Derpy's Going to be a Mommy!

A few weeks later, in the dead of night, Ponyville was once again silent. Twilight was peacefully asleep, having finally organized her books just the way she liked them. However, her peaceful slumber was abruptly interrupted by frantic knocking and the sound of a familiar distressed voice.

"Twilight! Twilight! Please, wake up! I need help!"

Twilight groaned, rubbing her eyes as she dragged herself out of bed. She opened the door to find Derpy once again, looking even more panicked than before.

"Derpy, what is it this time?" Twilight asked, trying to hide her frustration.

Derpy stumbled inside, her eyes wide with fear. "Twilight, I... I don't know if I can do this! I'm scared! What if I mess up? What if I'm not a good mommy?"

"Okay, Derpy, let's try to calm down," Twilight said, guiding Derpy to a chair. "Take a deep breath and tell me what's going on."

Derpy plopped into the hoofchair, her wings fluttering anxiously. "I was trying to sleep, but then I started thinking about the foal, and I got really, really scared! What if I mess everything up? What if I do something wrong and the foal doesn't like me? What if it hates muffins?!"

Twilight couldn't help but chuckle softly at the last part. "Derpy, it's normal to have worries. Everypony has doubts about being a parent. But you need to stay calm. Panicking won't help you or the foal."

Derpy's eyes filled with tears, and she sniffled. "But Twilight, I'm not smart or organized like you. I can't even deliver mail without messing it up. How can I take care of a foal?"

Twilight rubbed her eyes, trying to stay patient despite being woken up in the middle of the night. "Derpy, I understand you're scared, but bursting in here like this isn't the best way to handle things. You need to be more careful. Stress isn't good for the foal."

Derpy's face fell, and she started to cry. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I knew I'd mess up. I just... I didn't know where else to go."

Twilight's heart softened at the sight of Derpy's distress. She reached out and placed a hoof on Derpy's shoulder. "It's okay, Derpy. I know you're scared. But you have to remember, you're not alone. You have friends who want to help you."

Derpy looked up, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "Really? You think I can do this?"

Twilight smiled gently. "Yes, I do. I mean, it’s not rocket science… Plus, we'll all be here to help you every step of the way."

Derpy took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself. "Thanks, Twilight. I just... I don't want to mess up."

Twilight nodded. "I know, Derpy. And it's okay to be scared. But you have to believe in yourself, too. I can only do so much to lift you up.”

Derpy wiped her tears and managed a small smile. "Thanks, Twilight. I'll try to be more careful. I promise."

Twilight hugged Derpy gently. "That's the spirit. Now, how about we make some tea and talk about your worries? I guess I am fully awake now and my night’s sleep is going to be a wash at this point anyway. So let’s just talk; it's always easier to face things when you talk them out."

Derpy nodded eagerly. "Okay, Twilight. That sounds nice."

Twilight took a deep breath in, held it for a moment, then released it, trying to gather her patience. "Okay, Derpy, let's try to sort out some of the big things.” The purple unicorn paused for a moment. “Do you know what you need to eat when you're expecting a foal?"

Derpy blinked, her eyes crossing slightly as she tried to think. "Uh, muffins?"

Twilight rubbed her temples with her hooves. "Well, yes, you can eat muffins, but you need a balanced diet. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lots of vitamins."

Derpy's face lit up. "Ooh, I know vegetables, I like apples! And carrots! But what are vitamins? Are they like muffins?"

Twilight chuckled softly. "Not exactly. Vitamins are nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Like, um, think of them as tiny helpers in your food that make sure you and your foal stay strong."

Derpy nodded slowly, but it was clear she was still confused. "Okay, so I need to eat tiny helpers. That sounds weird…but okay. Got it. But, um, what else?"

Twilight sighed again. "You need to be careful not to overexert yourself. Don't lift heavy things, and make sure you get plenty of rest."

Derpy's eyes widened. "Oh, oh! I lifted a big box of muffins yesterday. Is that bad?"

Twilight frowned slightly. "Yes, Derpy, that's not good. You need to be more careful."

Derpy's ears drooped. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I just really like muffins. And sometimes I forget."

Twilight placed a reassuring hoof on Derpy's shoulder. "It's okay, Derpy. Just try to remember that you're not just taking care of yourself anymore. You're taking care of your foal too."

Derpy nodded, but it was clear she was struggling to keep up. "Okay, Twilight. I'll try. But, um, what if I forget again?"

Twilight sighed, realizing she wasn't getting anywhere. "Let's just take it one step at a time, Derpy. For now, why don't you try to get some sleep? And remember to be careful."

Derpy smiled weakly. "Okay, Twilight. I'll try. Thanks for helping me."

Twilight watched as Derpy left, her heart heavy with worry.

