I've never been very brave in terms of palpating, always worried I'll hurt my bitch or her brood. However this evening my bitch is laid beside me on her side, she's four and a half weeks gone (day 32 I think) and when I run my hand over her rather expanding tummy (second litter, and she is usually rather slim, having not eaten so well recently due to morning sickness) I can feel what feels like a golf ball near her spine. I don't want to push at it or fiddle but the only time I've felt this before was when she was last in whelp, around the same time. Could I be feeling a puppy?

Grateful for any help and advice from you knowledgeable bunch.

I don't think so, at this stage I was taught to palpate with her leaning against you on her back and start at the base of her sternum and go down her abdo, in my breed I was told kidney bean size at 30 days and by 35 days there is too much fluid to count pups.

Phew, that's ok then, I did worry as it seemed quite vulnerable?!

No I would not say that's a pup, maybe best to take to the vet as you wouldn't feel a pup near the spine.

Not so much near the spine but... not low? Not low in the belly anyway, not in her actually belly. Hard to explain lol! She's being scanned on the 3rd, will have to see what the scanner says.