As mothers, we're all acutely aware that checking your dignity at the door of the maternity ward is part and parcel of the labour process, but at least we're supported by a team of people willing us to do our best, and ultimately meet our new arrival with minimum distress
With that in mind, we applaud a fellow mum who managed to endure the entire experience without so much as a helping hand or loving touch while perched on a rock in a tidepool outside Monterey Bay Aquarium yesterday.
In rare footage which has astounded researchers in California this weekend, a pregnant sea otter went into labour on the rock before safely delivering her pup and clutching him to her body.
Commenting on the footage which was entitled Nature in Action and gained inordinate attention online today, the aquarium said: "Our sea otter researchers have been watching wild otters for years and have never seen a birth close up like this."
"It’s not every day you get to watch a sea otter pup come into the world," they explained. "Sea otters can give birth in water or on land. You’ll notice that mom starts grooming her pup right away to help it stay warm and buoyant."
What a wonderful moment to witness!
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