How long can this last?

Woolieface · #1 03/04/15, 03:15 PM

I have a first timer who has been in what appears to be the early stages of labour since 1 am last night. The day before she lost her mucus plug and since 1 am has been doing the yawning, stretching pacing and crying thing. No sign of anything new happening back there though. How long can this part last?

nehimama · #2 03/04/15, 03:47 PM

Wow! She has you flummoxed, doesn't she? If this were my doe, at this stage, I'd check on her every hour or two. Once she starts with the amber goo, it's time to shorten the time between checks. Good Luck!

mekasmom · #3 03/04/15, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolieface

I have a first timer who has been in what appears to be the early stages of labour since 1 am last night. The day before she lost her mucus plug and since 1 am has been doing the yawning, stretching pacing and crying thing. No sign of anything new happening back there though. How long can this part last?

Braxton Hicks can last for a few days. When someone in hard labor, you will know it. There is no doubt as to what it is at that point. My only advice would be to wait to go to the hospital until labor is well underway unless the water breaks. Then go. Going to the hospital too early greatly raises the risk of cesarean.

Woolieface · #4 03/04/15, 04:08 PM

Thanks, Nehimama. :u) I set my alarm three times last night and nothin. Looks like it might be another long night. lol

So, I shouldn't start panicking that she hasn't started with the goo yet?

Woolieface · #5 03/04/15, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mekasmom

Braxton Hicks can last for a few days. When someone in hard labor, you will know it. There is no doubt as to what it is at that point. My only advice would be to wait to go to the hospital until labor is well underway unless the water breaks. Then go. Going to the hospital too early greatly raises the risk of cesarean.

Thanks Mekasmom. Though I guess I won't be taking my goat to the maternity section of the hospital (wouldn't they be surprised), I'm gad to know it's not odd that it can drag on. I assume this is true for goats as well as people?

nehimama · #6 03/04/15, 04:14 PM

Don't panic at any time!

Woolieface · #7 03/04/15, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nehimama

Don't panic at any time!

lol..I will do my absolute best to follow that advice.

myheaven · #8 03/05/15, 06:55 AM

Have you Done a check to see if she's dilated? I can tell you from experience that the second your like " I give up she is never having the babies" she will deliver then look at you like "what's your deal human".

Woolieface · #9 03/05/15, 09:09 AM

I swear she just stopped all signs of anything. I've had her penned and checking on her for two days now and she's no longer yawning or stretching or acting the least bit funny. Her udder looks pretty full and she wants nothing to do with me touching it, that's for sure, but that's about it.

I didn't think about going in for a check since it just seems now that she isn't doing anything. She's not stressed acting at all. It's like she said "nah, I don't care for all this staring at me, I'm going to put this on hold for a bit."

Frosted Mini's · #10 03/05/15, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mekasmom

Braxton Hicks can last for a few days. When someone in hard labor, you will know it. There is no doubt as to what it is at that point. My only advice would be to wait to go to the hospital until labor is well underway unless the water breaks. Then go. Going to the hospital too early greatly raises the risk of cesarean.

?? Was that human advice or goat? LOL. This is a goat forum.

Pony · #11 03/06/15, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mekasmom

Braxton Hicks can last for a few days. When someone in hard labor, you will know it. There is no doubt as to what it is at that point. My only advice would be to wait to go to the hospital until labor is well underway unless the water breaks. Then go. Going to the hospital too early greatly raises the risk of cesarean.

ROTFL!!! Thanks for the smile. Really needed it this morning.

where I want to · #12 03/06/15, 09:06 AM

Does do vary quite a bit on signs of labor and how fast the kids come. My favorite doe for dealing with a birth popped them out at mid-afternoon with no warning. My favorite doe I simply loved was in labor and uncomfortable for over 24 hours- she was a sure loss of sleep for two nights as she insisted the time to deliver was 2 am. Always.

Woolieface · #13 03/06/15, 11:13 AM

She's stargazing and yawning again. Still nothing in the nether regions. It was freezing last night so I am kind of glad it didn't happen then.

Pony · #14 03/06/15, 12:43 PM

How are her ligaments?

Woolieface · #15 03/06/15, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pony

How are her ligaments?

I'm ashamed to say that I'm terrible at gauging that. I really thought they seemed pretty far gone a couple of days ago but I'm not sure. She's a barrel of a goat too, which makes it harder for me to tell. I will try to check again when I go check on her in a bit.

Pony · #16 03/06/15, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolieface

I'm ashamed to say that I'm terrible at gauging that. I really thought they seemed pretty far gone a couple of days ago but I'm not sure. She's a barrel of a goat too, which makes it harder for me to tell. I will try to check again when I go check on her in a bit.

No shame in that at all. It's a learned thing, and some goats are easier to "read" than others. I have a ewe who is so chunky in the butt that it's nearly impossible to see if her ligs are loose until she lambs.

where I want to · #17 03/06/15, 02:07 PM

Sometimes treatments have to continue right until birth. Stopping only lets them get bad again. I had one doe who started getting extra calcium a month before she kidded because she had shown she ran into problems without it. For her this was usually enough although I also gave her a dose or two Nutri-drench as she started labor.
Others who have more experience can tell you more but I don't think that treatments shoukd stop once she has shown that kind of distress.

Woolieface · #18 03/06/15, 03:42 PM

Ok, I think I felt the right spot this time and I would say that, yes I can still feel ligaments. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Pony

This doe didn't show much of a baby bump at all until right before she started all this and suddenly she seemed fatter. It was when she started acting like she was going to kid any moment that I decided she must have stood for the buck much earlier than the rest of the does and I just missed it, but now i'm starting to wonder if she was just stretching and stargazing because her baby had a sudden growth spurt and was making her uncomfortable. Does that happen? She does have an udder that looks pretty full to me and has lost the mucus plug.

I could have a longer wait than I've been thinking?

Woolieface · #19 03/06/15, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by where I want to

Sometimes treatments have to continue right until birth. Stopping only lets them get bad again. I had one doe who started getting extra calcium a month before she kidded because she had shown she ran into problems without it. For her this was usually enough although I also gave her a dose or two Nutri-drench as she started labor.
Others who have more experience can tell you more but I don't think that treatments shoukd stop once she has shown that kind of distress.

What treatments are we talking about?

where I want to · #20 03/06/15, 07:03 PM

Sorry, I got this confused with, I think, a sheep post about not being able to get up. Flying fingers know not where they post.......

But one thing I can help with is to look at the angle of her back legs to give a clue when to start checking ligaments. As the ligaments loosen, the angles of the back legs at the hocks get straighter.