My [small breed] bitch started panting and pacing around 9pm last night. Sleeping in between occasionally. It’s now nearly 20 hours later. A lot of the behaviour is because she actually wants to have her pups in a den she made under a bush outside and not in the whelping box in our kitchen living area which she knows well and loves. It’s quiet, calm and lowly lit. I think a lot of the panting and pacing last night was stress about her best.
Our breeder reassured me that we must wait fur her to make a bed here inside and not let her out unless fur a wee on a lead, which I have done.
She had now made a big nest of her throws and mats on the rug below the kitchen sofa.
She’s now relatively calm (having slept with me from 3-4pm this afternoon). Her body has formed a tight ball and the breeder reassured me that this is the calm before the storm. The next thing we’ll see is her licking her vulva and delivering a pup. Here’s hoping .....

I know, early days into my breeding experiences, I noted that the puppies would have been seen clearly moving around from about week 7.   Just before whelping however, there was no visible movement seen and I thought 'they've all died' - panic.  What was happening is they were all getting into position ready to come into the world.   So if you don't see much, if any, of the previous movement, that's likely what's happening - ditto re her 'shape'.   It's hard but all you can do is wait and cancel any appointments you had so you can be with her.  What I would say is once she's having clear contractions, don't let this go on for much over an hour without seeing a puppy delivered - each delivery.   There's no point leaving her to struggle with a puppy, letting nowhere but exhausted if she's going to need a C.Section!  Hopefully not.  One thing I did do is once mine started strong contractions, I'd let my vet know so if I did need him, he was available.

Good luck.

In my experience it goes back and forth between looking totally settled and like nothing is going to happen EVER, and being restless and uncomfortable.  It cycles back and forth, until eventually it progresses from looking restless and uncomfortable....