How will I know she's going into labor- day 64 today.

[zoe11032]

Hello! On May 1st I got two piggies I was told were 2 females, well, one was male. I have a female I believe is very pregnant. She's about 7-8 months old now. I'm new to piggies. I have her in a 2x4 C&C cage with fleece liners from Etsy. Does anyone know how labor is close approaching? She's going through a great amount of water! one or more bottles per day about. We are about day 60-65 today, give or take. I feel a bit of decent seperation in her pubic bones. i also feel pretty decent sized kicks as well. Luckily I work at a veterinary office so I have a DVM on standby!! Thanks for your help

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

I've never had sows, much less a pregnant one. That said, I'm pretty sure your little girl will be giving birth any time now.

I wouldn't handle her from here on out unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Smileandnod]

Hello and welcome to the world of guinea pigs.

No need to keep checking her pelvic bones. I think that just stresses out the mom more than it gives an indication of impending birth. You will eventually hear the babies inside gnashing their teeth. My two (who were already pregnant when I adopted them from a shelter) gave birth a few days after hearing that. No need to handle her more than necessary.

Drape some fleece over an end of the cage to give her a quiet safe place and lots of hay.

Make sure the male is separated from the female AND cannot get to her. Yes, he will climb a divided wall. So please either make sure she has a sturdy lid on her side of the cage or give them space between the two different cages (not side by side unless again she has a lid). He will mate with her right after giving birth.

Also, no playtime between the male and female even if supervised. Unless you get him neutered, keep them separate.

After the babies are here, separate the males from the females at 3 weeks so you don't have more unintended pregnancies and inbreeding.

Good luck! I hope everything goes well for both your sow and the babies.

 

[zoe11032]

Thank you so much! I have only handled her once within the last week very briefly... just today. I felt gnashing (but didn't hear??) in the belly today. I turned off all the lights in the room she's in... with the exception of my bedside lamp which isn't very bright. The male is in his own C&C cage in a seperate room as to not stress her and cause further pregnancies. Thank you!

 

[Guinea Pig Papa]

Just as an aside...

We love baby pigtures here. You know. When they're born.

 

[Smileandnod]

Thank you so much! I have only handled her once within the last week very briefly... just today. I felt gnashing (but didn't hear??) in the belly today. I turned off all the lights in the room she's in... with the exception of my bedside lamp which isn't very bright. The male is in his own C&C cage in a seperate room as to not stress her and cause further pregnancies. Thank you!

Excellent!!

My apologies, I just want to clarify that the fleece (or fabric, or towel) draped over an end of the cage isn't so much about keeping it dark, it's more to give her a sense of safety overheard - you know a barrier from the scary human "hawks" moving about the room ;-)

And yes, as [MENTION=3221]GuineaPigPapa @%1;

 

[bpatters]

The pups will come when they come, sort of like human babies. Some early, some late, some right on time.

See https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...inea-pig-is-pregnant-And-how-far-along-is-she for more info.

 

[zoe11032]

Thanks everyone! She is having some discharge tonight, at day 66-67. It is clear and sort of mucus like... she's still eating and drinking a lot. Is this normal or an indicator of anything going wrong?

 

[bpatters]

It's normal.

 

[zoe11032]

Here are her x-rays from today, we see three spines at least! how much longer do you think considering the pubic bone seperation?

 

[4boipigs]

Could the vet not give a guess on timeframe?

 

[zoe11032]

He is new to working with exotics, but he thinks within a week.

 

[bpatters]

They'll come when they come. Some sows will have only a little separation for a little while and then deliver. Others will have quite wide separation for several days before the pups come. The pups can't read the instructions about when they're supposed to be born, so they'll get here when they get here.

You're probably not going to see the delivery anyway, unless you get really lucky. Just relax, and don't bother her except to make sure she's not sitting on a wet place without moving.

 

[Smileandnod]

Why are you having her x-rayed poor thing...is she having complications?

The best thing to do, as was said before, is at this point in her pregnancy to minimize handling her and keep her in a calm environment. The babies will come when they are ready.

In the meantime babyproof the cage if you haven't already.

 

[sallyvh]

Just be patient. They will come when they come. With my two pregnant rescues, the one had separated pubic bones for 6 days before delivery, while the other's pubic bones were only separated for 1 day before she delivered. Both were the same age and had the same number of pups. Pregnancy is unpredictable and works on it's own timeline!

 

[zoe11032]

Thank you everyone. I've left her alone now since the vet, she seems to be sleeping a lot more, still eating and drinking a lot! But for the past I'd say about 3 hours shes been sleepy. I'll keep you posted if she delivers. Sorry I work at a vet's office and he thought it would be a good idea to take her in for a general exam and X-ray... I didn't know it would possibly stress her! She's been very good. I placed a dark fleece over half of her cage to keep it nice and cozy.

 

[Smileandnod]

Have you babyproofed your 2x4 c&c cage yet in preparation for the babies?

 

[zoe11032]

Yes i have babyproofed the cage! Thank you!!
Also another update... we have milk production as of recently. Does this mean labor is imminent? I read somewhere else this means 12-24 hours until birth, but also I've read milk shouldn't be produced before birth. Is this cause for concern or is this okay?

 

[Smileandnod]

Yes i have babyproofed the cage! Thank you!!
Also another update... we have milk production as of recently. Does this mean labor is imminent? I read somewhere else this means 12-24 hours until birth, but also I've read milk shouldn't be produced before birth. Is this cause for concern or is this okay?

How do you know she already has milk production?

 

[zoe11032]

Hi all! She had the babies! 3 born within an hour around 11am. However... she did not eat the placentas. Is this cause for concern? She is eating her food, hay and drinking water, but isn't paying much attention to the new kiddos. Any advice?