SMC Online Doula Training – August 2026
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Birth Story
Birth Story
Watching Cleo give birth is the only birth I have ever witnessed and although she was my dog, it shaped how I viewed the birthing process, motherhood and the thereafter.
I remember being on the phone with my now husband, telling him how my dog was doing because we knew it could happen any day. She had been nesting in my laundry, so we were just waiting. Everything happened so quietly. She stayed calm the entire time, no whining, barking, nothing. At one point I told Derek to hold on because she had gotten too quiet. When I climbed out of my bed, she had already delivered one puppy and was getting ready for the next, right in the middle of my laundry pile. I remember the whole process didn’t seem very long, at least not from my perspective.
One puppy came out not breathing, and I immediately panicked. My mom told me to let Cleo do what came naturally to her instead of stepping in. That was one of the hardest things to do, but I trusted her. Sure enough, she licked him over and over until he took his first breath. Then she cleaned him up just like she had with the others and kept going. It was amazing to watch her instincts take over.
My younger brother stayed by my side through it all, helping however he could. I also remember laughing because Zeus, the puppies’ dad, was pacing back and forth outside my bedroom door, whining the entire time. I remember thinking, “This must be what dads are like.”
By around midnight, Cleo had delivered six puppies. We got her cleaned up, settled into her crate with her babies, and went to bed. Not long after, I felt something in my spirit telling me to check on her. Sure enough, she had quietly delivered a seventh puppy all by herself. I cleaned everything up again and went back to bed. Before the night was over, she delivered an eighth puppy. I swear she looked at me like, “Please let this be the last one.”
Watching her become a mother changed how I viewed motherhood. By the second month, she was exhausted. Every time the puppies wanted to nurse, they climbed all over her. She would drag them around trying to get away and eventually became snappy because she had nothing left to give. She was physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. She became so thin that she was almost nothing but skin.
That experience taught me that mothers begin sacrificing long before anyone notices. They pour themselves into their children over and over again. It also taught me something else: if no one steps in to support them, mothers will keep giving until there is nothing left to give not even themselves. That lesson has stayed with me ever since.
- 2 Replies
Wow Sa’Mirah, I have never seen a dog give birth. What a sight to see. It is amazing how they know what needs to be done without needing us to interven. My children have been at me to get us a dog. I know they will say mom this is another sign 🤣
It was definitely a sight to see, that’s for sure haha. Its beautiful to see birth outside of the human experience. I agree with your kids, get a dog!! I love my puppy.
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