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First Stage Of Labor?
- Thread starter QuenV92
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #43
Sorry for no updates,it's been a long night/day. I was up until about 3A.M with Ms. Jellybean with no kittens nor progress. Around 7A.M I noticed her labor had just seemed to stop. No contractions,her breathing was normal,and she was back to being extremely affectionate. Even discharge had seemed to disappear.
I'm finally getting some answers at the vet now. It seems her body was trying to Jumpstart her labor. Her mucus plug never fully released,and the small gushes of clear mucus discharge was her water slowly trying to break,with her music plug still partially intact. Only two kittens had started to drop,which was why her contractions started to come to quickly.(He's guessing there's about five or six kittens,but he can't be sure because of how cramped they are.)
Her body was trying to stop her labor,which is why it's been two days,now three with no progression. They've given her an IV with medication in it to stop her labor all together,her contractions have slowed down to being almost two hours apart. If she shows more progress in the next hour,I can bring her home and try to keep her on bed rest. If not,they will have to keep her overnight,which I am not wanting.
All in all,she basically had two kittens trying to escape before the others were ready. The vet said it could be another week before the rest are ready and that they are being quite stubborn. He was able to push the two kittens back,they hadn't completely made the full way down yet.
From the heartbeats he was able to hear,he said the kittens are perfectly fine. He believes he picked up three different heartbeats,but told me not to worry,that it's normal not to be able to get a heartbeat for each kitten and know distinctly which heartbeat goes to which kitten,because theres multiples in a small confined space.
They have Ms. Jellybean resting comfortably in a nice room with a big kitten bed and lots of blankets. She seems to be fine,considering. She's been doing so good through all of this,although she wants me very close. Hopefully she gets to come home tonight. I'll update later when I know more.
I'm finally getting some answers at the vet now. It seems her body was trying to Jumpstart her labor. Her mucus plug never fully released,and the small gushes of clear mucus discharge was her water slowly trying to break,with her music plug still partially intact. Only two kittens had started to drop,which was why her contractions started to come to quickly.(He's guessing there's about five or six kittens,but he can't be sure because of how cramped they are.)
Her body was trying to stop her labor,which is why it's been two days,now three with no progression. They've given her an IV with medication in it to stop her labor all together,her contractions have slowed down to being almost two hours apart. If she shows more progress in the next hour,I can bring her home and try to keep her on bed rest. If not,they will have to keep her overnight,which I am not wanting.
All in all,she basically had two kittens trying to escape before the others were ready. The vet said it could be another week before the rest are ready and that they are being quite stubborn. He was able to push the two kittens back,they hadn't completely made the full way down yet.
From the heartbeats he was able to hear,he said the kittens are perfectly fine. He believes he picked up three different heartbeats,but told me not to worry,that it's normal not to be able to get a heartbeat for each kitten and know distinctly which heartbeat goes to which kitten,because theres multiples in a small confined space.
They have Ms. Jellybean resting comfortably in a nice room with a big kitten bed and lots of blankets. She seems to be fine,considering. She's been doing so good through all of this,although she wants me very close. Hopefully she gets to come home tonight. I'll update later when I know more.
Oh, wow! I knew something wasn't quite right, but was not sure what.
Did the vet do an x-ray or ultrasound to determine that some of the kittens were not ready yet?
Cats do sometimes deliver kittens in different shifts - like a week apart when they have mated and conceived several days apart. The problem comes when labor does not stop and preemies are delivered.
I hope things will be okay and that Jellybean gets to come home later.
I think you should go ahead and get a can of powdered KMR and a syringe in case any of the kittens come early and need hand feeding for awhile.
Thank you for the update! I was growing more concerned by the hour.
Did the vet do an x-ray or ultrasound to determine that some of the kittens were not ready yet?
Cats do sometimes deliver kittens in different shifts - like a week apart when they have mated and conceived several days apart. The problem comes when labor does not stop and preemies are delivered.
I hope things will be okay and that Jellybean gets to come home later.
I think you should go ahead and get a can of powdered KMR and a syringe in case any of the kittens come early and need hand feeding for awhile.
Thank you for the update! I was growing more concerned by the hour.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #45
He did an ultrasound, he was afraid of trying to get an X-ray and causing more stress on Jellybean and the kittens.
It's looking like she'll get to come home,but I am to keep her strictly in her own room and to keep her resting. They are giving me a nutrient to mix in with her food to help the kittens.
His fear is that if the two kittens do try to come early,they wouldn't survive. If I notice labor starting again anytime before next Thursday, I am to bring her in immediately. The nutrient I am to mix with her food is to help the kittens gain a little more weight and her,they look a little tiny,which is why he believes the two wouldn't have survived. They would've been preemies.
