The Birth

Friday, February 11

Clair was still very much preggers when I got up in the morning, she rode around on my shoulder a little in while I got ready for the day. left the house around 1pm and got back around 4 or 5, went to check on Clair and she had already popped out 4 little babies and was now hidden in a box I had put in the cage licking and cleaning another 2 babies. It was hard not to watch the whole process, but I knew it was better for her for me to let her be. I draped part of the cage in a blanket to keep the babies warm and give mom some privacy.
A little later I checked again on the happenings in the cage, Clair was now out and about in the cage, peering out at me though the bars. The babies were in two groups and not tucked away in a nest, Clair hadn't built one yet. the four out in the open looked very still and quiet, the two now three in the box looked pink and wigglie. I knew for the little ones to survive they had to be together and in a nest with momma sitting on top nursing them and keeping them warm. again I decided to let her be to do what she thought best. a little later I checked to see if anything had changed. Clair was trying to build a nest but the little box I had put in for birthing was in the way so she was trying to use the material I had put in that she herself used as a nest only by borrowing into the sheet of flannel she was knocking the babes all over the cage. I decided to remove the material and the box. Clair was frantic and a soon as I opened the cage crawled out and into my sweater. I pulled out the box and flannel and picked up all the babies and piled them into one corner of the cage, at this point I noticed that on of the babes was dead and removed it from the cage. I popped an unwilling Clair back in the cage who sniffed all her babies then began to build a nest by pushing and pulling up the bedding to form a little cup around the pink wigglers.
I worried that if Clair had a hard time building a nest maybe her milk hadn't come in yet and the little ones couldn't nurse. I decided to give them a few more hours alone. I checked on the little family again around 11pm. Clair was sitting on the nest little babes under her. I wanted to check for milk bands on the wigglers which means they are nursing but didn’t want to force Clair off the nest or touch the babies more then I had to. I waited a little longer until she was off the nest and peered into the cage, and sure enough I could see their little bellies full of milk though their pink skin. babies where in a nest and mom was nursing things where going to be fine.