12 DAYS TO LIFTOFF
This was the first day that I felt movements and I was excited! You ignored the whole event! That night as usual I called you to my bed, your beautiful cave, and you jumped…and missed. Oh the despair in your eyes, yet you tried again, and with a helping hand, you made it my love.
11 DAYS
We didn't walk tonight. I'm sorry, I was too tired and too cold (most unusual) yet the past 2 nights you hovered on the pavement looking back to the house and had to be coaxed, and even in the field, you walked to heel instead of chasing swallows, so I suppose you didn't really mind, did you?
10 DAYS
I said "Over" and Samantha was gone, straight to the field and into the hay. You stayed with me all the way! Tonight I prepared your whelping box. Your little tail wagged when you saw it. I decided to house it in the lounge. I know you need your peace and tranquility, however you also need to feel at home, and I know you'll feel comfortable in there warm and secure. Gosh, you feel so big my friend, I wish I knew how you felt about all this carry on.
6 DAYS
Tonight you looked scared and started to pant. Contractions maybe? I put my hand on your tum and you snuggled your head to my shoulder and wagged your tail. I think I made you feel secure, that's good cause I'm not! I am a midwife, yet I've never seen a puppy born and my mind boggles. Why do humans have pain relief yet not bitches. Why do we assist babies birth to ease the passage of life, yet not pups. Oh Lord, 5 days to go - Sally's coping well, I'm freaking out - well it's my first litter you know.
5 DAYS
You keep me awake all night puffin' and pantin' and this morning you shivered and shook. I took your temperature and it was 37.6 instead of 38.5. That was hours ago, and you're still panting altho' I know you're not distressed 'cause you keep smiling at me. I stayed home from work for I knew you'd whelp, I stayed with you everywhere you went just looking at you and you just looked back at me. You were having me on weren't you?
4 DAYS
Another panting night was spent. Between the panting and the hand licking I dozed….I felt your tummy, scratched your head and dozed some more. The "book" says you'll feel restless a few days beforehand and the "book" must be right. You're due on Saturday. Today is Tuesday and I must return to work. The alarm went off and you screamed. . I made my poridge and you screamed. I made coffee. You screamed. Please don't leave me was written in your eyes. I wish my work mates knew what this was like, I thought, but they don't underswtand…hell, what a predicament. In desperation I phoned my vet, aptly named LAB. Yes, he would house you for the day, no problem. I dropped you and your box and blankets off and with lots of love and kisses, locked you into a cage of disinfectant, and left you screaming and went to work. If you read this and say AH or Shame, that is nothing to the way my heart ached. Your most dastardly thoughts are NOTHING to the way I felt. I was a District nurse and I knew I had 18 patients to be seen that day, as did my colleagues. I had to go to work - what else could I do.
With bleeding heard I phoned LAB at 0900 "Oh she's still screaming - can you hear her??…said the most unsympathetic woman I have ever known. Fortunately I had a new District nurse with me that day who had bred Labradors, and she held my hand and uplifted me, she also halved my workload…..at 1000 I phoned again. By this time I was beside myself with frief. A gentle voice answered this time. "Congratulations, she's had 4 babies, she's a wonderful mum and all is well." With wings on my feet and yet despair, grief and remorse in my heart, I ran to see you, myy Sally, my girl, I'd let you down. I deserted you in your hour of need, 1030 I was at your side. Ha, you couldn't care less if I was there or not. Your eyes sparkled and you looked so serene. What's that 5 babies.
All my life I have wanted to be a breeder, to own a "kennel" and to see a puppy born. I suppose two out of three ain't bad. Even if my kennel is only little and this is my first attempt at breeding….I suppose…Hey…she just 'pushed' hey, she's pushing!!! Hey…Help what's this? Oh Sally, you saved the last one for me. Oh help, Look…a black encased blob.
LICK IT! Shall I help?? Please LICK IT! Finally which felt like hours you licked it and bit it. Out came this dead body…BREATHE!!! DO SOMETHING!!! AHHH, Oh, Ah, the pup gasped….SALLY DON'T PULL ON YOUR AFTERBIRTH!!! Let it deliver normally, pull pull, LEAVE IT!! Pull, pull…eat…gobble…eat OH HELP…I can't stand it WHOaaa my head was swimming….I saw a birth. I got my 3 out of 3, and I'm the proudest of the proud. Thr moral of this story is:
When she says today is the day…take the next day off work. Don't panic if she screams at you. Just be there. Let her take her own time at delivery, cause she does know what she's doing after all.
5 WEEKS LATER
Sally is the perfect mum. The five bitches and one little dog are all absolutely perfect (Obviously) and I'm due to be released from hospital soon, following a nervous breakdown, heart attack, and unusual illness that caused me to age 50 years!!!
