As a child I observed the birth of baby goats. I do not remember my age the first time I seen a baby born, but I may have been as young as 5. Perhaps I was in early elementary school. Somewhere along the way we lost a kid or a goat due to complications in the delivery process. I remember the frustration I felt, seemed like something could be done to help out.
Perhaps all the James Harriet books my Dad read me triggered the belief that I might be able to assist the does when they had trouble kidding. The next time I was alone with a doe who was having trouble giving birth or kidding, as it is called I decided to see what I could do. Feeling a bit apprehensive, I tentatively, reached my fingers in the birth canal found the missing leg that was just out of sight. I gently pulled the leg forward. Excitement rushed through my veins as the doe was able to complete the birth of a kid (baby goat). Looking back, the kids elbow may have been locked on the does pelvis. Thus, my journey as mid wife of sorts to animals found a place in my life. A new feeling to me, accomplishment, a new belief that maybe I could……make a difference, succeed, learn a new skill, and a belief in the importance of trying. I guess, the belief and the curiosity in what if I tried this(or that) may have been there all along or I would not have searched for the baby goats leg that was hindering its birth.
From that first kid where I pulled a leg forward to assist with a birth, I gradually learned to sort out more difficult kidding complications. As I recall my next challenge presented a kid with one leg and head present in the birth canal and one leg pointing down or back into the utertous. Again I reached in and found the hidden leg holding up the process and gently worked it forward, allowing for the kid to make easy passage and begin a life out of the womb.
Becoming bolder, I found myself facing two kids attempting simotanous birth. I remember feeling only slightly sorry for the doe. No time to think about the momentary pain I was causing her. I resolved the short lived pity of her pain with the thought that if I didn’t proceed the kids and her would loose their lives. I worked back the nose that did not belong pushing it farther back into the uterus. I may have needed to find a leg not properly positioned, or perhaps that was another time. I do not recall if there were twins or triplets born that day. I do recall the momentary joy as my confidence grew in the belief that in at least on area of my life I could make a difference.
As my confidence grew, I learned to reach into a goats birth canal when no kid was presented, but the goat was obviously straining in labor. I remember one particular time where no kid presented, but I found it in the uterous, its back bone pressed against the birth canal. This not only blocked its own birth it blocked the birth of the other 2 kids that were born that day. Before they could make an appearance, I pushed the kid further in the uterous to reposition it allowing it to come out into the world via the birth canal. In the process, everything became funny! The doe was less than convinced I was truly helping her and instead of laying down she began moving rapidly around the pen. I stayed with her, my arm still lodged inside working to move the kid into position. She laid down again and the kid was born. I likely will not forget the memory of that experience. Of course, this was over 30 years ago and technology did not lend to the ease for videoing the process. Recalling this story causes me to laugh inside for the picture I must have presented.
Not only did I learn this skill, I developed a passion for new life. A passion that carried over when I found what I call my heart animal, horses. Looking back I am amazed at the timing in which each lesson presented itself. Had I faced the doe in labor with no kid visible, first, the doe and all 3 kids would have died. I would not have been prepared or confident enough to sort out that problem. Today as I write and think how perfectly each incident went from a small challenge to a slightly bigger one. It feels like God’s hand wrote the process. Did He orchestrate my education? And if so what was He preparing me for? I can look back and see where my passion led me up to now, but I do not see why! The why of how my life abruptly changed and headed down a different path on the surface largely rests on choices I made, but in the bigger picture(the strong passion for birthing animals I have always felt), I am uncertain. I trust the message of Philippians 1:6(KJV) that says, “…..He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
As I ponder, I have to ask where else in my life has this kind of learning process occurred?
On a lighter note: Next in this series, I share about how my experience birthing goats fueled my passion for new life in the form of a horse. I could write a book about foaling out mares, but for now I will limit my sharing to a blog post.
If you have ever witnessed or helped an animal give birth, what was your experience? Leave a reply in the comments.
This is the second post on New Life to read the first click here. If you would like to watch a video of a chick hatching be sure to enter your info below.