==========☼==========

The next morning, Twilight confided in Rarity, hoping for some advice.

"Rarity, I'm really worried about Derpy," Twilight admitted. "She doesn't seem to understand what she needs to do to take care of herself and the foal."

Rarity frowned thoughtfully. "Oh dear, that does sound troubling. But we mustn't stress her out too much. Perhaps we could keep an eye on her from a distance, just to make sure she's okay."

Twilight nodded. "I think that's a good idea. We'll watch over her without making her feel pressured."

Over the next few weeks, Twilight and Rarity discreetly kept an eye on Derpy. They watched as she went about her daily routine, often noticing her eating muffins constantly.

One day, Twilight approached Derpy while she was munching on a muffin. "Derpy, I've noticed you've been eating…well, a pretty immense quantity of muffins.”

“What, what do you mean, ‘immense’?”

“I mean that I have been seeing you eat a lot of muffins lately. Are you feeling okay?"

Derpy looked up, crumbs around her mouth. "Oh, hi Twilight! Yeah, I just feel really hungry all the time. And I get these cravings for muffins. But don't worry, even though I eat a lot, I just hurl them up in the mornings. So, it's like I'm not really eating that much!"

Twilight's eyes widened in realization. "Derpy, that's morning sickness. It's normal to feel nauseous and throw up, especially in the morning."

Derpy's eyes went wide. "Morning sickness? Like, I’m sick every morning? Oh no! Is it bad?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, it's actually a common part of pregnancy. It's just your body adjusting to all the changes."

Derpy nodded slowly, still looking a bit confused. "Oh, okay. So, I'm not doing anything wrong?"

Twilight smiled gently. "No, Derpy. You're not doing anything wrong. Just try to eat a little healthier and make sure you drink plenty of water."

Derpy grinned, relieved. "Okay, Twilight. I'll try. But, um, can I still have muffins sometimes?"

Twilight chuckled. "Yes, Derpy, you can still have muffins. Just not all the time."

Derpy beamed. "Yay! Thanks, Twilight. You're the best!"

Derpy was about to leave, satisfied with the new info she received, but Twilight called out: “Wait one second Derpy…I have another thing we need to talk about.”

Twilight took a deep breath, ready to broach the next topic with Derpy; she cleared her throat. "Yeah, Derpy, there's something really important we need to talk about."

Derpy tilted her head, her eyes wide and innocent. "Sure, Twilight! What is it?"

Twilight smiled, trying to find the right words. "Well, it's about what happens after the foal is born. You see, foals can't eat solid food like muffins right away. They need to drink their mother's milk."

Derpy's eyes got even wider. "Wait, what? Foals drink milk? Like from a bottle? With cookies? I like cookies!”

Twilight grinned, half-tinted by annoyance yet somewhat maternalistically fond of Derpy’s innocence. "No. Not exactly. They drink from their mother's... well, from their mother's body. It's called nursing."

Derpy blinked, clearly confused. "Nursing? Like... like a nurse pony? Do I have to go to the hospital and see Nurse Redheart?"

Twilight shook her head, trying to suppress a giggle. "No, Derpy. Nursing means the foal drinks milk directly from you. Your body will produce milk for the foal to drink."

Derpy looked down at herself, her face scrunching up in thought. "My body makes milk? Like... how?"

Twilight took a deep breath, trying to explain. "Well, when a mare is pregnant, her body gets ready to feed the foal after it's born. It's a natural process. The milk comes from... um, your teats."

Derpy's eyes widened even more. "Teats? I have those? Where?"

Twilight's cheeks turned slightly pink. "Yes, Derpy, you do. They're…well, underneath you, kind of low on your belly, near your…nethers. That's where the foal will drink from."

Derpy abruptly tilted her head downward and looked at herself from a lower angle, trying to better visualize what Twilight was saying. “Ooooh, those things! I never knew they were called that. I always thought that they were just for stallions to play with.”

“What do you mean play with, Derpy?”

“Oh, you know! Like the wheelbarrow game.”

“What are you talking about? In all my years of study I have never heard of a game like that.”

“That’s weird, because it's really easy! So, in the wheelbarrow game, you stick your back end up and put your chest and face on the ground, like a wheelbarrow. That’s what happened with that one stallion.”

“Which stallion?”

“The stallion that Lyra saw me talking to! The daddy pony! He asked me for my name and I told him. But then, after that, he followed me along the road outside of Ponyville while I was delivering mail. He came up behind me and said he’d give me two bits if I played the wheelbarrow game with him. He told me how to play, so I stuck out my backside, put my face to the ground, and he put the ‘handle’ in the ‘wheelbarrow.”

“What? What handle?”

