On the Farm

I was having a moment the other say remembering what it was like when we had our little homestead. Every year during lambing and we were quite excited. There was a season of time in which that we knew when the lambs and kids were coming but we were not at all concerned about the exact date or which ones were late, early or "on time" ,it was simply "lambing time".

We kept watch on which sheep were acting unusual and put them in the lambing shed for protection against wolves and dogs that might bother them while having there lambs. We checked once in every few hours, being very quiet not to disturb them, to see that things were progressing well. Mostly we listened. There is a certain sound of distress you could hear in the sheep if a lamb was not coming out well. The help we gave was usually to fix a bent leg or push a twin back so that they would come out one at a time. When our help was over we backed away to let the ewe finish her job. We very rarely moved a lamb unless it was needing help to breath and then we would put it right back so that the ewe would not reject it. We were careful to not disturb them as they might trample the lamb or run away. There were a few that we were close to that liked us with them and settled better when we sat close but for the most part most were happy alone. Some of the first time lambers might need a little help getting used to their lambs but pretty much that is all.

We made sure that our ewes were fed well, clean, not too rich, lots of water, mineral and salt blocks and plenty of fresh air. We rarely lost a lamb and only once lost a ewe that we knew was risky to begin with.

When I approach birth from this point of view and I recognize how much smarter women are than sheep I wonder at all the interference and fear that has been put on birth.

Shame on those people that have used intelligence against birthing women. One of the very things that sets us apart from animals has been twisted back and used to control what doesn't need to be controlled.

I witnessed a birth recently, watched it unfold unhindered. Afterward the mama said the me " I didn't know that anyone could have a baby without people telling her to push." She found out.  She would not have know that if she had not been where no one was. The dad was equally amazed that though the cord was wrapped around the babies neck he unwrapped it and everything was fine. He thought that every baby with a cord around the neck had to have a c-section. He would have never known unless he had had chosen a different way.

So many lies, so many fears. 

I am reminded something that I heard a preacher from Argentina say "If you want to see something different you are going to have to DO something different.