[Woogie Man]

I won't try to offer any advice other than some practical things based on what I've been through. First off, you must be home 24/7 as whelping time approaches. They can be a few days early or late; also you may be off in your counting days a bit. Also, can you really count on the Yorkie breeder you know to be available at a moment's notice; even in the middle of the night? These babies have a habit of picking the most inconvenient time to whelp. They go on their schedule, not ours. I've never had a litter yet where the mother didn't need some help with the bags and cords, especially on the first one or two pups of the litter. They're sometimes just too big to be able to reach around and do what needs to be done. The heating pad and bulb suction are essential to have at the ready. For me personally, I've never had much luck with whelping boxes so now I place an old comforter in the corner, put the heating pad on that and then cover that with some towels. The mother uses the corner to help push. I change the towels as needed during the process and place the newborns aside on a heating pad (covered with a towel) while she is actually delivering the next one then return them to the mother when she is done with the birthing of that one. For me the whelping box just gets in my way. The room I use is a dedicated nursery and is away from the 'noisy' part of the house. Luckily, I've never had any complications so I can't speak from experience about other issues. Hope this helps and good luck with everything.