A/N: I'm back with a new chapter! I had the best vacation ever, me and my best friend did nothing but eat and sleep the whole time. LOL! I tried my best updating this chappy while I was on vacation, my best friend kept giving me dirty looks coz I was glued to my PDA most of the time. Hehehehe... I hope you guys, enjoy this chapter, I did a lot of research on this one by reading my roommate's pregnancy books, my mom seriously thought that I was also pregnant because of it. :-) Thanks for the reviews you gave me for the previous chapter, I noticed that a lot of you wants Trish to be with Randy, don't worry, I'm working on it...Anyway, on with the story, as usual, I own nothing except the characters who are unfamiliar to you. Enjoy!
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Lisa was a medium-built woman with deeply tanned skin and shoulder length hair. She talked about the organization she helped set up. She toured us around her place, with it black pebble washed steps that led to a garden. The serene place was a breastfeeding center, Lisa explained, where mothers could come in and share information, talk about the latest trends in birthing and breastfeeding, and, of course, breastfeed.
Lisa was a certified breastfeeding advocate. She had breastfed her daughter until she was three and a half years old. She made it her calling to preach the wonders of breast milk to all who cared to listen and to help out those who were finding it difficult to establish their milk supply. She gave lectures in hospitals around the country. She also gave private consultations for a fee, which was that I had arranged for because I was all but ready to give up having very little milk of my own.
We were in the garden, with me and Randy sitting beside each other on the garden set's chairs. Alex was in her stroller fast asleep while Lisa sat in front of us, laying some materials on the table. Lisa went through her materials one by one, starting with how breast milk is made in the body. Then she shared some tips on how to increase production, such as always being with the baby, carrying her "skin to skin" to make one's body aware that it needs to make milk for the baby.
"Of course Daddy can help too," Lisa said, turning to Randy with a smile. "There are so many things a dad can do to help mom establish her milk supply."
I didn't know how to begin to tell Lisa that we were not married. When Randy didn't say anything to change that impression, I then decided to keep quiet and set the impression straight when the session was over.
"A breast pump can help but Dad can also help stimulate the breast," Lisa said. "You see, it's all about supply-and-demand. If there is no demand, the body won't make milk. So if the baby does not finish the milk in the breast, for example, and your breast pump is unable to suck out all the milk, Dad can help in that department. Emptying the breast tells the body that more milk is needed as what has been produced is not enough." Lisa smiled pleasantly again, unaware of the discomfort she was causing me and the extreme amusement the whole thing was giving Randy. He was grinning broadly. The topic was sucking, for heaven's sake.
"That's really interesting," Randy said. "Are there other ways aside from sucking the breast by which the dad can help increase milk supply?"
"Yes. As a matter of fact there are lots of ways but having sex is definitely a big help," Lisa answered, looking at us, smiling. I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. What did I do to deserve this? I was desperately trying to think of ways to tell Lisa that father participation, in my case, might be minimal or, as a matter of fact, nonexistent, but Randy had already leaned forward to put an elbow on the tabletop, leaning his chin on his knuckles.
This, of course, encouraged Lisa to go on. "Well, a letdown of milk happens when the mother is relaxed and comfortable. So you can help in that department by giving her a back rub. It's mom's back, both upper and lower, which aches when she breastfeeds. Neck rubs are helpful as well. Then of course, you can also massage the breast to stimulate the glands. My clients find that their milk increases when they get a breast massage."
"A breast massage!" Randy exclaimed. "Is there a special technique for that?"
"If you'd like to go inside, I can teach you both some massage techniques that might be helpful. I also want to see how Trish breastfeeds Alex, see if the position is right."
OK, so now I am officially panicking. Lisa was about to teach Randy how to massage my breasts? Something Randy didn't seem to be bothered by at all, as he had already gotten up, a big goofy smile on his face. Panic alert: How would I be able to get out of this? I nervously racked my brain for a plan, but none seemed to present itself.
"Uh, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea," I began, "I, uh, am ticklish. I don't take massages all that well. As with the positions, I can just go by the pictures or whatever."
