Woman didn’t realize a special someone was there during labor — until she saw the video

Childbirth is undoubtedly one of the most painful experiences in a woman's life. Although nothing can alleviate the physical pain, having loved ones around makes most women much stronger during delivery. Similarly, Nichol Gerber's (@nichol.gerber on TikTok) home birth experience became even more memorable when she noticed her loyal dog, Penny, standing by her side throughout the process. Interestingly, Gerber did not realize Penny's presence until she watched her childbirth video later. 

In the now-viral video, Gerber was captured comforting her newborn baby while Penny stood behind her, ensuring her mother and new human sibling were safe. Later, Gerber's husband and son also joined them, making it a picture-perfect family moment. "You just gave birth in your bedroom and you did not know your dog was there witnessing the whole thing," read the overlay text, while the wholesome moment played on the screen. The TikTok video received an overwhelming response on social media with several mothers sharing their personal childbirth experiences. 

For instance, @lexseeblueee commented, "She’s just making sure everyone is emotionally good and if anyone needs help for anything. I love dogs!" @stevierose311 who had a similar experience, commented, "I also had a home birth and my female dog watched the whole birth and she was by my side for 28 hrs during labor." @rhianleach commented, "Congratulations! I delivered my baby boy in my bathroom by myself. My husband was on the morning school run. My dog was there with me so calm until I had to leave to go to the hospital he didn't leave my side." @kaitiescraftsshop wrote, "I labored in the bathroom at home before going to the hospital and I have a picture of each of my dogs coming in to check on me and it’s the most precious memory."

@lost_in_trauma commented, "This has me uncontrollably crying! Births are so emotionally jerking for me but the way the dog looked at you both just made me cry." @simply_me1997 wrote, "This genuinely probably saved him so much confusion of you bringing home a random human. This is beautiful!" On the other hand, @itzkennedywehrle commented, "This is so adorable! Our family dog passed away a few days ago and this will be the first baby that doesn’t get to him." @oneorangebraincell3 wrote, "This is precious! He looked so worried about everyone, then you see his relief once everyone was okay again." @ghostofgoose wrote, "Even though I had my baby in the hospital, it would have been so beautiful to have my sweet boy there with me."

Meanwhile, talking to PEOPLE, Gerber revealed that although she never grew up around dogs, she and Penny developed a special connection. Notably, their bond grew even stronger during Gerber's second pregnancy. She said, “She’d be around me more and lay next to me more. Some nights when she’s cuddling up next to me, I’m like, 'What are you feeling? What are you thinking? Are you trying to tell me something?'" Moreover, Gerber shared that Penny has displayed great curiosity since the new baby's arrival. She revealed, “If she’s concerned about the baby’s crying, we do notice that she’ll go over and sniff her. And she will make sure she is okay or she will go near her until I am able to pick her up.”

Follow Nichol Gerber (@nichol.gerber) on TikTok for more dog-related content.