Author's Note

This one was a tough one, not gonna lie. I struggled with writing Rarity here, and figuring out just who Cookie was, since there isn't an episode where she or her husband are prominently featured. I took my chances and did my best.

This chapter, however, is very important to me. So far in the story, we've seen breastfeeding with Velvet and Formula feeding with Windy, but those aren't the only way to feed your kids, and I wanted to bring some attention to alternative methods of feeding babies, because not every mom can breastfeed or do formula. Some moms don't make enough milk to breastfeed, some babies can't handle formula, so I wanted to try and bring some attention to this so that all the moms who can't do those things don't feel so alone.

Enjoy the chapter, guys!

3. Rarity's Family

Cookie Crumbles groaned as the sound of wailing woke her that Saturday morning. Hondo Flanks slept next to her- and how in Equestria was he still sleeping with that crying going on anyhow?- unaware of anything being amiss. She rolled out of bed, mane uncharacteristically frizzy from a lack of washing as she went to Rarity’s nursery.

Her little darling was wailing in her white crib. The Purple walls with gemstone stickers matched her mane, and the furniture had to be color coordinated. If everything wasn’t just so, her precious gem went straight to pieces. But this wasn’t one of those times. No, not at all. Cookie was a smart woman. She could tell the difference between her children’s cries. A cry from things not being the way she wanted them to was more high pitched and nasally. The tantrum-like cries were in the mid-range of her daughter’s voice. But the true distress cries were lower, and deeper. This was a cry of genuine distress.

Cookie went up to her, picking her up. “What’s the matter, Rarie-Roo?” She cooed.

The answer became apparent immediately as she felt a lump in her daughter’s diaper that made Rarity cry harder.

“Oh, it’s alright, Rarity. I’ve got you.” Cookie soothed, as she carried her daughter to the changing table and immediately began to change her and wipe her clean. As she did so, Rarity’s cries began to lessen until they were a combination of sniffles and odd breathing. Cookie got her into a new diaper, and picked her up. “There you are, My precious gem. Ready to sparkle and shine like always.”

Rarity calmed at that. “Mama, Gems?” She asked, looking up at her mother.

“We’ll get you dressed after breakfast, Rarity. But I wouldn’t want you to stain any of your outfits.” Cookie said wisely.

Rarity grumbled, but nodded.

“But before breakfast, let’s get your little sister too, hmm?”

Rarity looked up at her, nodding.

As cookie went down the hall she was surprised to find her husband carrying their younger daughter from her nursery.

“Honey, I thought you were still sleeping.”

“Oh, dont'cha know it, Cookie? I could feel you gettin’ up and I figured our little gem was up, so it meant I had to get our bouncin’ baby Belle!”

“Well, I guess that means we’ll have breakfast sooner than we thought!” Cookie said, and Rarity beamed.

They carried their girls to the living room where a playpen waited, putting them inside, as they went to make breakfast. Sweetie belle busied herself with a little toy xylophone that seemed to enchant her with it’s musical notes and rainbow colored keys, seeming to take joy from simply banging on the keys. Rarity, meanwhile, held a doll in her hooves that currently wore a ballerina outfit. A small box of clothing for the doll interested her, and she removed the outfit to dress her in a wedding gown, before clapping happily.

“Mama! Dolly pwetty!” She called.

“Mama will be there in a minute, sweetie!” Cookie called as she and Hondo cooked. There was one, and only one meal that neither Cookie nor Hondo could burn, and that was scrambled eggs. Fortunately, Rarity was at the age in development where she could eat them. Thank goodness. Sweetie Belle would have to stick with milk for now.

Soon the eggs were plated for all of them, and Cookie didn’t hesitate to pluck her darlings out of the playpen, earning whines of protest from them both. She hushed them, and sat Rarity in a high chair so that Hondo could feed Rarity.

Cookie sat down with Sweetie Belle, a small cup in her magic. She always felt incredibly guilty during feeding times. Her breasts hadn’t been able to lactate immediately after giving birth, and breastfeeding was incredibly painful for her after her daughters had been born. She had, of course, resorted to the bottle, but neither of them could stomach the formula and beyond that refused to nurse from it. So, she’d resorted to cup feeding.

A small cup of milk was waiting on the table by her. It was bovine milk, from cows, but her magic had been able to put in the nutrients in breastmilk that would have been necessary for them to grow up strong and healthy. Holding Sweetie Belle, She swaddled her tightly in order to keep tiny hooves from knocking the cup over, and gently tipped the cup to her daughter’s bottom lip, letting her lick the milk from it. It was important that she be careful not to get milk in her daughter’s mouth directly. Rather, she just needed to hold it in place and let her daughter drink. She’d gotten a special small cup that told her the fluid intake on it. After fifteen milliliters, she would burp her.

Rarity, meanwhile, ate her eggs without complaint, and drank milk from a purple and sparkly sippy cup. Hondo made sure to hold it for her, as he knew Cookie was most definitely picky about that, and when she was done, Picked her up.

Cookie finished feeding Sweetie Belle, and went to Rarity. “What do you think, Rarity? Should we get you and your sister dressed?”

“Yeah!” She cheered, beginning to squirm. Hondo had to keep a tight hold on her.

“Why don’t you go pick out something for your little sister, hmm?”

Rarity nodded as Hondo carried her to Sweetie’s nursery, and Cookie couldn’t help but smile. Somehow Rarity had managed to overcome much of the new baby transition. There wasn’t a regressive phase with her, although there were plenty of tantrums from the lack of attention. But getting her involved and making her feel more like a big sister had helped, especially when they began the daily ritual of having Rarity choose what Sweetie would wear for the day. It seemed to negate a lot of tantrums, and Cookie, for one, was grateful for it.

Rarity picked out a light pink onesie with purple trim to match her sister’s Mane, and Cookie dressed her in it, much to Rarity’s protest. But Cookie still wasn’t completely sure her daughter understood that Sweetie was real baby, and fragile, unlike her dolls. So, when Sweetie was dressed, Hondo took her, and Cookie took Rarity to her nursery, and favorite place- the closet.

Rarity pointed to a princess costume. Sparkly, with puffed sleeves, and soft fabric, it had been a favorite of hers for quite a while. Cookie smiled, and pulled it down for her. She had helped Rarity into it enough that she now understood how to put it on.

Rarity got one leg through, but couldn’t seem to figure out how to get the other one through. Cookie jumped in to help her, and it seemed that any memory of Rarity being able to begin to dress herself had been erased, and what little development Sweetie Belle had seemed to be gone alongside it.

When her daughter was dressed, Cookie stood next to her husband, and cooing other daughter, smiling softly. Hopefully, Rarity would become a good big sister to their newborn.