What I keep in my kidding kit:
birthing pads (in yesterday's post)
lots of towels for drying little ones
tamed iodine
dixie cups for cord dipping
surgical gloves
ky jelly
preparation H
hair dryer
heating pad
nasal aspirator
kid puller
CMPK drench
molasses (unsulphured)
baby monitor
What I do during a normal birth:
When a doe is near her kidding time, I hook up the baby monitor in the barn so I can hear what's going on out there. As her time gets nearer and I see that her tail ligaments are very loose, her babies have dropped lower and her sides look hollow, and her udder and teats are full of milk, I keep my ear tuned in to that monitor. I also move her to a kidding pen. I listen for restlessness in the doe and her talking baby talk to her unborn babies. Most of the time if it's the middle of the night the first thing I hear is the doe scream as the first kid is being born, then hopefully the sound of the baby's first bleat. I jump into my clothes and head for the barn with a thermos of hot water with a little molasses in it.
If I have some warning that she's in labor, I am in the barn with her watching her and keeping her company. I will get a towel or pad of some kind ready to receive the first kid. If the cord doesn't break on its own, I will tear it a few inches from the kids navel. I help mama dry the baby or babies, then dip the cords in a dixi cup full of tamed iodine making sure to get that area of the belly fully covered with the iodine. I'm not convinced this actually does any good, as the doe usually cleans it all back off right away, but I feel better knowing I did the best I could to prevent infection. If it's very cold, I use the heating pad to keep babies on while drying them with the hair dryer. This can take a long time in very cold weather, but is of utmost importance. Pay close attention to ears, tails and hooves. They can freeze quickly.
If the kid is having any trouble clearing the fluid from it's lungs, I will place it's behind higher than it's head and use the nasal aspirator to suction out the mouth and nose. If that's not enough, I swing the baby in an arc between my legs, head down. If you ever have to do that, make sure you have a firm hold on the kid and support it's head and neck. Wrapping the kid in a towel will help you to keep a firm hold. I have had to do this in a breech birth with very postiive results.
I then make sure everyone gets to nurse a couple of times, wait for the placenta to pass, and clean up the stall. I also give the doe some warm water with molasses in it as a treat and some needed energy. I offer her a little grain and alfalfa (either baled or chaffhaye) as well. Don't overdo it on the molasses, grain or alfalfa, as your doe could end up with very soft stools, or bloat.
If it's the middle of the night, I go back to bed. If it's day time, usually I can't resist just sitting in the corner and watching the new little family. :)
I think that's about it. The things on this list that I haven't mentioned are rarely used. They're for emergencies only, and right now I've decided to focus on a "normal" birth. Perhaps I'll get to those in future. If anyone reading this has any questions about anything, birthing or otherwise, please contact me using my contact button, or pm me using my North Forest Farm FB page, or leave a comment, and I'll try to answer your questions. It will give me some really good ideas on things to blog about as well.
Thought I'd share a couple of (not so great) photos of Starlight. She's on day 146 today, and big as a house. I'm guessing quads. She's had triplets both previous freshenings. Her udder has a way to go and her ligs aren't gone, so I don't think it will be today, but I sure hope they come soon.
