Page 16 of A Love So Sweet

“I see a head! One more push!”

“Aaaaaaah!” Allison screamed, clutching Lance’s hand with a death grip. She’d been in labor for fifteen hours, and she was exhausted.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaa!” A wail from tiny vocals filled the room with cries of disturbance.

“Oh my God!” Allison shouted. Tears sprang from her eyes, and Lance kissed her forehead.

“You did it, Beauty.” He squeezed her hand then left her side, his arms filled with the tiny body of his son, Malakai Valentine. The sweetest love he’d ever felt consumed him, but when he made it back to Allison to share his joy, she had passed out.

“Doctor! Check her, please.”

The doctor and nurses came to Allison’s aide. “She’s resting,” Dr. Corvine said. “Her vitals are strong. There’s no reason to be alarmed.”

Lance breathed a sigh of relief. “Congratulations, Dad.”

He smiled. “Thank you.” His gaze traveled back to Malakai, who’d fallen asleep sucking the tip of his finger.

ChapterSeven

Nothing had ever felt like this. When Allison awakened in the labor and delivery ward, she was met with a lightly snoring husband lying stressed out on a couch with Malakai cuddled against his chest. She’d watch them for the better part of an hour, wondering how Lance could even rest peacefully with their child in his arms.

Malakai moved, his little head lifting slightly, then turning. An arm stretched, and tiny fingers moved. Allison took an audible breath, and her sound, along with the stretches from Malakai, woke Lance up. He glanced down, tightened his embrace, then looked across the room to find his wife staring at them.

His legs were over the couch, and he was sitting up, then standing, before slowly strolling over to tower before her.

“How do you feel? Are you okay?”

Allison nodded and smiled. “I’m okay.”

Lance caressed the side of Allison’s face. “I want you to meet someone. They’ve been waiting for you.” He handed Malakai over, and instantly the bond that had grown between the three of them intensified.

Malakai’s little eyes fluttered open, and he reached to touch the tip of Allison’s nose—a slight smile, and he yawned then fell back asleep.

“Lord in Heaven, thank you for blessing us with this gift of life. We will do everything in our power to make sure we treasure him and honor your plans for his life—whatever that may be.”

Lance reached for her hand. “Amen.”

That was seventy-two hours ago.Now Allison was sitting on the side of the bed at two am, breastfeeding Malakai, who seemed to have the biggest appetite. She could never get over the growing bond between them with each passing minute, and nothing should be worrying her. Yet, something was. Over the last three days, her milk production hadn’t been as plentiful as she needed it to be. It had gotten to the point where she worried that she would have to feed Malakai, formula.

Thoughts of Dr. Corvine’swords resounded in her mind.

Some mothers need touse formula, which is fine, but I would like you to understand the benefits of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding helps to build and strengthen a child’s immune system. It enables the child to have fewer hospitalizations from respiratory infections, including but not limited to; meningitis, ear infections, and diarrhea. It can also protect against SIDS—which is an abbreviation for sudden infant death syndrome. There are other benefits to breastfeeding. I’ll print you out a guide to take home and study over. In the meantime, you want to start pumping your milk immediately because if you decide to nurse, your child will latch on to your breast, and you want to have enough to match his appetite. Even if you choose not to breastfeed, it’ll help your breast not be as sore if you go ahead and pump the milk and discard it or store it. Whichever you want to do.

Allison could behonest and say she was surprised about how beneficial breastmilk was. But now, she was considering her options in the case that she ran out.

“Tell me how I can help.”

Allison came out of her daze and glanced over at her husband standing near watching her closely. He appeared as handsome as ever, making her smile and appreciate what a lovely man he was.

“Well, unless you can pump some milk out of those nipples of yours, there’s not much you can do to help me, I’m afraid.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It appears that I’ve run out of breastmilk. I don’t know how or why this is happening to me, but I think we’re going to have to feed Malakai baby formula.”

Lance eased closer to Allison, wrapping his arms around her, and placing a kiss against her face.

“Well, that’s something that’s easily solved, Beauty. Let me guess, your worry that Malakai won’t get the nutrition he needs.”

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