Pregnancy Calendar for SoftMaple & HunterBay 2004
Date:	Tue 7 Sep 104
Sire:	CH SoftMaple's O'Dark Thirty MH WCX CD CGC TT HOF CR-536G27M-T OFA cardiac, CERF
Dam:	SoftMaple N HunterBay's Poetic Justice CGC PennHip, OFA Cardiac, CERF 2004
Breeder:	SoftMaple & HunterBay
Sun 5 Sep 104	First day of mating. 48 hours after the first mating the bitch should be mated again. Subsequent matings occurring over a period of time enhance the chances of fertilaziton taking place. The spermatozoa migrate up through the cervix.
Mon 6 Sep 104	Sperm travel searching for a mature ripened eggs.
Mon 6 Sep 104 - Tue 7 Sep 104	Spermatozoa reach the eggs in the oviducts.
Tue 7 Sep 104 - Wed 8 Sep 104	Fertilisation occurs in the oviducts which lead from the ovaries to the uterus.
Wed 8 Sep 104 - Fri 10 Sep 104	Fertilised eggs migrate down the oviducts and into the uterine horns. The migration continue to enable even spacing of the embryos. During this migration the eggs will grow into a blastocystes.
Thu 16 Sep 104 - Sat 18 Sep 104	The blastocystes implant in the wall of the uterus.
Thu 16 Sep 104 - Thu 30 Sep 104	The blastocystes will grow into an embryos. During the next two weeks the important organs will develop.
Sun 19 Sep 104 - Sun 26 Sep 104	Dams nipples begin to pink enlarge. The fur on the dams belly and around the nipples may become thinner.
Sat 25 Sep 104 - Sat 2 Oct 104	Morning sickness might occur due to hormonal changes or stretching and distension of the uterus. Dam may appear a bit apathetic. She may be off her feed for a while and vomit from time to time. Feeding the dam several meals spaced throughout the day might help. Your veterinarian may want to prescribe a drug to relax the uterus.
Thu 30 Sep 104 - Mon 4 Oct 104	An experienced person (a breeder or a veterinarian) can tell by careful palpation whether the dam is pregnant. It's now the best time to do this because the embryos are walnut-sized now and easy to count.
Sun 3 Oct 104	Start to increase the dams food ration. Don't overfeed, excessive weight gain should be avoided. The foetuses are now and are fully developed miniature dogs.
Sat 9 Oct 104	The Dams abdomen starts to get larger.
Tue 19 Oct 104	It's very easy now to feel the puppies, counting them might be a bit more difficult.
Fri 22 Oct 104 - Sat 30 Oct 104	Dam begins to spend a lot more time in self-grooming. Her breasts become even more swollen. She may become a bit restlessness and begin to search for a suitable place to have her puppies.
Sun 24 Oct 104	The dam might lose her appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies. It is better to feed several smaller meals spaced throughout the day. You can easily detect abdominal movement now.
Sun 24 Oct 104 - Sun 7 Nov 104	Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck.
Tue 2 Nov 104 - Fri 5 Nov 104	Milky fluid may be expressed from the nipples.
Wed 3 Nov 104	You might want to start taking the dams rectal temperature each morning and evening.
Sat 6 Nov 104	Twelve to 24 hours before she is due to deliver, the dams rectal temperature may drop from 101 to 98 degrees. Clear discharge from the vulva might occur.
Sun 7 Nov 104	Expected date of whelp. Of course this is just an average. Whelping may take place from the 59th to the 65th day. Puppies born before the 58th day will probably be too young to survive.

11/8/2004 Bailey goes into labor!

SoftMaple Curly Coated Retrievers
Mark and Cathy Lewandowski
8282 Soft Maple Road
Croghan New York 13327

Jet and Bailey
CH SoftMaple's O'Dark Thirty MH WCX CD CGC TT HOF CR-536G27M-T OFA cardiac, CERF
and SoftMaple N HunterBay's Poetic Justice CGC, PennHip, CR-CA158/21F/C-NOPI, CERF 2004
Pedigree