
When they whelp I feed mine 4 times a day in their beds. I soak the food until it won't hold any more water, as I have found their mouths can become sore from the birth fluids and cleaning ppups, and also it maximises liquid intake, needed to keep milk production up.
I soak in cold water about an hour or two before feeding.
Mine don't do slowly increasing the amount they eat, but are on 3 to four times normal rations from the start.