“The handle! He put it near where my legs meet and it went in without a problem. I wanted to ask him a question, so I turned my head and asked how long the game would take, since I was super busy, and he said to ‘shut up” since ‘wheelbarrows don’t have mouths and can’t ask questions’, so I just stopped talking and looked at the ground.”

“Derpy, did this stallion move his…’handle’ in and out?”

“Yeah, he did! Have you played this game before?”

“Well…no, not this way, but what happened in the end?”

“The stallion said that to make sure the handle would fit right, he would have to add some special oil, so in the end he just squirted some oil into the hole, put the two bits on the ground near my head, and walked away...I didn’t even know they made white oil, but I guess that’s because I haven’t played the wheelbarrow game before. It must be special!”

“Oh my Celestia. I think…I think someone may have taken advantage of you, Derpy.”

“Nooooo, don’t be silly! In fact, since then, whenever I teach other stallions how to play the wheelbarrow game, they all enjoy it. Everyone wins! I get two bits, and they always say they had fun!”

“Derpy, I…I would really recommend that you don’t play that game that anymore.”

Derpy looked around; her train of thought was clearly off its tracks and had moved on to the sights and sounds around her at the moment. Looking down between her legs again, she noticed her teats once more, as if she had never laid eyes on them before.

“Hmmm, I never knew that they had milk in them,” she remarked as she turned her gaze back to her friend.

Twilight brought her purple hoof to her face in frustration. “Yes, Derpy, they do have a pretty important function, both milk- and nutrition-wise for a foal.”

“But why two of them, and why have they been getting bigger over the last few weeks? Am I going to have TWO foals?”

“Well, not necessarily. I mean, you could…but it’s more of an evolutionary thing that comes from a long time ago.”

“Evolution, what’s that?”

“Yeeeaaah, I’m not opening that can of worms. Anyway, foals drink milk from them. Everypony does it when they're young.”

Derpy tilted her head, clearly struggling to understand. "But... I don't remember drinking milk from my mom like that."

Twilight smiled gently. "That's okay, Derpy. It's something we don't really remember because we're so young when it happens. But it's very important for the foal's health."

Derpy nodded slowly, still looking a bit puzzled. "So, no muffins for the foal?"

Twilight shook her head. "No muffins for a while. The foal needs to drink milk for the first few months, sometimes even longer, until they're ready for solid food."

Derpy's face lit up with realization. "Oh! So I have to eat healthy so I can make good milk for the foal?"

Twilight beamed, glad that Derpy was catching on. "Exactly! That's why a balanced diet is so important. Your body needs all the right nutrients to make sure the milk is good for the foal. You know, B12, riboflavin, folate…"

“Haha, foal-ate!”

“Haha, yes,” Twilight responded, trying feign being entertained. “Exactly! That’s why vegetables and fruits are so important.”

Derpy smiled proudly. "Okay, Twilight! I'll eat lots of fruits and vegetables! And maybe just a few muffins."

Twilight laughed. "That sounds like a great plan, Derpy."

Derpy leaned in, her expression curious. "So, how does the foal know how to, um, drink from me?"

Twilight smiled, remembering her own studies on the subject. "It's an instinct. When the foal is born, they naturally know how to nurse. You'll just need to help guide them a bit at first."

Derpy nodded, looking a bit more confident. "Okay, I think I get it. I'll do my best, Twilight!"

Twilight hugged Derpy gently. "I know you will. And remember, we're all here to help you."

==========☼==========

As the weeks passed, Derpy diligently followed Twilight's advice. She ate a more balanced diet, though she still indulged in her beloved muffins now and then. Twilight and Rarity continued to keep an eye on her, offering guidance and support whenever she needed it.

One sunny morning, Twilight noticed Derpy sitting on a bench in the park, a basket of muffins beside her. She approached with a smile. "Hi, Derpy! How are you feeling today?"

Derpy looked up, her mouth full of muffin crumbs. "Hi, Twilight! I'm okay. Just really hungry all the time."

Twilight sat down next to her. "That's normal. Your body is working hard to take care of both you and the foal."

Derpy nodded, then looked down at her belly. "Twilight, do you think the foal likes muffins?"

Twilight chuckled. "Well, right now, the foal is getting all its nutrition from you. So, as long as you're eating healthy, the foal is getting what it needs."

Derpy smiled brightly. "Okay! I'll keep eating my fruits and veggies. I have been doing it! Honest! And maybe just a few muffins."

Twilight nodded approvingly. "That's a great plan, Derpy. And remember, if you ever have any questions or worries, you can always come to me."

Derpy's eyes sparkled with gratitude. "Thanks, Twilight. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Twilight hugged her friend gently. "We're all here for you, Derpy. You're going to be a great mom."