I will say this: It was an ugly labor. Robin is a first-freshener, just about 135 pounds. She delivered over 18 pounds of babies in three packages and a bunch of fluid and -stuff-, and she was incredibly TIGHT in there. The first baby was completely breech - tail first with no sign of legs - and Hazel was able to get her shoved back in and caught some legs and pulled her out. I was on the phone to Kathryn. The second one was head-with-no-legs, and Hazel figured out later, tangled with his brother's legs in a kidwreck. She had to somehow get her hand down there alongside the boy's neck (with Kathryn patiently repeating this to me as I was on the phone a second time...) so she could get legs, and the buckling came out. I have no idea about the third, but I think I was on the phone with Kathryn once more. I'm not sure how we managed to get through Athena. All I could think of was the St. Hilare's recent loss, and Kathryn's having lost Peri with a C-section, and Robin's being so tiny, and I felt like I was afraid the whole time. Hazel AND her father were incredible. I have no doubt that if Robin had gone into labor alone, she would have died trying to birth those babies.
Robin's pretty moody and nervous and we are monitoring her very very closely. The babies are so vital and strong, compared with Athena's babies, you wouldn't know the trauma of their entry into the world. Robin wins the prize, so far, for Largest Variety. I think she has the weight category down too.
Update, a day later: Robin's temp has been holding steady, and she's eating and although she wants us out there with her 24/7, she's doing pretty well. Robin's babies are doing incredible. So strong, so busy, such good suck on their milk bottles! They are VERY easy to feed. :)
Pictures, and Hazel will do her blog, later.
Robin had given us a false alarm the day before but she was all business now. When I did a check on the first kid, I thought I had an ear. But then since it was so small, I thought I felt a really fuzzy foot. It wasn't until the butt was coming out that I realized I had a tail. I shoved the kid back in and was searching desperately for a leg but once finding none I had to get almost in to my elbow before I found a leg. It took alot of massaging before Robin's uterus was loose enough to pull the leg forward. Once it was, she heaved and out came the kid. A beautiful black doe!
Next, the there was only a head, and it was trying to breathe while he was still in her. His head came out but still no legs appeared. Robin couldn't push him out with both legs back. I felt around and found some legs on top of him, the third kid was trying to come through the birth canal at the same time. I pushed him back and found the first kid's legs. Then I panicked. The kid had stopped breathing. I didn't bother massaging the cervix. Without the other kid on top of him, I was able to pull one of the second kid's legs forward and . . . .Robin wouldn't push. I was concerned about the kid, who still wasn't breathing, so I poked the top inside of her birth canal. Nothing. I continued poking until she pushed and I could pull the kid out. He wasn't breathing. I stimulated him and dried him off. He screamed and immediately he started sucking on my finger. I was relieved. Mom took over and finished drying off the blue roan buck. The third kid was the only easy one, nose and toes position and was fast. He too was soon dried off.