The Midwife

Mother & Babies - Go there to see the them.

It's not that I think Brandy couldn't have her puppies without me.  I know she could.  I suspect that she knows it too.  She just doesn't want to.  It's a bond between us.  I was with her the first time she had puppies.  She has somehow come to think of that as normal, so I have been with her for each of her four previous litters and I will be with her for this one. 

I don't do anything useful, except stay in the shop and piddle so she can see me.  Then when her labor begins, I lie on a rug on the shop floor next to her bed and tell her she's a good girl.  She already knows she's a good girl, but she likes to hear it again at these times. Can't even leave to go fix my dinner, so I guess the pizza guy gets some business tonight. Brandy is young, strong and healthy, so has had no problem having puppies, and I don't expect that she will have problems this time -- but, I wouldn't want to wake up tomorrow to discover that she had.  I don't think she would ever forgive me, nor I myself.

We men don't understand this birthing stuff very much, but I'm all she has for now, so I will try to pretend that I understand her pains and this ominous thing that is about to happen.  She knows what is happening; I don't.  Nature has prepared her for this event for thousands of years.  I let her out a little while ago so she could go pee.  She did that, then immediately went behind a bush and started digging.  I watched as she dug a nice little hole in the cool earth, then curled up in it to wait.  She has some little "caves" prepared down on the slope, but she and I have already agreed that she can't go near them.  So, she lay there in her cool respite and looked at me, as if to say, "Back to the box, huh?  Oh, well, . . .."

If I know her signs, and I think I do, before this night yields to dawn, the world will be graced with some beautiful new puppies.  I will add a link to their picture and probably add some more to this writing.  If not, well, there's always tomorrow, and it won't be the first time -- she's fooled me before.  So, a movie in the VCR, pizza for dinner, some good red wine -- and patience.

Until then, we wait for Brandy.  She knows.  I don't.  I'm just a man -- and a reluctant midwife.

Baron and Brandy were raised together since they were babies.  Brandy is actually a month older than Baron, but for all their lives since they were about two months old, they have been together.  Their relationship is extraordinary.  They do not like to be apart.  Baron is very affectionate and attentive to her.  They play, and he loves to tease her.  She is his Lady; he teases her, but always gently.  If you were to harm her, or even threaten her, you would quickly discover that the quiet Baron who loves to play, has massive jaws and no fear.  Brandy is his family -- and he protects his family.

Brandy was crying, either from pain or anticipation.  Baron heard her and began scratching at the shop door.  I let him in.  He gave Brandy a few kisses; I gave him some of the leftover pizza and he wandered back out.  Pretty soon, Brandy began to cry again and Baron again scratched at the door.  I let him in and this time he stayed.   He settled on a cushion about two feet away from Brandy and watched with great curiosity.

About 11:20, I noticed Brandy seeming to strain a bit and thought maybe her water was breaking -- well, I was close.  When I took a closer look at what I thought might be a wet spot on the paper, the "wet spot" turned out be a shiny black baby girl.  As Brandy was cleaning her and chewing away the sac, she jostled her against one of her large and full breasts.  The little girl immediately seized on one of the nipples and refused to let go.  As Mama vigorously licked and cleaned her, the little girl kept her hold on the nipple, sucking in that marvelous essence of life -- mother's milk.

Baron watched these goings-on intently and carefully -- not moving from his place on the cushion.  Brandy knew he was there, and it seemed to be all right with her.  A couple of times, he put his nose inside the opening of the box, and once even managed a quick lick of one of his new babies.  Mama noted this, gave him a look, but said nothing and Baron retreated to his cushion.

Within the next hour, three more sisters joined the first -- two beautiful brown girls and another black one. In between, Mother carefully cleaned each one, then rested for the next one.  Before one o'clock, another little black girl joined her sisters.  Five little girls, all squirming and squeaking making those loud sucking noises as they enjoyed their first meal outside the womb.  Still, Baron watched with great interest, earning a little growl from Mother when once he looked a little too closely for her comfort.  Baron has always been a little bit partial to his girl babies.  Now he has five of them all at once.  It will be fun to watch how he can manage that.

By one-thirty, it seemed that her duties were done.  Five new, healthy, squeaking, squirming lives had joined the world.  Mother was resting and babies were feeding.  Another celebration of life.  A celebration of life that has been with us for tens of thousands of years.  I have been fortunate to have seen this celebration often in my life, but I shall never tire of its wonder or its beauty.  

Throughout the whole two hour process, Baron and I just watched.  Occasionally Baron took a close look and occasionally I told her what a good girl she was.  That's all we did.  It was Brandy's show.  She knew what to do, and she did it with calm and confidence.

After all, what did we know?  Baron's just a dog and I'm just a man -- and occasionally a reluctant midwife.