I just joined YorkieTalk.com and this is my very first post! So...please forgive me if this isn't the correct format, but I feel like I need to tell my story.
I came across this site when seeking information on whelping. Yes, you guessed it...I'm expecting a litter...the very first on my own! Ahhhhhhhh!
So whereas I am excited and happy about finally starting this which has been in the works for 3 years now, I am very stressed and scared.
Here's why. I work full-time far from home. My goal is to start working from home or just be able to be a stay-at-home mom, but that's still in the works. So, I looked for a reputable breeder who's been doing this for almost 40 years, got my little girl, Lola and waited until a time when I felt comfortable that she was ready for breeding. The breeder agreed to take Lola in 1-2 weeks before her due date and whelp the litter for me and hang on to them for a couple of weeks until they were old enough to stay longer periods of time alone. This way, I could start working on breeding and start developing a feel for it and gaining some experience. Hopefully with each litter, I could be more involved and hands on.
Before getting to the point of breeding Lola, I did get to participate in whelping one of my breeder's litters. I paid close attention and then visited weekly to interact with the puppies. I loved it, every bit of it!
When my Lola was 2 1/2 years old, we went ahead and bred her to a beautiful Champion and went through with the plan. BUT when the babies were born, 1 was born with a portion of the intestine coming out and the other 3 slowly faded away. My first litter (technically) and not a single one survived. The breeder did everything she knew how. God bless her because when I couldn't be there, she was up all night as needed to tend to these babies.
The babies looked like their skins were thin, shiny. They were skinny. Lola didn't seem to care for them and her milk never seemed to come in...not sure whether this had to do with the fact the babies weren't really nursing?
I was distraught. So was my breeder- in her decades of breeding Yorkies, she had never seen anything like it. For many months after that, I didn't want to think about breeding again. I searched for information on what it could be, but the bottom line is, we never knew why this happened. Eventually I decided a year later to try 1 more time. Call me crazy, but it just felt right to give it one more go.
And so...we did. Same plan as before especially because of the history and I wanted all her experience available to Lola and the pups, but also because my work situation has not changed yet...it's one of those things, it looks like it's within reach, but it doesn't quite happen.
And soooooooo...we're expecting. I'm a numbers person, so this time I decided to track things, which is more my style. My breeder is very experienced and has a 'feel' for things. I don't 'feel' anything yet, so I need it in black an white...and probably will for ever because that's just me.
I tracked her weight. The first 5 weeks her weight fluctuated a little, but no significant gain. I began to worry. Today she is on day 58 and has gained 2.2lbs. I'm still concerned. I don't know whether that's enough?
To make matters worse, I got a message from the breeder. Something unforeseen has come up and she will be unable to take Lola in. We were supposed to drop her off today.
So since Thursday night when I got these news, I began to frantically try to put in place a plan B.
(1)I've talked to a vet who offers emergency services and is aware of the upcoming estimated whelping date.
(2)I'm reaching out to as many people as I can to see where I can find support and/or help.
(3)I've prepared all the supplies I think I'll need from what I found in my research.
(4)I've been tracking her temperature
(5)And this may be overboard, but I put a webcam on her with a remote control heating lamp so I can monitor the temperature both in the air and her bed and turn the lamp on and off as needed so she can be as comfortable as possible. This way I can also monitor her eating and potty visits.
Only problem is, I'm still far away. I have eyes there, but I am not there. Ugh.
My current plan is to monitor Lola's temperature and hope it's a sure-tell. When she drops, I'll call out of work to be with her during the labor. I am a fast learner, and I think I know what I need to do, but I'm still a ball of nerves. I'm very happy and excited that the babies are due soon, but I can't help but have very present on my mind what happened last time and I'm scared that I've done this much, but is it enough?
I'm going to be calling the vet to see whether we can do an XRay hopefully today.
Other than that, I have no idea what else to do.
Crossing my fingers and praying hard that all goes well for my little princess.