Birth

Today reconfirmed my fear of birth and babies, and perhaps left permanent emotional scars.
Today I watched a cow give birth.

Now to those who have seen birth before, and are saying, Ariel-- it's natural, beautiful even, I have this to say: You have no idea the things I saw. Seriously.

The calf was stuck, had to be pulled out which demanded Wim putting his entire arm up into the cow and repositioning the calf. After half an hour of pulling and pushing, and some of the worst cow labor pain screams you can imagine, the baby came out covered in all kinds of horrible fluids and sacks.
But it wasn't over then. The calf had apparently inhaled his placenta and was currently... drowning. In a truely terrifying moment Wim and Fien lifted the calf by his back legs into the air and shook him, then flopped him back to the ground and administered a botched cow-heimlich manuver/CPR until this gooey viscous liquid poored out the calf's mouth and it finally started breathing.
This whole time I was really not helping at all, and once it was over, I suddenly felt somewhat sick to my stomach. I went inside to sit down, and Fien, seeing my distress, pulled down a bottle of danish mead and some single malt whiskey.
After a few shots, I feel much better. Though I'm still totally traumatized. And I think the calf is too, or at least he should be.