Pregnant Question about separation of pubic bones prior to birth - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**danav** · #1 09-11-09, 08:51 pm

I'm not sure when my piggies (both pregnant) are due...I've had them 52 days now, so they are at LEAST that far along, but since I don't know exactly when they got pregnant before I got them I'm assuming the babies could come at any time now.

Anyway, I have been reading the the guinea pig's pubic bones will separate a centimeter or so a day or two before she gives birth. I've been feeling their pubic bones every day and both of them feel like a single point still, no separation. My question is, will I definitely feel them separate a day or two before the birth if I am checking? In other words, as long as the bones are still together, is it a pretty safe assumption that the babies aren't coming just yet?

**anniewntsaG-PIG** · #2 09-11-09, 08:57 pm

In most cases, yes. You can feel when the pelvic bonesare separated and the babies will come soon after.

Have you baby-proofed the cage? And, do you feel moving inside the piggies stomachs when you (gently) press on her mid-section? Do you know how old the girls are?

Sorry about all the questions (hehe) but I'm just curious!
Good luck to you and your babies!!

**danav** · #3 09-11-09, 09:07 pm

I don't know how old the girls are...I was only told "under a year".

Yep, I sure can feel the babies moving! I felt them for the first time last week (which is when I realized for sure that they are both pregnant). This week I've been able to actually feel the pups in there - little legs and such - rather than just feeling movements, and I can actually SEE them kicking as well! I believe Hermione has at least two babies, as I can feel them on both sides. I think Ginny only has one, because when I feel that pup on one side, her other side feels empty. It's kind of making me nostalgic for my own pregnancies...

I have baby-proofed the cage already, by adding higher coroplast on the ends and double-grids on the sides, and covering the inside of their bent-grid hidey with fleece (I had it covered with just one piece of fleece on the outside, so I just sewed another piece to it to make a pillow-case like cover). I do still need to make a new hay rack, because right now I have a bent-grid rack in there and I know that won't be safe when the babies are big enough to get stuck in the grid.

I'm nervous, but excited!

**anniewntsaG-PIG** · #4 09-11-09, 09:20 pm

Sounds like your prepared! And it's good that their under a year or else that could get tricky. Oh, and I love the names! Me and my sis are defiantly Harry Potter freaks! Haha!

Good luck! (and be sure you post tons of pictures if everything goes OK, because I think I can speak for a lot of people on here when I say we love baby piggies!! Hehe!)

And be sure to have a vet on call just in case if something goes unexpected. Again good luck Mommy!

**angiekay** · #5 09-11-09, 10:21 pm

Def. Def. PICS, of those babies, excited for you, as I will never see babies myself, with all boars, hehe, I guess is why I chose them, no worries about adding to the over population kinda thing, I know I would stress about finding them good homes, hope all goes well for mommy and can't wait to see your pictures.

I love it, another birthing waiting....waiting....I remember couple of weeks ago, I was checking every hour for the member's skinny to have those pups. They are sooooo cute.

**danav** · #6 09-18-09, 03:27 pm

Well, I think the girls' pubic bones feel slightly different now, as if they may be starting to separate a bit, but not a definite separation. Today I also put my ear to Hermione's side and am almost sure I actually HEARD something in there (other than her steady pulse) - could this have been the pups grinding their teeth? I have read somewhere recently that you can hear them doing that toward the end of a piggie pregnancy.

I'm getting really anxious for the pups to be born! Today we've had the girls for 59 days, so even if they got pg immediately before we brought them home, the births could happen any time now, right?

anniewntsaG-PIG - My daughter and I have decided we will keep one girl pup (assuming they aren't all boys!) and name her Luna. I'm reading the Harry Potter series to her this year and she really loves the books, which is where the girls' names came from obviously, and she wants to continue the theme if we keep a baby. She doesn't know Luna Lovegood yet (we've only read the first three books together) but I assured her it would be a good name to go along with Hermione and Ginny and she'll find out who Luna is eventually! She wants to name any boys Harry and Ron or George and Fred, even though we'll have to rehome them.

**anniewntsaG-PIG** · #7 09-18-09, 03:55 pm

Haha!! Very cute!
They should come very soon! And I'm sure you can hear the babies while in the stomach. Hope everything gose well for you and your babies!!

**danav** · #8 09-20-09, 03:06 pm

Oh my goodness...I just checked my girls while cleaning their cage and Hermione's bones ARE now separated a centimeter or so! Ginny's still feels together. But I expected Hermione would be the first to give birth - she apears to have more pups and her belly is much larger than Ginny's! I didn't check them yesterday, so I don't know how long she's been ready.
I'm still nervous, but excited that her babies could be here any time now!

**angiekay** · #9 09-20-09, 03:27 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by danav

Oh my goodness...I just checked my girls while cleaning their cage and Hermione's bones ARE now separated a centimeter or so! Ginny's still feels together. But I expected Hermione would be the first to give birth - she apears to have more pups and her belly is much larger than Ginny's! I didn't check them yesterday, so I don't know how long she's been ready.
I'm still nervous, but excited that her babies could be here any time now!

