Advise please on older broodmare

[Pitter Patter]

Tilley looks SO pregnant! I don't know how he could have thought otherwise! But it does make me feel better, like I am not imagining things! Read somewhere that the lip business might indicate early labor

 

[Jodie]

Tilley looks SO pregnant! I don't know how he could have thought otherwise! But it does make me feel better, like I am not imagining things! Read somewhere that the lip business might indicate early labor

Don’t stress Pitter Patter, I remember before the vet came out I asked my farrier what she thought about Rosie and she said “nah she’s not pregnant, she’s just fat”. When you get your hands on her she’s not fat at all, she would be right where she is supposed to be.

 

[Taz]

Tilley looks SO pregnant! I don't know how he could have thought otherwise! But it does make me feel better, like I am not imagining things! Read somewhere that the lip business might indicate early labor

My answer to him was "YES she's pregnant, go look at her!" LoL.
Oh I hope so, that's what I was thinking but never read it anywhere.

 

[Jodie]

I’m sure @elizabeth.conder would be a better source than me haha but isn’t it when they have actual milk coloured milk that they’re super close too?

 

[Taz]

I think so. She's not acting right but not looking in labor right now. Her lip is still stuck out though.

 

[Jodie]

Just read on PennVet that curling of the top lip could be a good sign that this marathon wait will soon be over for you!

 

[Taz]

Here's hoping. She's down for the third time now which isn't normal but she's done this before more severely and nothing came of it.

 

[Jodie]

Hopefully that was just practice for the real thing tonight!

 

[Pitter Patter]

Here's hoping. She's down for the third time now which isn't normal but she's done this before more severely and nothing came of it.

Ah, but she's so much closer now and so many signs....Hopefully your wait is soon over!!

 

[elizabeth.conder]

I’m sure you did it correct but you are certain she’s back up to 8.0? That’s pretty drastic lol. But evidently she seems to like keeping you at your wits end lol. If she’s up and down a lot and curling her lip I’d be on very high alert. Milk can change right with foaling. But if her milk is white and sticky then I’d expect it will be soon.

 

[Taz]

Nothing, back to acting normally and eating like it's an Olympic sport. A bit of cow kicking/laying down/breathing hard, then back to everything's normal and eating again. Very itchy though no bum rubbing.

I did it the same as the other times but who knows? I'll try again in the morning. My mother is there hovering to look too and the first thing she said was "What? Back up?!" so I know I at least read it right.

She's not curling her lip like when they colic, she's sticking it out like when they like you scratching them...

 

[Taz]

Nope, nothing....
I'm 40 min away from the farm most of the day, anyone want to bet on what happens?

 

[Taz]

I took a new container out this morning and was very careful, didn't even breath on the drop I got. Still testing high AND it's gone back to clear. ???????????? Making me a little concerned about how weird she's being with this.

She is noticeably sunken along her back end to her tail and she had a bit of pink discharge. Could that be loosing her mucus plug? She's hit a new level of cranky, if she thinks anyone is even looking at her food run for your life! Hahaha. Poor girl, over soon I hope.

 

[Holly Chisholm]

Sounds like the mucus plug to me!!!

 

[elizabeth.conder]

Well she can’t hold the foal forever...we hope. She’s got to be getting close. She seems to be having a lot of practice runs for sure. I agree it does sound like her mucus plug. Could you add some more pictures when you get a chance? Mainly her udder. Are you checking her vulva color? Does she have much tail resistance? You can test that by wagging her tail back and forth and see if she can clamp it down. I’m not sure what ph strips you are using but if you can you might check hardness/calcium. Can you try to get these two the one behind the udder that you’ve been doing but can you try this one to? If you have a smartphone you can do it by basically taking a selfie so you don’t have lean so far over. But see if you can get the whole udder. Is her udder still changing size throughout the day?

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

Does sound like the mucus plug to me too.

I've always paid attention to the consistency of the milk, not just the color.... Is it super sticky like honey immediately???

 

[Taz]

I'll get more pictures tonight.
I picked up some pool strips on the way home that are 4 way test so I'll check hardness.
She does still have tail resistance.
I've only been getting a bit of milk, so checking the colour, whether it runs easily, which it doesn't anymore, and pH. After the pH it's mostly gone. Is it better to use the test strips or see how sticky it is if I only get a bit as usual?

 

[Pitter Patter]

Nothing, back to acting normally and eating like it's an Olympic sport. A bit of cow kicking/laying down/breathing hard, then back to everything's normal and eating again. Very itchy though no bum rubbing.

I did it the same as the other times but who knows? I'll try again in the morning. My mother is there hovering to look too and the first thing she said was "What? Back up?!" so I know I at least read it right.

She's not curling her lip like when they colic, she's sticking it out like when they like you scratching them...

Maybe try to look at another way....she could still be in stage 1 labor which could last a long time. Consider humans. Our cervix usually starts dilating way before actual birth occurs. That can be uncomfortable and often painful. Perhaps her body is just slowly plugging away as baby prepares to make a grand entrance! Hang in there!

 

[elizabeth.conder]

I'll get more pictures tonight.
I picked up some pool strips on the way home that are 4 way test so I'll check hardness.
She does still have tail resistance.
I've only been getting a bit of milk, so checking the colour, whether it runs easily, which it doesn't anymore, and pH. After the pH it's mostly gone. Is it better to use the test strips or see how sticky it is if I only get a bit as usual?

Great! If you only get a little I would check color and then ph. Sticky can be helpful but it can change right before or days before. Ph is usually a much better indicator. In fact they say that 90% of mares foal within 24 hrs after testing 6.4. Hardness can be helpful but it varies more. Usually you dilute the hardness but it requires a lot of milk. So you can just test it and see what it is but know it shows higher than it actually is. However it does show the normal jump.

 

[Taz]

Maybe try to look at another way....she could still be in stage 1 labor which could last a long time. Consider humans. Our cervix usually starts dilating way before actual birth occurs. That can be uncomfortable and often painful. Perhaps her body is just slowly plugging away as baby prepares to make a grand entrance! Hang in there!

I've mostly resigned myself to waking up every half hour from now on, I really don't think it can be much more than another couple of days. Hoping not anyway, she's really uncomfortable. That's a great way of thinking of it!