UPDATE:
As I was writing this our goat Hazel was actually giving birth! As I saved this post into drafts, I went out to check on her and low and behold, there was a baby! I was saved from having to dive in and help, and her birth went without a hitch. Baby is healthy, mom is loving her, and our family is ecstatic.
I am still going to share the post below…. because for me it was a huge learning experience into my mind… seeing that little baby now though makes me a little more confident of how to support next time!
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We had this GREAT idea a few months ago, that I may now possibly be regretting. When we decided to FINALLY get goats, which was a 3 year process in itself, we figured it would be a great idea to get one that was pregnant. This was so we could enjoy the JOYS of a goat birth, and experience having access to fresh milk earlier, rather than later.
Now, our learning curve with the goats was pretty extreme, but things have gone way more intense the last few days.
Our lovely goat Hazel, who used to be kinda trim, is just about ready to POP. Her “due date” is sunday, but things seem to be changing on her rapidly, which makes us feel that labour is IMMINENT.
When you think about having goat babies you imagine a soft bed of straw and the little ones clean and dry and ready for snuggles. You don’t think about the rapid growth of the mama goats udder, or the engorgement that seems to happen in her teats. You don’t hear the constant groans as she tries to get comfortable, and you are not the one shaving her backside (because your husband read that was what you should do).
And you are most definitely not imaging all the gross and icky bits that a goat birth brings with it. (That is a link to a video… click it if you dare).
And through all this learning, and reading, and watching, if you are like me, you realize that this whole experience brings back a lot of memories of your own. I FEEL her discomfort when she waddles around. I KNOW her pain when I look at her udder, and I remember very well that the worst is yet to come. Goat birth won’t be fun, just like childbirth wasn’t.
My husband, on the other hand, is thriving in this moment. He is more prepared for this goat birth than he was for our own children. He is jumpy and excited, and I have decided to let him do it all.
Every little bit of it.
I don’t want to be in there with the goat.
I don’t want to be pulling babies out.
I don’t want to be wiping gunk off, and checking to make sure they are fine.
I want to stand on the outside of the pen, hold a light, and hand over towels. I want to have a stiff drink in my other hand, to help give me courage about what I may see. I will feel too many feels, and I have learned that sometimes it is okay to let someone else take over.
This will be my husband’s gig… and I am okay with that.