Jellybean was the runt of her litter and is little herself. Because of her being littler than most cats,her body can cause premature labor with such a bigger litter than her body can hold. Her last litter was only four,now he's guessing about five or six.
He can't be sure how far along she actually is without knowing when she conceived, but his guess is about 7 weeks. He said she definitely needs to hold off another two weeks,but if she makes it another week the kittens will still survive and he won't try to stop labor after next week.
It's looking like she'll get to come home,but I am to keep her strictly in her own room and to keep her resting. They are giving me a nutrient to mix in with her food to help the kittens.
His fear is that if the two kittens do try to come early,they wouldn't survive. If I notice labor starting again anytime before next Thursday, I am to bring her in immediately. The nutrient I am to mix with her food is to help the kittens gain a little more weight and her,they look a little tiny,which is why he believes the two wouldn't have survived. They would've been preemies.
Jellybean was the runt of her litter and is little herself. Because of her being littler than most cats,her body can cause premature labor with such a bigger litter than her body can hold. Her last litter was only four,now he's guessing about five or six.
He can't be sure how far along she actually is without knowing when she conceived, but his guess is about 7 weeks. He said she definitely needs to hold off another two weeks,but if she makes it another week the kittens will still survive and he won't try to stop labor after next week.
So he could see in the ultrasound that the kittens are not fully developed?
This is why she looked slimmer - two of the kittens had moved down. And she was laboring in a way that seemed like full-term labor, until it went on and on and she was gushing out fluid.
Here you are not wanting a thing to happen to these kittens after last time, and look what happens!
I'm glad you took her to the vet this morning, and that she gets to come home later.
Poor Jellybean! This is a lot to go through. I hope she holds out another week, or more even.
This is why she looked slimmer - two of the kittens had moved down. And she was laboring in a way that seemed like full-term labor, until it went on and on and she was gushing out fluid.
Here you are not wanting a thing to happen to these kittens after last time, and look what happens!
I'm glad you took her to the vet this morning, and that she gets to come home later.
Poor Jellybean! This is a lot to go through. I hope she holds out another week, or more even.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #48
HELP!! Ms. Jellybean is having her kittens now and has done amazing. She has birthed one so far,did everything she was supposed to...but it was a stillborn. I tried to rub it with a warm towel,but there is just nothing I can do. How long should I wait before removing the kitten from her nesting area? It breaks my heart to just take it away from her even after she's tried so hard as well to get it to breathe.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #50
About 40 minutes after the first kitten was born,Ms. Jellybean birthed a beautiful orange tabby. Both are doing wonderful, kitten is nursing great and Jellybean is doing a wonderful job mothering. She's been holding her baby very near and close.
I removed the stillborn while she was caring for the second kitten after birthing it. I noticed that while Jellybean was trying gets its breathing started,it didn't look quite developed,especially around the face area and it's paws and it was a little tiny. After the second one was birthed,you could definitely tell a something wasn't right with the first one. And the second one had longer arms and bigger paws and head. I'm wondering if maybe that's why she had all those problems two weeks ago,her body trying to rid itself of a dead fetus.
I believe there are still at least maybe two kittens left to be birthed. She hasn't had any signs of active labor,but the way her belly is still dropped and sagging like it was right before her labor started makes me think there's a few more. I read something about cats having two horns in which they can conceive. Perhaps the two kittens trying to come early were in one horn,and the others are in the second?
My mom had to spray a hose at a white cat a few times because he was getting my cat. The first kitten was a mini version of Jellybean,who is basically a grey,white and orange calico,beautiful markings. And now we have the full orange kitten. I'm definitely thinking she was mated twice.
I removed the stillborn while she was caring for the second kitten after birthing it. I noticed that while Jellybean was trying gets its breathing started,it didn't look quite developed,especially around the face area and it's paws and it was a little tiny. After the second one was birthed,you could definitely tell a something wasn't right with the first one. And the second one had longer arms and bigger paws and head. I'm wondering if maybe that's why she had all those problems two weeks ago,her body trying to rid itself of a dead fetus.
I believe there are still at least maybe two kittens left to be birthed. She hasn't had any signs of active labor,but the way her belly is still dropped and sagging like it was right before her labor started makes me think there's a few more. I read something about cats having two horns in which they can conceive. Perhaps the two kittens trying to come early were in one horn,and the others are in the second?
My mom had to spray a hose at a white cat a few times because he was getting my cat. The first kitten was a mini version of Jellybean,who is basically a grey,white and orange calico,beautiful markings. And now we have the full orange kitten. I'm definitely thinking she was mated twice.
It's good the second one is doing well. Time will tell if she has more. 
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #52
Aww, that is so sweet! 