"Don't be shy, Trish," Lisa said, her voice well meaning and motherly. "I can help you and it's Alex who will ultimately benefit."
"Yeah, don't be shy Trish," Randy joined. The jerk.
"Fine." From the garden, we proceeded to the house, and into a room that had sliding glass doors that opened to the garden. The curtains were drawn, so when we approached, I could see a large room decorated like a nursery, with animal mobiles hanging from the ceiling and two white cribs set up against the wall. A large part of the floor was tiled with blue and green rubber mats. A king size bed with lots of pillows was placed across the cribs. Lisa opened the sliding doors; I followed with Randy with Alex in a carrier, right behind.
"Trish," Lisa said, making flinging motions, "I need you to remove your top and your bra while I get the oil. You can use any kind of edible oil so just in case some of it is left on your skin, no harm will be done to the baby if she ingests it. I use a light olive oil. You have to bear in mind that when you massage your breast, your child might taste the oil if it hasn't yet been absorbed by the body. Baby oil is not edible. Randy, you can put Alex there by the table while I can teach you guys the techniques. She's still asleep, right? Maybe by the time we're done with the massage, Alex will be awake so she can be breastfed."
Remove my top and bra. How does one disrobe gracefully? Of course I'd done it a hundred times in the heat of passion, but... in this breastfeeding center? I took a deep breath and unbuttoned my white top. I looked sideways at Randy who sat himself on the side of the bed, not bothering to turn away. When Lisa turned her back to get the oil, Randy gave me a sly, exaggerated wink. Oh brother. I rolled my eyes, with my bra still on, I sat near the head of the bed, leaning my back on the two layers of pillows. I felt self-conscious, because I was well aware of the fact that my abdominal muscles were still far from toned.
"Relax. You look great by the way," he said. Still the charmer.
"I'm going to kill Amy," I said under gritted teeth, which made Randy laugh.
"Are we ready?" Lisa asked as she approached with a small bottle of oil. "You have to remove your bra as well. You can lie face down on the bed, just lean on your forehead and arms. Randy, you should watch carefully so you can do this at home."
"Oh, I'm watching," Randy said.
I'm pretty sure you are. I unhooked my bra and followed Lisa's instructions. I heard Lisa rub her hands together to spread the oil. Using her fingers, Lisa started rubbing my neck.
"A good rule to follow when massaging," Lisa instructed, "is to trail the action of one hand with the other. So if I rub here with the right hand, my left hand follows the same trail of the right hand. How's the pressure on that, Trish?"
"It's fine. It feels good, actually."
"Good." Lisa continued rubbing my neck after which Lisa poured a little more oil in her palm, rubbed her hands together and proceeded to work on my back. "When doing the back, Randy, make sure you pay attention to the shoulders and muscles along the spine until the lower back just above the buttocks." As Lisa said this, her hands followed the trail described along my body, relaxing the muscles touched by her magic hands. "Always follow the action of one hand with the other. Now you try."
I suddenly froze. There is no way in hell will he be touching me. "That's not necessary, Lisa," I said.
"Nonsense," Lisa waved away my protest with one greasy hand. "Go ahead, Randy. Just put a little oil on your palms."
"Yes ma'am," he said, smirking as he rubbed his oiled palms together. "Relax, Trish. You looked petrified."
I gave him a cold look before once more resting my head on my arms. I closed my eyes and waited. I felt Randy's strong fingers at the back of my neck, starting just below my head moving slowly downwards till the base of my neck, his fingers pressing gently. Randy repeated the movement, using his other hand, giving me a tingly feeling everywhere his fingers touched my skin. Then his hands slowly but deliberately moved down to my back, pressing gently, as it snaked down my spine. I felt my muscles tense as Randy's hands moved rhythmically down my body, stopping only just below the waistband of my pants, grazing the tops of my panties.
"How does that feel, Trish? Looks like Randy here is a natural masseur. Just remember, relax. Stress will not help at all. OK now, sit up. I'll show you how to do the breast massage."
