Something You Don't See Everyday

I know I left you in anticipation of hearing about a new born calf and fresh placenta from my previous post...:) So here's a photo of both, one obviously a lot cuter than the other!

For those of you who are looking at the photo and don't know what a placenta is, it is the sac/temporary organ that holds and protects an infant inside a mother's womb. The placenta receives nutrients, oxygen, antibodies and hormones from the mother's blood and passes out waste.

Dr. Haris carefully pulled the placenta from the mother cow just after she gave birth. When cattle roam as free as they do in Indonesia, it's a risk to for the mother to be dragging that placenta around for days. It offers the opportunity for wild animals to rip it and eat it from the mother; which can not only be painful but life threatening as well. This is why Dr. Haris spent about 20 minutes pulling it out rather than letting it fall out naturally.

We were able to be part of this new birth process just by chance as we were passing through the area during our assessment. Not only did we help the mother by removing her placenta, but we also gave mom and baby medication and vitamins.

Also, just because I personally found the children amusing who were watching this whole process, here's a video of what our surroundings were like: