# HELP



## Summerrose4202 (10 mo ago)

My rat Ronan has been pregnant for close to 3weeks maybe even a tad longer but she really started showing this week and I’ve felt the pups when she is laying on me. She hasn’t had bloody discharge but she keep looking like she is having contractions what do I do?!?!?!?!???!


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## Little rat beans (12 mo ago)

Just stay calm and let her do her thing. Rats are surprisingly good take care of themselves during birth. If she hasn't had her babies yet, once she has that first pup it should be over in a matter of hours. Have you been monitoring her?


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## Summerrose4202 (10 mo ago)

Yes been monitoring no babies


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## Tinytoes (Dec 23, 2020)

Yes, what @Little rat beans said, stay calm but keep checking on her. My last one went into labor in the morning, and she took several hours to have 12 babies. I did a final check and headcount after 4 hours from when she started and confirmed she had settled in to nurse her litter. 

Does she have a nest ready for her babies? She may retreat out of sight under her nest to give birth. 

Keep us posted!


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## Summerrose4202 (10 mo ago)

Little rat beans said:


> Just stay calm and let her do her thing. Rats are surprisingly good take care of themselves during birth. If she hasn't had her babies yet, once she has that first pup it should be over in a matter of hours. Have you been monitoring her?


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## Summerrose4202 (10 mo ago)

She is still just sleeping no babies….


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## Little rat beans (12 mo ago)

A lot of the time rats will wait until very late at night to actually give birth and some labor is longer than others. Keep monitoring her but try not to freak out unless there's signs of distress. Keep her comfortable for now and if the babies aren't here by tomorrow afternoon (or she's showing signs of distress) you can take her to the emergency vet if there's one near you. Remember every pregnancy and birth experience is different but mama knows what she's doing. Be patient and stay calm, I know how exciting it is waiting for those babies to get here 💕


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## Summerrose4202 (10 mo ago)

Little rat beans said:


> A lot of the time rats will wait until very late at night to actually give birth and some labor is longer than others. Keep monitoring her but try not to freak out unless there's signs of distress. Keep her comfortable for now and if the babies aren't here by tomorrow afternoon (or she's showing signs of distress) you can take her to the emergency vet if there's one near you. Remember every pregnancy and birth experience is different but mama knows what she's doing. Be patient and stay calm, I know how exciting it is waiting for those babies to get here 💕


How do I know if she is in distress


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## Little rat beans (12 mo ago)

An excess of blood, or labored breathing are very easy to notice. Sometimes with older rats (especially if it's her first litter) the babies can become stuck in the birth canal because it's shaped like a "Y" and they come from both sides. If you think a baby has gotten stuck you can gently massage her lower tummy to try and help move the baby along. That's normally a rare occurrence though so you shouldn't have to worry about that.


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