First stage of labor…

Just came back up from my “last check before bedtime” and Bindi is finally starting labor!

The first stage of labor can last anywhere from 2 to 6 hours, so I’m thinking I may not get much sleep tonight!

After the cervix begins to dilate, that little lamb (the first of at least 2, I’d say!) will soon start stimulating her to strain.  It’s only when the straining seems to go on without any active delivery that I’ll have to intervene.  Otherwise, it’s just a watch and wait game — watching for, hopefully, 2 front feet followed by a nose.  Last year little Boomer came out with just a nose.  That was an obvious sign that I had to intervene and get his front feet into position.  I’m hoping that this doesn’t happen again!

We’ve opened her stall up a bit to the adjacent area so she can do some walking around if she so desires.  We’ve set up lights and taken down all of the towels, lamb pullers, meds, gloves and other apparati that we hope we will not need.  Hopefully all I’ll have to do is towel them off, dip their umbilical cords in iodine solution, and make sure they’re nursing and settling in well with mom.

Let the lambing begin!