The One Where Rachel and Joey Are A Thing

The milk

POV JOEY

I had no idea breastfeeding could be so hard on Rachel. The thing is painful and her nipples were full of bubbles. I never made bubbles on them. Ever.

Ross had to work, but stopped by to help. I also had to shoot DOL, but Monica and Pheebe never let her be alone with the baby.

We'd help her so Rach could sleep and heal from the surgery. It was rough.

A baby can make such a mess. And the diapers... ugh. Emma peed on me while I was changing her once.

"You're baptizing dada, huh?"

Unfortunately, Ross heard that and stormed off of the apartment. He went to Monica's. I heard him scream. And the door slamming.

Besides breastfeeding, Rach was trying to increase milk production by pumping. And this whole routine was making her exhausted. The baby would cry out because of the cramps and would take almost an hour to finish feeding. One night, Rachel was so exhausted she cried.

Ross brought ice cream for her and stood for the night in my room, as I was sharing rooms with Rach.

Ross and I would switch with the diapers, but the breastfeeding was only with Rachel. Even though we had some frozen breastmilk in the fridge. I remember this day. Emma was screaming with gas on her stomach and I was prepping her milk as Rachel slept and Ross bounced the little one.

Somehow, with time, we made it work.

"Ross?", I called.

He was in the kitchen, and I came to him.

"Yeah?"

"Ross, I think Rachel is having post-partum depression."

"You think? What makes you think that?"

"My mom had it with my sisters. The crying, the lack of appetite... yesterday she didn't even want to shower. I had to take her in my arms and bathe her, and the whole time she was crying about what a bad mom she was. I think she feels guilty to put you in the same parental situation as Ben."

"She does?"

"Look, I'm not trying to blame you or anything, I swear, but I'm worried about her and I don't know what to do."

At this moment, Monica and Chandler came in with some bottles of breastmilk.

"The lady at the milkbank tried to squeeze my breasts because they look floffy", said Monica.

"Milkbank?", asked Ross.

"We're having donated milk for Emma", I answered, "Rachel couldn't produce much this week."

"He didn't know?", asked Chandler, "Jesus, now I wish I had breasts. We have a situation here."

"I know", I said, starting to hear Emma cry in the living room. "Phoebe is bringing a lady that is an expert in this matter, okay? Chandler, do you mind checking on Emma?"

Chandler went to it, while me, Ross and Monica stood in the kitchen. Monica started placing the bottles on the fridge.

"I wish I knew that my daughter was not having enough milk", said Ross.

"We didn't want to freak you out", Monica pleeded. "Phoebe and I massaged Rachel's breasts for an hour yesterday. We got to pump some milk. Emma breastfed too, but she was not satisfied. She was crying soon after and we gave her a bottle of Rachel's frozen breastmilk. The crying stopped. Today we went to the milkbank and explained the situation. Showed them her birth certificate and they gave us some milk. Just in case."

Chandler came in with Emma in his arms. He didn't seem very secure about what he was doing, but he sure meant well. He gave Emma to Monica.

"Rachel is in bed all day", I said.

"I'm gonna talk to her", said Ross.

Emma farted.

"That was a big fart", joked Chan.

"I'm gonna change her", Monica proposed.

Chandler and I remained in the kitchen.

"Is this the life you asked for?", he asked me.

"No, but I like it. It's messy, but I like it. I love Rachel. I love Emma."

"Even though she is not yours?"

"I love her even more because of that. I will never replace Ross in her life, but I wanna be special to her. I want her to feel my love. No obligations attached. She's my best friend's daughter, Chan, how can I not love her?"

Chandler smiled, looking at some point behind me, and I turned around to see. It was Ross.

And he hugged me at the same moment the door opened again. It was Phoebe and a nurse, and they headed to the room.

Turns out Emma had a tongue tie and she had to do a little cut under it. This way she would nurse and it wouldn't hurt Rachel. And she would produce more milk.