[myjordash]

OK here is how it went, and PLEASE critique me!

The water broke, and immediately we saw the first puppy coming. Within seconds she let out a whelp and next thing you know the puppy was NOT in a sac the Mom started running frantic with the placenta still in her, so the pup was hanging. My Mom grabbed the Mom and I grabbed the puppy and squeezed the umbilical cord and then snipped like instructed. Freed the puppy and the Mom took off into a corner. So I suctioned the mouth and rubbed the puppy and that one was looking and acting great. I got him to nurse for a few minutes and then gave Mom a break and she ran off and hid behind a toilet.

Then we got her back into the box, and she started contracting again while lying down in the box with us. The next one came and was in the sac and delivered with the Placenta still attatched. Again the Mom got frantic and ran and hid. I immediately opened the sac, and suctioned the pup. That one was not as active right away, but with the rubbing and keeping warm, and then putting him on a nipple he started sucking and getting stronger and stronger. He at for a good 10 minutes. Then we gave the Mom a break and about 40 min. went by. Then she started again, again in the box while nursing her pups. This Pup was also born in the sac. I opened the sac, Mom took off, and suctioned a warmed the puppy. Within minutes, while we were giving Mom a break, she went in a corner, and started having another contraction. This time the Puppy came out with NO sac, and the cord and Placenta were still in the Mom and the Puppy was VERY close to the Inside of the mom. Since there was no sac, I started suctioning his mouth and rubbing him eventhough he was still attatched to her. It was very hard to get a grip on the cord because it was so tight. I waited for her to have a contraction or for it to stretch a bit, and when it did, I was able to get a good squeeze on it, and then we snipped and freed the puppy. It took about 20 minutes and eventually that Placenta disappeared, and we think she ate it because it was just hanging out of her.

So we have 4 pups, and we honestly have no idea if they are male or female. We haven't even tried to look. The entire litter was delivered in about 3 hours. She doesn't seem to be too interested in the puppies. If we hold her down for the puppies to eat, she will stay there as long as one person is petting her and the other is getting the pups set up on a nipple. I called into the Vet and they said we should just leave her alone with her puppies and she will start tending to their needs herself. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Should I get up every 2 hours and make sure she is feeding them? Will they cry if they are hungry, or should I just go in there and lie her down and make sure she is feeds them while I am there to watch? Should she eventually start doing this on her own without my help?
Did I do anything wrong with the delivery? I have 4 healthy looking puppies and a healthy Mom so I think I did OK, but whether I did everything by the book, I am not sure. I felt like I was too hands on, but on the other hand, the Mom kept running away, and with the baby hanging there, I didn't feel I had any other option.

Thank you all for being here, and I will post pics tomorrow. You guys are truley GREAT!!!! Any advice or critiquing, will be greatly appreciated!

P.S. I called the Vet and they told me to pick up her bed and put the puppy box next to her so that she feels like being with them, so I did, and she got into the box with the puppies! YEAH!!!! Now I would just love to see her nurse them on her own!

Audrey