Light Bulb Moment in Kid Care

I admit that not all is firing in this gal's brain with the two hour marches out to the barn, the sitting while waiting for the wee one to nurse and then march back and disrobe...  I was so excited when it hit me how to help Wynonna through this nursing issue.

For years I have perfected my skills of getting babies on there way when their mothers just can not seem to do their jobs.  I have pat behavior to keep the little one's alive and thriving while keeping them as who they are and not making them into play toys or baby dolls.  But all of a sudden it hit me - since Wynonna (the mother) really does not think herself a goat and is SO SO attached to me I would have to change the way I and her look at the Wee One.

So I started my new ideas.  First, I normally do not touch the babies more then necessary because I want them to get their love from their mother not me.  I did not wish to get the scent of me on them to confuse their Mother.  In this case since Wynonna LIVES to have me near I first took a thin jacket of mine that I wear and tied it to the barn wall where I have been leaning on while sitting with the two of them.  Wynonna went up to the jacket and smelled it and then stood still while leaning on it.  While doing that the Wee One got to nurse.  I was on the outside of the barn door peeking in and it looks like we are making progress.

Next step was to put my smell on the Wee One... Just then I remembered I had started the laundry so no clothes available there so I went to my sock drawer and put on my least favorite pair of socks.  I am wearing them during the night to make sure I can get my scent going.  NO, I don't have stinky feet but rather it is so I can cut the toe section off and put two slits in the sides and make a little jacket for the baby.  In the mean time I place my hand cream on my hands and rubbed it over the body of the baby.  Wynonna went to work on smelling her and then for the first time she licked the body and tail of the baby.  Before she was biting the tail so this is progress.

Then another step - I put the baby in my lap and gave her tons of strokes and scratches.  Normally, that attention was given to Wynonna so she was pushing my hand away from the baby as if to say "Now Me"... So it went - one pet for baby, one pet for mother.  This went on for 10 minutes or so.  Then I walked away and watched.  Yep, Wynonna smelled the baby over and talked to her.  That was again a first. 

So this retraining will go on and I will add more interactions to get the attachment process to grow.  Tonight Max helped out by licking the baby through the panel while I scratched his uber soft full fleeced body.   This got Wynonna's attention.  She walked over and touched noses with Max and then the baby...  Another first.  So progress is being made.  This does not mean that the two hour checks and nursing will no continue with me during the night but I have hope that this might become no longer necessary.  Keep those fingers crossed.  Another chapter I should have in my book - Someday...