Still Waiting......

Kinsa still has not given birth!!!!

This leads me to think I may have got something wrong about the pelvic separation. I felt her butt this morning and it is much looser than it was a few days ago and the separation between the two parts of the pelvis is much wider. In fact, I can fit one whole finger's width between the bones. That's it. I've given up. I am letting nature just take its course while I take mine. The babies are still moving around in there so I'm not too worried. Kinsa, I will be here for you when the babies are out... but until then, you're on your own!!

While we wait for the new arrivals, I will introduce you to another one of my piggies, Beatrice. She was born on Thanksgiving weekend, 2008, so is almost two months old. She's a golden agouti teddy born of a Himalayan mother and a golden agouti father. This isn't the most wonderful of pictures but you can see the little box she likes to sleep in and the piece of hay she is chewing.

Video of Kinsa's Babies Moving

Updates on Kinsa's pregnancy:

The pelvic bones seem to be separating!! There is a space about half the width of my finger in between them... Her butt is getting squishier, looser, and kind of spongy. I was able to catch a video of the babies kicking in her tummy but you have to watch very closely and on the higher resolution option on YouTube. At this point I can tell she is glad of the peace and quiet in my room because every time somebody else comes in or it gets loud with voices she gets a bit tense and uncomfortable. The babies are kicking a lot more today than they were last night - her entire body is now going up and down as they move. I am so excited!!!

Here is the video, you can watch it on high resolution HERE:



Here are pictures of her eating her nightly salad:

Understanding the Pre-Natal Pelvic Separation Without Dabbling in Proctology

Kinsa, my Peruvian guinea pig, is pregnant. The story of how she got pregnant is a long one, but the good news is that she is not too old or too young and I have plenty of room for her babies when they are born. About 48 hours before a guinea pig goes into labor, her pelvic bones are supposed to separate about a finger's width or two. Apparently, you can actually feel this separation and it is a good idea to check her butt in the last week of pregnancy so you can be sure that everything is going normally.

Well, I had some issues trying to figure out what this separation felt like and despite reading all kinds of descriptions on the internet, I was still pretty confused. So... I am pasting in an email exchange that I had with my brilliant breeder friend, Sheryl Newland, which should clear everything up for anybody who needs help understanding it.

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to: sheryl
from: me

sheryl!!!!!

this morning i did the routine feeling of my guinea pig's butt and i have felt a separation!!!! but the problem is i don't really know what a real separation feels like.... at this point i can basically stick the tip of my finger in this hole that seems to have formed... i tried sticking my finger in the same spot in my other guinea pigs and there is no space!!!

what does this mean!?!?!

are these the beginnings of a pelvic separation??

this hole is right underneath her tail....

does this mean she has a ton of babies in there??? if it is a separation, will they be premature??


to: me
from: sheryl

this hole......
no, it isn't a hole that you feel.
it's the lower part of the pubic bone in the front of the animal. like yours.
where your pubic hairs are. you reach underneath the pig in front of the vulva and feel on the outside of her where the bones are inside. hard to explain.
you don't stick a finger in any hole.
usually the bones are together. when they have seperated then you can put about half of the finger width between them, on the outside.

maybe you have to come over and have me show you?


to: sheryl
from: me

oooh.. i see what you mean... man, i'm sorry.. i'm going a little whacko.. ok i will let you know when the pelvic bones actually separate...

lol... she is probably hating me right now for sticking my fingers in her butt!!!

i'd better go read some of those buddhist books and relax.


to: me
from: sheryl

this is too funny!
maybe you missed your calling? you should have been a proctologist?