Just had to tell you guys

My Tam has given birth to two beautiful pups and are waiting for the third to arrive.  One was born at 11:15 last night and the second arrived at 2:30 this morning.  Have contacted my vet as a water sac broke about an hour ago but she is not straining just lying quietly feeding the other two and licking her bits a lot.  Vet has said that if she is not straining then not to worry too much as I can still see movement.  Other than that no problems at all and she is being a brilliant mum.

The first pup is a bit of lumper and above average for the breed according to the book and weighs a nice healthy 12oz and the second weighs a nice 10oz. 

Am absolutely knackered know as I have not slept properly for about 48 hours.   

Many congrats!!!!
what breed are they?

Staffordshire BUll Terriers and number 3 was born about an hour ago unfortunately didn't live.

Mum has just had a bowl of Weetabix and is now resting peacefully with her family on nice clean bedding and a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel.  I am going to follow Tam's example and go to bed and s*d the house work. 

Survived the first night.  Tam is more than happy to go out to the toilet.  Got confused yesterday as to where her pups were.  She went to go upstairs and then resalised that they were under the stairs.  She is eating really well and is up to her olds tricks of pinching Jaspers food even though hers is in the whelping pit with her.  She cried last night when I took Jasper for a walk. 

When will she able to go for short walks?

Would today be too soon for her just say 5 minutes around the block or should I wait a few more days?

When timing her next season do I take it from the last day of her last season, which is what I have done?

We haven't decided for definate yet but we are thinking of keeping the bitch from this litter what would you suggest?

We had found homes for both of them but unfortunately because we didn't have any red's or plain blacks the people didn't want them.  I have as many questions know as I did when she was pregnant.  It doesn't stop does it. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated thanks.

I'll probably need some advice when it comes to weaning too so be prepared.

Thanks to everyone for your support and advice

Seasons like periods are timed from the first day of one to the first day of the next.

For the first 3 days the bitch should be encouraged to stay with the pups all the time, mist need to be physically dragged out four or 6 times a day for a wee, and then shoudl run staright back to them.

Basically you shouldn't start taking ehr out for walks until she is going stir crazy and obvouysly want/needs to go out to excersise.  This is unlikley to be until pups are 2 or 3 weeks of age, (I am of course not including your Garden in this).

Brainless, why is bitch behaving differently to how everybody else's seems to after having a litter and what books say she should be like?

She cries when I take Jasper for a walk, she actually sat with me for 5 minutes in the hallway just outside her whelping pit yesterday afternoon.  She jumped back in when they started whimpering which is very rare (whimpering I mean not her jumping back in).

Should I be worried about this or not?

Most of the day she spends in there with them, sleeping, feeding and cleaning them.  The first time I went to let her out she cried but we eventualy encouraged her and since then we have had no problems with her going out when she comes back in she does run straight back to them.  We have not physically had to drag her out at all.  When she hears the lead chain going she is there like a flash at the back door.  I decided last night not to take her and my husband said she did nothing but howl and cry the whole time I was out. 

If it's any help, Naomi, my last brood bitch had to be dragged from the pups for the first 24 hours, would reluctantly agree to come in the garden for the next 2 days, then after three days she would be lining up in the hall with others for a walk. I was guided by her - the change of scene and some exercise (just 15 minutes or so at first) seemed to do her a power of good, and no harm came to any of her pups.
:)

The thing is the bitch will be feeling a conflict between her attachement to the family and her babies.  Mother nature tells her not to leave pups at all in first few days as constant feeding is what will build up the milk, as initially it is mainly colostrum. 

If you have had a baby yourself you will have found that the first 3 days you are almost constantly feeding, and then the next morning you wake up as if you have rocks on yor chest.  this is when the real milk comes in, and then the gaps between feeds lengthen as there is more volume which fills the baby/puppy up.

If the bitch ishn't staying with ehr pups enough in those first few days a good milk dupply MAY not so easily establish.  That is why she needs to stay calm and focused on the job in hadn away from other animals in the house.  I do tend to sit with a first time Mum as this reasures her and she isn't worrying about being all by herself with this big task.

Bitches that are less members of their family seem to be closer to their instincts, and more self reliant.

Naomi, don't worry too much. My bitch also had 3 puppies on the 3rd. Had to put her on the lead to take her out for a wee the first day. Now she makes it clear when she wants to go out. She disappeared for 10 minutes yesterday & I found her down a hole in the field (checking out emergency nests I think!) At first, when the puppies cried - so did she!! Now she seems to be much more settled, although the conflict between me & the pups is still there. If she starts getting agitated I shut her in the cage with the pups & she soon settles down again. She will tell you if she wants to go for a walk, although it will only be 5 minutes to start with & she may just pull you straight back home. Be guided by her.
One of the best mums I ever had rarely went in with her pups after the first few days, but she checked on them frequently, fed & washed them when necessary, but otherwise just got on with her life!!

Congratulations.

This afternoon Tam has been a lot more settled and is sleeping alot.  The pups don't seem to be constantly suckling now but the dog is climbing all over his sister.  The bitch still suckles more often that the dog and she is almost as heavy as him now. 

I remeber when I had my two children.  Brainless if you only had rocks then you were lucky I think I had boulders.  Couldn't walk properly it was so painful and you could forget going out in the car!  I suffered from the baby blues on day 3 after having my kids.  I wonder if bitches get a similar thing? 

I'll see what she does tonight when I go to take Jasper for a walk and will let you know. 

Thanks for your reassurance.  Honestly you'd swear I was the one who had just given birth.