Awww, bless your heart, hope it all goes well for momma pig! Can't wait to see the babies!!!

**danav** · #10 09-21-09, 11:03 am

No babies yet....but today Ginny's pelvic bones are separated as well - so it should be really soon for both mommies!

**angiekay** · #11 09-21-09, 11:28 am

Still waiting....can't wait! I love to see new baby pics!!!

**danav** · #12 09-22-09, 08:32 pm

Well, I don't recall exactly where I read it, but apparently the info that the bones separate 1-2 days before birth isn't accurate. Still no babies...

The pups are still actively kicking and wiggling in there, both my girls are eating and drinking and appear to be doing well. I just need to relax - I've been expecting Hermione's babies literally at any moment since Sunday and I'm kind of worked up about it now, feeling disappointed every time I look in the cage and she's still pregnant!

**clotho** · #13 09-24-09, 05:54 pm

Hi there! I know how nerve wracking it can be waiting for a piggie to give birth! They tend to want to give birth when they are alone and undisturbed, and sometimes I swear they wait because we are checking on them too much! I couldn't help checking all the time and my piggie still managed to have them when I wasn't around!

Gestation is 59-73 days. When the time is near, you will be able to hear the babies grinding their teeth in the womb.

Basically I have learned that a pregnant guinea pig will give birth when she's darned good and ready to! LOL Good luck!

**danav** · #14 09-24-09, 08:02 pm

I'm pretty sure I am hearing (and feeling) the pups grinding their teeth - I hear it when I'm just holding them, without even having my ear against the belly!

Anyway, nothing new today - they're both still pregnant. I know the normal pregnancy is up to 72 days, and they could have gotten pregnant right before we got them so we could have another week to go...I just really thought it was about to happen once I felt their bones separating, so I've been on "alert" for 4 days now! I know it can't be much longer now, though. I just want it to be over with and know everyone is ok!

**danav** · #15 09-26-09, 04:06 pm

THEY'RE HERE!

And mommies and pups all appear to be doing well!

All three babies were just born this afternoon! About an hour ago I walked by the cage and decided to do a poop vacuum. Ginny ran out of her hidey room when I started to vacuum in there, and I suddenly noticed her baby was sitting in there behind where she had been! It looks EXACTLY like her! It was still damp, and it hadn't been but an hour or so since I had last checked on them, so it was brand new.

I immediately called my friend who is with my daughter on a field trip today so I could tell my daughter that Ginny's baby was here. As soon as I hung up the phone, I heard a weird little "wheek" and looked in the cage just in time to see Hermione pull out her first baby! I got my video recorder and was able to record the birth of Hermione's second baby and her cleaning up her pups. She's still working at cleaning them right now - it's been about 35-40 minutes since they were born. One of them looks all white (please tell me not all solid-white piggies are lethals!) and the other one is brown and white - I'm not sure but they both look like they might have slightly longer hair.

Oh my goodness, they are so cute! I'll get pics as soon as I can manage to get them uploaded.

WHEW!!

**rahunter** · #16 09-26-09, 04:38 pm

Congrats!! We have had our girls for 56 days and poor Tiffany is about to pop! Her pelvis has been seperating for a day and a half. So my guess is anytime now. I thinkg she is only having 1 also. Glad to hear babies and mommies are doing well.

**danav** · #17 09-26-09, 05:00 pm

I'm astonished that they had their pups within a couple of hours of each other!

Ginny's pup is exploring all over the cage and, I think, popcorning! (Something neither Ginny nor Hermione have done, much to my daughter's disappointment!) Hermione is guarding her babies up against the side of the Fiddlesticks hidey. I picked them up to take a few pictures and check them out, and she did not seem very pleased. Now that they are dried off more, they both do have longer, messy hair that kind of swirls around all over the place.

I've looked at all three, and I can't tell if they are girls or boys yet - they all look the same, and all look like "girl parts", but they're so tiny I'm not sure!

**princesspoppy** · #18 09-26-09, 05:02 pm

Congrats im thrilled for you. Can we see some photos .

**danav** · #19 09-26-09, 05:56 pm

I will do my best to get pics up tonight - right now I have to go pick up my daughter (and surprise her with the fact that Hermione had her babies right after I talked to her!).

The pups are really active this evening, hopping all over the cage. And Ginny and Hermione are each nursing all the pups! I wondered if that would happen or not!

I'm on such a high right now - what a beautiful thing to witness today!

And praise God the births went smoothly and everyone is good... I've been praying our girls and their babies would be ok - the Lord is so faithful!

**SushiBonzai** · #20 09-26-09, 06:31 pm

That's really really sweet! It'll be great to see pictures and to hear your daughters reaction! I'm not exactly sure when you can sex them successfully, but sometime before 3 weeks. After all, if you couldn't do it before 3 weeks, then you couldn't separate them at the right time. Baby pigs are so cute! You are so lucky!

"Thank you, danav, for this useful post," says:
angiekay (09-21-09)