labor or false labor?

[Alicia]

I got on here about my mom's mini's several months ago, thinking her mare was due anytime because she was thought to be bred when they got her. Well she wasn't pregnant then, but she definitely is now. My parents were thinking she wasn't due until the summer because she let the stud on her for 4 months straight. Well, yesterday morning she was laying stiff in the corner of the pasture, my mom got her in the barn and she was up and down having contractions (that you could see, she would stiffen up you could see the vulva relaxed and tensed). She spent more time on the ground yesterday than standing,she is constantly looking toward her sides and backside, her milk is pouring out if you barely touch her teets (milky,the consistency of hot syrup or spit). We could see the foal moving a lot (around the back legs) yesterday, and her belly has changed shapes, looking down at her she is slimmer bc her belly is hanging lower. She stopped most of the symptoms around midnight, got up and was eating walking around like nothing was wrong. Now she's back down and peeing every 3 minutes when she's up. This has gone on 24 hours now, yesterday she looked like she could have it any time, today isn't so much the case, but she still seems uncomfortable.

Does this sound like the beginning of labor? Or is this a false labor? My parents were estimating the delivery to be summer based on when she stopped letting the stud mount, but if she got pregnant when she first started letting him on her, she could be due anytime.

Any help regarding this will greatly be appreciated. Thank You

 

[Carolyn R]

While most mares will show discomfort, some laying, rolling, a little belly kicking......laying down and actually going so far as to have very visible contractions and leg stiffening then not progressing any farther .....well that would deffinately warrant an immediate check up from the vet if it were me. Sorry, too many things can go wrong too quickly. Have you/her felt any foal movement since this episode? If she is due, the foal could be malpositioned, if she is miscarrying, she could have a severe distocia and is unable to pass the fetus. The persistent urination while this was going on yesterday, well, that is not normal either. Are you 100% sure it was urine and not amniotic fluid being expelled with the contractions?

I wanted to add, and I am not trying to scare you, but just so you understand how serious this is, your mother's mare may have already lost the foal and she may potentially lose the mare too. I am not saying this is deffinately the case, but I am a firm believer in preparing for the worst and praying for the best possible outcome. She really needs a knowledgeable vet to look her over.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I would definately get a vet out there, ASAP as well

 

[Eagle]

I too would call a vet ASAP

 

[Alicia]

My mom has been out in the barn with her most of the day today, and she said she can still feel the baby moving, it's calmed down since yesterday when it was flopping around and you could see it kicking around. Her vulva is back to 'normal' and she is not leaking any amniotic fluids. We looked at her milk again today, and it's changed from a milky color to more like sugar water..not as milky as it was. Cocoa is eating and moving her bowels like normal...like yesterday never happened...

We will keep a close watch on her because she was definitely having labor signs yesterday: Rolling a lot, laying down a lot, stiffening legs out while laying down, milk 'dripping', vulva elongated and butt really soft, up and down, softer stools. Today she's a normal lil horse...really odd, like a false labor.

 

[Genie]

Sounds like the baby is not in the correct position. If she is dripping any fluid from her vagina then she needs help.

 

[vickie gee]

I would be having a vet look at her asap. Is there one near you that is actually set up with a birthing facility? It sound like stage one labor has set in (best case scenario) but if she is suffering from dystocia you want to get help for her asap. My first foaling involved it and we did not even own a trailer at the time. My mare survived but only because the vet that came out had us to load her up in the hatchback of our car right then and get on the road to a 2 hour trip to another vet that did the c-section. Sending prayers your way.

Hope both foal and mare will be ok.

 

[Charlotte]

Like the rest....get a vet. An equine vet experienced with equine reproduction.

What you describe sounds like labor. When a mare goes into full labor like you describe you should have a live foal in 30 minutes or less. Anything longer than that is not good. Mares don't go into labor, then stop unless something is way wrong. What you have going on is not normal and for the sake of the mare needs to be investigated.

 

[Stacy Score]

I pray for your mares sake that you have gotten e repro vet to come help your mare. What you descibe is NOT normal and her life and that if her unborn foal is in grave jeopardy. Have foals is not for the faint of heart or pocketbook

Please let know how things turn out. My prayers go out to your mare and her baby

 

[REO]

I'm not saying that this is what it is, but it SOUNDS like she's been in labor but the foal is turned wrong or something and she needs help.

PLEASE do get a vet out NOW to look at her and tell him everything you've told us. Better safe than sorry!

Because of what you said, I'm very afraid for the mare and her foal.

 

[Bonny]

You said "she is not leaking any amniotic fluids." But was she yesterday?

It definitely sounds more like labor than colic, and I wouldnt hesitate to get her seen by a vet.

 

[Sandy B]

I agree, if she was doing all those thing that you mentioned, to the point of straining, peeing and running milk especially, then now after all that, has completely stopped, then she needs a vet ASAP. It sounds like dystocia and after all the labor her body is now not producing the appropriate hormones. With all that you say she was doing, there is not doubt she was in active labor or abortion. I am sorry to say that more than likely the foal is deceased by now and it will cause great infection int he mare. I am so sorry.

