so, since she is more likely to get air from a bottle than when nursing from Betty directly," informs Joyce.
Matt does as instructed, after 5 times of rubbing the nipple over Rosalina's lips, she finally opens her mouth and lets Matt put it in. She starts to suck immediately, and then does some stopping and starting since it is a new experience for her. She finishes off the bottle in about 10 minutes. Matt then hands her to Joyce for additional burping while Betty takes a seat in the recliner.
"It felt great to feed her! I am sure the fact that it was breast milk rather than formula helped her take to it so easily and quickly," comments a beaming Matt, as he gives Betty a sweet kiss.
"Here you go," remarks Joyce as she hands Rosalina to Betty, "You should see if she wants to nurse before using the pump again or you'll be really uncomfortable before the next feeding comes around."
Rosalina nurses for about 5 minutes before spontaneously releasing herself from Betty's breast and emitting a contented sigh, which makes all the adults laugh.
"Apparently, she was hungry enough to take the bottle, but still prefers that it comes directly from me," states Betty with a smile.
"Of course she does, Rosalina likely loves being right next to you and she controls the flow of the milk more so than with the bottle," remarks Matt.
"You said you were going to get me something special while you were out, did you?" asks Betty.
Blushing, Matt replies, "I purchased a few things that I think we will both enjoy, but apparently I will need to give them to you later," as he points at the text message on both of their phones.
"Oh, Hilda, Bobby, Justin, Elena, and my Dad would like to join us for dinner. I'll have to wonder about the surprises for a couple of hours," states Betty.
She then whispers, teasing, "But based on the shade of red you just turned, I think it will be worth the wait."