Bouncing Dams

I haven't had to do it this year, but it's always something looming over my head as kidding season approaches. Have you ever bounced a dam? Probably not. What is dam bouncing, you are probably asking? It's something you do when you don't know what's going on....

A dam is simply a mom goat. When a goat gives birth to multiples, they should be in a somewhat rapid succession. When you don't know if she's done or not, you have to bounce her. You oh so gently (hopefully, she won't understand what you're up to ) wrap your arms around her middle and squeeze, hard, in an upward motion. By now, she knows what you're up to and she hates you for it; but hopefully you've figured out if there's another baby in there or not. If there is, you'll feel a large, hard lump in there when you squeeze.

Here's the other thing: even after you've bounced your dam, if she's got a baby in her and is having a hard time, it's up to you to get the thing out! Here's where I go into the house, wash really good (trim my nails if there's any more than the slightest stub) and march back into the barn with a determined attitude. If I'm smart, I've brought a latex glove because things are about to get sloppy. By now, momma goat is eyeing me warily and takes a few steps away. Usually, we have a large and furry audience blocking her, so she doesn't get very far. Anyway, once I wrestle her back to the ground, I wait for a contraction and reach inside. As has always been my luck, I feel legs. Once I have two that seem to match, I can guide them out the birth canal. I can't forget to feel for the face, though. If I leave the head turned backward, baby will either stay stuck or break it's neck. I know it's still alive when it bites my finger; somehow baby always resents my involvement. Probably he's cranky from the 'squish and squeeze' that's been going on for a few hours.

All but one time, I've had luck guiding the kid out from here. There was a time that I had a kid get REALLY stuck. I had the lack of foresight to breed a first time mom to my largest buck, and even though the kid was all lined up to come out of the birth canal, he wouldn't. Feet were out, nose was out...baby wouldn't budge. What do you do now? Improvise. I grabbed a rope and tied it around the kid's exposed feet and pulled. Nothing happened. I guided gently downward and PULLED! Nothing happened. At this point, I figured I was about to turn momma inside out with one more tug, so I backed up and thought. This time, I grabbed the feet and twisted, then pulled. He must have had a stuck shoulder or something, because with the turning motion, he came out.

Why do I tell this story? Well, because I think God bounces dams. I think I'm a person with a life inside of me that needs to come out and add to the life around me. I think God takes the unpleasant task of approaching me in my pain to squeeze and test to see what I've got inside. I think he will humble himself to reach inside of me and patiently work with me. Even if I eye him down with lack of trust and lack of confidence, he will accomplish what he came to do. I am His and His will be done. In my agony, he will reach inside of me and battle what stubbornly holds onto my insides. If it needs to come out, my good God will see it done. I thank my Good God for bouncing me.