This may look like a sign that Brent & I had a fight and I ended up on the couch. It couldn't be farther from the truth. My exciting Friday, now Saturday night, went something like this:
10:30 - Push up feed & check maternity - Bev just starting to calve. Move to the couch & set the alarm for 1 AM
1:00 - Check on Bev - we have front feet, but they look big, so I try to help. Bev wants nothing to do with my help. We both go back to our respective beds. I decide to give her another 30 minutes and check again before I have to wake Brent up to help me.
1:50 - We've got front feet and part of a head. I think Bev knew she needed help, because this time, she let me get close enough to help. 1-2-3 pulls, and the calf was out. Surely after all that I was not only expecting it to be a bull calf (Bev is nearly 10 days overdue), but I was surprised if it would be alive.....We have a heartbeat! I used all the tricks I've been taught over the years - tickle the nose with straw - no luck; grab the tongue - good response there; I even tried some mouth to mouth! A few more tongue grabs, trying to pull "ick" out of the airway, and some rubbing, and I had a good regular breathing, if not a little labored.
I made Bev get up - she's ok, and the maternal instincts kicked in. She went to licking off her new GIRL with gusto! I watched her go for 30 minutes, making sure the calf kept breathing, as I didn't think we were out of the woods. I'm going to go check again, but at this point, surely she'll keep breathing.
I don't care who you are, or what you do for a living.....it just doesn't get any better than this!
Bev is black, so doesn't show up in this picture....but our new baby girl is breathing!
Congratulations!!! What a big deal!!! Get some rest!!!
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