 

[supaspot]

While most mares will show discomfort, some laying, rolling, a little belly kicking......laying down and actually going so far as to have very visible contractions and leg stiffening then not progressing any farther .....well that would deffinately warrant an immediate check up from the vet if it were me. Sorry, too many things can go wrong too quickly. Have you/her felt any foal movement since this episode? If she is due, the foal could be malpositioned, if she is miscarrying, she could have a severe distocia and is unable to pass the fetus. The persistent urination while this was going on yesterday, well, that is not normal either. Are you 100% sure it was urine and not amniotic fluid being expelled with the contractions?

I wanted to add, and I am not trying to scare you, but just so you understand how serious this is, your mother's mare may have already lost the foal and she may potentially lose the mare too. I am not saying this is deffinately the case, but I am a firm believer in preparing for the worst and praying for the best possible outcome. She really needs a knowledgeable vet to look her over.

I'm not saying that this is what it is, but it SOUNDS like she's been in labor but the foal is turned wrong or something and she needs help.

PLEASE do get a vet out NOW to look at her and tell him everything you've told us. Better safe than sorry!

Because of what you said, I'm very afraid for the mare and her foal.

I echo that :-(

 

[lil hoofbeats]

I got on here about my mom's mini's several months ago, thinking her mare was due anytime because she was thought to be bred when they got her. Well she wasn't pregnant then, but she definitely is now. My parents were thinking she wasn't due until the summer because she let the stud on her for 4 months straight. Well, yesterday morning she was laying stiff in the corner of the pasture, my mom got her in the barn and she was up and down having contractions (that you could see, she would stiffen up you could see the vulva relaxed and tensed). She spent more time on the ground yesterday than standing,she is constantly looking toward her sides and backside, her milk is pouring out if you barely touch her teets (milky,the consistency of hot syrup or spit). We could see the foal moving a lot (around the back legs) yesterday, and her belly has changed shapes, looking down at her she is slimmer bc her belly is hanging lower. She stopped most of the symptoms around midnight, got up and was eating walking around like nothing was wrong. Now she's back down and peeing every 3 minutes when she's up. This has gone on 24 hours now, yesterday she looked like she could have it any time, today isn't so much the case, but she still seems uncomfortable.

Does this sound like the beginning of labor? Or is this a false labor? My parents were estimating the delivery to be summer based on when she stopped letting the stud mount, but if she got pregnant when she first started letting him on her, she could be due anytime.

Any help regarding this will greatly be appreciated. Thank You

What you described is a huge problem, this does NOT happen with good results in the equine world.

If she were at my farm, i would have already had a vet out.

 

[Alicia]

My mom called the vet and he came out. Cocoa is acting fine and the vet didn't see anything alarming. He said she will be having it long before summer though. She still has milk, it's just not the same color as it was, it's more clear like sugar water. There is no amniotic fluid leaking, the baby is moving enough and seems to be getting into position he said (he also said this accounts for all the rolling and laying on the ground, to get the baby in to position). We are keeping her in the barn, which has a small corral so she will not be cramped. The vet said to keep her away from the other horses and keep a close eye on her. He'll be there when she gets ready to deliver...he's only about 10 minutes out.

I was so worried when she didn't have the baby yesterday, she was having all the signs except no mucous plug, which I hear doesn't always happen. This will be my parent's first birthing with horses, they've done just about everything else though

. Mom is chalking it up to 'false' labor, she said the goats did it all the time...

My mom said she's 10 and this is not her first...lol I keep telling her that it doesn't matter...I've read and heard enough horror stories

She has been watching several videos and reading up on the birthing process; she's seen several 'red bag' videos and other problems like bad positioning. So, I feel if for some reason the vet doesn't get here in time for delivery, she should do fine helping cocoa along...

But, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers...and I'll let everyone know as soon as she has the baby

(OR if anything else should happen to go wrong)

Thanks again for all the advice...We really do appreciate it.

 

[Alicia]

I just looked at the rest of the post and I want to answer a couple of questions that were being asked. She's not had anything at all coming out of her vagina at all. We kept looking in to see because she was just laid out yesterday, but we never saw anything leaking, dripping, pouring etc. I have a link to the crayonboxminiatures and I was looking at the vulvas, and she never got any redder or pinker inside than she ever has been, she got really long and relaxed though (which had me worried).

She never actually started pushing, she was having contractions though for sure.

This morning, when I called mom to check on Cocoa, she told me that she was peeing every three minutes which was new. She looked, and she was just peeing.

The vet did check her out and everything seems fine...

I do appreciate everyone's concern...it got mom to get a move on getting the vet out. I'd rather be safe than sorry for sure. We would be really sad to lose her or the baby, she's the best horse for my kiddos