What? You're teaching Randy how to massage my breasts? Although I was half naked, lying face down didn't give me the feeling of being exposed as sitting up would. Well, the breast massage was the point of the whole exercise. I got up as gracefully as I could, avoiding Randy's eyes. He had stepped back to make room for Lisa and he gave me a big smile. Great, just great. I felt like I was giving him a free show. Holding on to what remained of my dignity, I calmly brushed aside my hair and straightened up.
Lisa moved forward, her palms glistening with fresh oil. "We will follow the same technique. Randy, you just look. We need not do this twice. You can just do this at home whenever you feel the need." Thank goodness.
"OK," Randy smiled. I still avoided his eyes, determined to get through the whole massage with as much dignity as possible. Amy owes me big time.
Lisa began with my right breast, moving her hand from the outer edges towards the nipple. Again, one hand was followed by the other, both hands moving around the breast until the whole breast was done. "Just relax," Lisa said, her voice was soft and caressing.
"Aside from regular massages," Lisa went on, "don't forget to drink lots of liquid and eats lots of veggies. Are you remembering all of this, Randy?"
"Yup, definitely," Randy nodded. I didn't think it was possible, but his smile was even wider now. Great, I know perfectly well what he would be remembering.
"Men should have been made to breastfeed since women already gave birth," I muttered.
"Don't worry," Lisa reassured. "Breastfeeding is wonderful. You're just stressed because you're worried you're not producing enough, but when it comes, it'll be great. You'll see. When your baby is weaned off the breast, you'll miss it. There's a bond created between mom and baby that dads will never experience but you can let him share it in different ways. One of them is having him massage you, to help you feel more comfortable, to help stimulate the breasts, even sex is a stimulant. There are lots of ways."
I gave Lisa a tight-lipped smile, not knowing how to dispel the notion that we were married, especially since Randy didn't seem inclined to correct the impression either. In a few more minutes Lisa finished the massage. She wiped her hands with a towel.
"OK. We're done."
"Thank you," I said almost too eagerly. I practically made a dive for my clothes and put them on.
"Wait," Lisa said. "Is Alex awake? I'd like to see how you breastfeed her." Will the torture never end? I am so going to get Amy for this.
"She's knocked out, Lisa," Randy said, motioning to the sleeping baby. Thank God. I wasn't comfortable in breastfeeding in public at all, not even in front of Randy. Well, definitely not in front of him. Whenever I breastfed and Randy was around, I would go inside my room and close the door. Only when I felt that I hadn't satisfied Alex would I come out and prepare the formula in a bottle. I would hand the crying baby over to Randy, who would coo and baby talk in vain until I was done preparing the milk.
"Too bad," Lisa said. "Just remember that both you and the baby should be comfortable. Make sure when you're holding her, you make her whole body face you, stomach to stomach, even when you're breastfeeding lying down on the bed. Have pillows behind you and the baby to support your backs. Have a pillow under your head so that your neck is parallel to the bed. Put one arm under the pillow, under your head. Don't rest your head on your hand. That's wrong. In any case, all this is in the reading materials I gave you."
"OK, thanks Lisa," I said as I buttoned my top. I then ran a hand on my head to check the state of my hair. "You're a big help."
"Thanks," Randy seconded, getting ready to maneuver Alex out of the room and into the garden.
"Alex is such a good baby," Lisa said. "You know, if you succeed in breastfeeding her, even if she's not exclusively fed on breast milk, you'll find that even things like rashes will disappear."
"That's good to know," I said, following Randy.
"OK, call whenever you need help or advice or even just a little encouragement."
"I will, thanks again." I waved as she walked out.
"Thanks, Lisa," Randy called out from the garden as he started pushing the stroller. I walked behind Randy, looking at his big broad back and his strong tattooed arms pushing the stroller. I looked at him, and my heart started beating rapidly and my ears felt hot. If he turned around he was gonna see my flushed face.
But Randy didn't turn around. He just walked through the garden in easy strides, whistling an indecipherable tune that told me he was extremely amused.
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A/N: How was it? Randy was pretty naughty in this chappy, don't you think? Please tell me what you think, guys... the more reviews I receive, the faster I will be able to update! Ich Libbe Dich! (The only German phrase i learned...) :-)