Help!... i`m worried...

[Elaine]

Hello everyone, my name is Elaine,
i`ve just signed up to this site as i`ve just over 9 weeks ago got myself a couple of g,pigs females, and had no intentions of ever ever breeding them.

A couple of weeks ago i discovered to my horror that one is pregnant as i could feel them moving around inside her when i gently held her stomach, i also noticed the weight she was putting on, but not having any experience b4 now with guinea pigs,didnt think anythin of it until i felt them moving.
i`m terrified somethin will go wrong with her when shes ready to have her litter, because to be honest i`d run a mile if i see her in distress, i am no good to her if she needs me so this is leaving me having sleepless nights, trust me i may sound like a drama queen but i`m just being honest.
From wot ive read shes going to be delivering any day soon, as ive had her 9 weeks yesterday!!!!!
the other g,pig is definatley female as that was the firt thing i did was get her sexed again, as i thought she must be a male..but shes deffo all woman!
My poor Little Guineas were only 8 weeks old i was told when i got them, is that very young to be pregnant?
i would appreciate any advice anyone can give me, i am sooo scared something will go horribly wrong with her, it would break my heart, all of our hearts...
please help.

Elaine..

[Pigs N Blankets]

I'm sorry about your pig being pregnant! The best age for breeding them is between 3or 4 months to no older than 8 months, so it sounds like your pig made the cut-off.
When I was growing up I had a lot of guinea pigs and a lot of them would get pregnant (I was young and uniformed about how bad that was). Out of all the pigs that got pregnant (probably about 10) only one died and gave birth to two stillbirths, but that was her second and I think she was too old. They're gestation is about 9-10 weeks depending on the number of babies. Make sure she gets enough vitamin C as that is vital for her health, especially now.
When the babies are born the other female should get along with the rest, but check to see if any of them are boys and remove them once they're done nursing (you'll have to check how long that is). Good luck, I hope your pig has a healthy pregnancy. The babies will be so cute you won't want to get rid of them!

[Faith & Edwena]

Hey Elaine - thanks for your message, advice and good wishes on my topic.

Its scary being a new piggy owner isn't it? - especially when you care about your piggies.
Sorry don't have any useful advice for you as I'm in the same boat (minus pregnant piggy)
I am sure your piggy will be fine with such a loving 'mummy'
Keep us posted on how things go

[Elaine]

Thank you so much pigs N blankets that makes me feel so much better.
i`ve been looking online at all the baby guinea pig pictures and like u say they are very very cute and it will break my heart to part with them, but i just dont have the room here at home for them, and where i live isnt an ideal place to keep them outside, but they will remain with me until i find them good homes.
Faith & Edwina thank you also for your nice words, and i will definatly let you know when she has her babies.

[muffin]

Hi there Elaine, welcome to the forum. OK deep breath, so your situation is worrying you immensely, but if you can, try not to get worked up because animals can pick up on tension, so it's better to be prepared than panicked! I've put below a link on how to prepare for and deal with pregnancy. It's very good information. There are also extra links to click on at the top left hand side of the page.
Guinea Lynx :: Reproduction

At this stage it's all very scary. I've been in your situation partly. When I adopted my two girls there was a small chance they could be pregnant, so I got all the good information I could and tried to prepare myself for anything that might go wrong. From what I've read, piggies will usually have their babies in the night, or when you're not there, and you will find them after the event, as if they'd always been there. However this is not always the case and you need to know what to look out for and what to do if things do go wrong. I'm assuming you have a vet who is competent in treating guinea pigs. If you don't, find one and register with them, and it's important to find one with an emergency out-of-hours service, and put both telephone numbers where you can get them easily. Set up a carry cage in case you have to rush your piggy to the vet.

If your piggy is close to giving birth it is usually advised not to lift her, as this may damage the babies. Keep cleaning the cage as usual, even once the babies are born. ie. clean one half whilst the pregnant piggy is in the other, then shoo her over and do the other half. (Don't use any kind of sprays or cleaning fluids as she might inhale them). Make sure your pig has plenty of hay, dry food and water, and keep a close eye on her for any bahavioural chnages. If you see her sitting fluffed up in a corner looking depressed she may be in trouble. This can be a sign of pregnancy toxemia, a condition described at the bottom of the page I've given you a link for. If she is like this, try and get near enough to smell her breath, if it smells like nail polish remover (ketones), that is a sure sign of pregnancy toxemia, and she needs a vet as soon as possible.

The link is really good, but if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask. You might be better asking in the main 'about guinea pigs' section of the forum, as more people read that and you will get more replies. Hope this helps.