My bitch is a large breed scanned twice and 8 puppies seen.  This is a first litter and she is a few days off 7 weeks.  So far other than looking wider she has no belly bump?  Also no sign of puppy movement yet?  Is this normal?

The most growing will be done in the last 2 weeks...just remember a week for a bitch, will be a month for a woman..if that helps?

My large breed girls often don't really show much before 7 - 8 weeks then they tend to drop underneath rather than sideways. If I am guessing right you have a larger breed and they are very good at hiding pups. Wait till after she has eaten and is settled then lie quietly by her side and ruffle your fingers under her coat till you feel skin. Just behind the last rib is a good spot and be patient. You may feel a little flutter ;-) Some say they can hear heartbeats but without shaving a heavily coated breed all you get from a scope if the sound of moving fur !!! She should start to hang lower now under her tum. You will see a hollowing in her flank.
Aileen

You will be quite shocked at how much she will increase in size in the next two weeks....rapid growth for pups then. Puppy movement usually not that obvious until last 10 days but can be felt earlier.

We must be due near enough the same day :-D we're on day 46 or thereabouts here!

Previously, I've felt & seen puppies moving on day 52..........I'll let you know when I feel them this time :-)

Thanks everyone, her mum who is a bit smaller and shorter bodied than her had a tummy much earlier but as she is bigger, deeper and longer bodied I guess there is just more room to hide :-)

I didn't manage to feel any movement yet but heard a few puppy heartbeats with the Doppler tonight which has put my mind at rest. 

Jolene, my girl is 47 days since having frozen AI, 49 days from ovulation so not far off your girl.  I'm not sure if I should be counting 63 days from ovulation or from AI....anyone know?

She's probably carrying them up under her ribcage.   However, as always, a scan only confirms the situation at the time of the scan.   I could see mine moving around by about week 7.   I guess, as with all human pregnancies, we all carry differently.

>should be counting 63 days from ovulation or from AI....anyone know?

From ovulation, 62 days +/- 1 day

>She's probably carrying them up under her ribcage.

MamaBas, I swear that you can read my mind.  :-)

I think this may be the case as the heartbeats I picked up were quite high.  I couldn't hear anything moving toward her rear

MamaBas, I swear that you can read my mind.

Great ones eh!!  But with my main breed and their ribcages which should 'extend well back', this is more likely than not, especially early on before the puppies start to have less and less room.  

what stage do you see the puppies drop or does that not happen until shes about to whelp?

I'd not think this can be generalised - if a bitch only has a couple of puppies she may be able to keep them up under the ribcage for a significantly longer time than if there's a load when from a 'room available' point of view alone, will mean they'll be come more visible later on.   And if the bitch has good muscle tone, she'll be more likely to be able to carry them up than a 'saggy' bitch!!   It would also depend on size and breed?   And no two pregnancies will be the same although a young fit bitch is more likely to keep them 'up' than an older bitch who has carried a litter??  Just my opinion.

They might not if she is particularly fit. We had a large breed bitch (slim build but hairy) who carried a litter of 10 and didn't show until the afterbirth was in the whelping box ;-)

Well final trip to vets day 53 for 2nd Herpes.  2 Vets who know my girl very well commented how she didn't look pregnant but agreed she looked wide.  The vet asked if it was ok to have a little check with the scan (think even she feared the worst)which I agreed to and there was puppies and heartbeat all over the screen so no concern now.  She also weighed her and she has gained just over 8kg which is more than my other girls have put on in whelp.

Just goes to show here was me looking for changes since about 21 days in and she still has had very few! No nipple change at all up until last 4 days or so, including no change in colour. Has ate great the whole way through, shown no change in temprement and is as active as ever up the hills playing with other dogs and big road walks every day so I guess being fit helps them and also keeps them in super shape.

Now you've got me worried lol! We're a day behind you & looking /acting very obviously pregnant.......think there is an army inside her :-D

Jolene my bitches mum who we had two litters from looked very pregnant from just over 5 weeks 1st and 2nd litter and both times produced 8 pups which isn't a big litter for my breed.  I think some just look more pregnant than others.

My girl is scanned this time for 8 too.  I was chatting to a friend earlier who said her bitch (same breed) only put on 6-7 kgs and had 12 puppies!

Is your girl a large breed?