Pregnant, or something else?

[Rebecca01]

Noticed today that my Guinea pigs tummy felt unusual! More round at the sides and just bigger/lumpier than usual and even than yesterday . She is behaving fine- eating, drinking
Took her to the vets (just a general for an exam, who then offered to refer to an exotic if needed) who could feel what I meant but wasn’t sure what it could be. We talked about bloat, but I said she was eating etc and her tummy didn’t feel tight/hard all over, expressed concerns about lump but it was on both sides and then pregnancy
He took her for an ultrasound and came back and said although he isn’t sure as it is so small, he would be suspicious she could be pregnant but could only be sure through an X ray.
I’m just really not sure the timings work! We picked the girls up on the 3rd July, and they wee born on 20th May. They did have a brother, but I assume that the breeder would have taken him out at an appropriate time (she shows too so assuming she knows her stuff somewhat?)

I don’t want to put her through any more stress at the moment, especially if there is a chance she could be pregnant, so thinking to wait until nearer the end of September, monitor, see if anything is born and if not book in with an exotics vet to see what’s going on!

 

[Rebecca01]

Noticed today that my Guinea pigs tummy felt unusual! More round at the sides and just bigger/lumpier than usual and even than yesterday . She is behaving fine- eating, drinking
Took her to the vets (just a general for an exam, who then offered to refer to an exotic if needed) who could feel what I meant but wasn’t sure what it could be. We talked about bloat, but I said she was eating etc and her tummy didn’t feel tight/hard all over, expressed concerns about lump but it was on both sides and then pregnancy
He took her for an ultrasound and came back and said although he isn’t sure as it is so small, he would be suspicious she could be pregnant but could only be sure through an X ray.
I’m just really not sure the timings work! We picked the girls up on the 3rd July, and they wee born on 20th May. They did have a brother, but I assume that the breeder would have taken him out at an appropriate time (she shows too so assuming she knows her stuff somewhat?)

I don’t want to put her through any more stress at the moment, especially if there is a chance she could be pregnant, so thinking to wait until nearer the end of September, monitor, see if anything is born and if not book in with an exotics vet to see what’s going on!

Also, weirdly, I took her sister with her so they had each other to lessen stress, but the sister came back wet and smelly rather than the one the appointment was for? The vet had seen and handled the pig in question before taking the carrier into the back for the ultrasound, and there is a clear size difference so surely he couldn’t have sone the wrong pig?

 

[Wiebke]

Noticed today that my Guinea pigs tummy felt unusual! More round at the sides and just bigger/lumpier than usual and even than yesterday . She is behaving fine- eating, drinking
Took her to the vets (just a general for an exam, who then offered to refer to an exotic if needed) who could feel what I meant but wasn’t sure what it could be. We talked about bloat, but I said she was eating etc and her tummy didn’t feel tight/hard all over, expressed concerns about lump but it was on both sides and then pregnancy
He took her for an ultrasound and came back and said although he isn’t sure as it is so small, he would be suspicious she could be pregnant but could only be sure through an X ray.
I’m just really not sure the timings work! We picked the girls up on the 3rd July, and they wee born on 20th May. They did have a brother, but I assume that the breeder would have taken him out at an appropriate time (she shows too so assuming she knows her stuff somewhat?)

I don’t want to put her through any more stress at the moment, especially if there is a chance she could be pregnant, so thinking to wait until nearer the end of September, monitor, see if anything is born and if not book in with an exotics vet to see what’s going on!

Hi and welcome

Sows generally have their first season around 4-6 weeks of age with a ca. 10 weeks pregnancy, so the numbers are actually roughly in the right area. Not every sow falls pregnant the first round but these ages have been borne out with plenty of members with breeder or pet shop pregnancies caused by mis-sexing. The earliest recorded sibling pregnancy is 24 days.

Could you please double-check the sex of the companion? This is the first step.
Here is our Sexing guide which shows you exactly where to look and feel with plenty of comparison pictures. We will provide a second opinion but would like to please see clear pictures of the genitalia and the inside of the slit. The more gender markers visible, the better.

Thread 'Illustrated Sexing Guide'

Feb 18, 2018

1 How to Sex a Guinea Pig
- When do I need to check the sex?
- How do I make sure that I have got the gender 100% right?
- What are the secondary areas that require a hands-on check?
(Nipples - Penis ridge - Testicles & Castration - Slit: What to check in sows and in boars)
2 How to Sex Babies after Birth and at Separation Age
- Newborn boar and sow (genitals)
- 2 weeks old boar and sow (genitals and slit)
3...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 2
• Forum: Sexing Corner

• 

Unfortunately, you will have to sit it out. The last day a sow can have is 75 days after inception; this is the latest we have ever seen babies appear.

Here is the access link to our very practical step-by-step pregnancy, birth and mother&baby care advice, which also covers diet, hot weather, dads, baby sexing/separation plus helpful extra information and advice (please bookmark if needed):

Thread 'Pregnancy, Mother & Baby Care Guides'

Oct 30, 2017

Please note that you have to register with the forum and accept our no intentional breeding rules in order to access our Pregnancy and Baby Care section and the following guides.
Any advice and support on this forum will only be given with the express aim to prevent any further pregnancies.
Anybody found in deliberate breach with our very explicit no breeding rules will be summarily banned.
Terms of Service And Forum Rules
Our no breeding and no breed showing forum policy explained


1 Detailed diet information for pregnant and nursing sows...

• sport_billy
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Sexing, Pregnancy & Baby Care (forum members only)

 

[Rebecca01]

Hi and welcome

Sows generally have their first season around 4-6 weeks of age with a ca. 10 weeks pregnancy, so the numbers are actually roughly in the right area. Not every sow falls pregnant the first round but these ages have been borne out with plenty of members with breeder or pet shop pregnancies caused by mis-sexing. The earliest recorded sibling pregnancy is 24 days.

Could you please double-check the sex of the companion? This is the first step.
Here is our Sexing guide which shows you exactly where to look and feel with plenty of comparison pictures. We will provide a second opinion but would like to please see clear pictures of the genitalia and the inside of the slit. The more gender markers visible, the better.

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Mar 9, 2022

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between life and...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Health & Illness Support Corner

• 
• 

Unfortunately, you will have to sit it out. The last day a sow can have is 75 days after inception; this is the latest we have ever seen babies appear.

I have checked using online guide to sexing and believe she is- she also sometimes gets discharge when in season and I have never seen any mounting behaviour etc. I will t try and get a pic later, but when I applied pressure above genitals nothing appeared and is a Y shape. Unfortunately, I can’t even be sure the vet has ultrasound the correct pig! As the sister has come home wet, but I am not concerned about her being pregnant as she is slimmer, feel nothing in belly and has had obvious seasons since being with me

 

[Wiebke]

I have checked using online guide to sexing and believe she is- she also sometimes gets discharge when in season and I have never seen any mounting behaviour etc. I will t try and get a pic later, but when I applied pressure above genitals nothing appeared and is a Y shape. Unfortunately, I can’t even be sure the vet has ultrasound the correct pig! As the sister has come home wet, but I am not concerned about her being pregnant as she is slimmer, feel nothing in belly and has had obvious seasons since being with me

Hi

Any sow you have had for less than 75 days could already have been pregnant upon arrival. You can have two sows but still get babies since you are less than 10 weeks into your ownership.

We are just working through all the possibilities with you. The most important is removing any potential dads asap since sows come into season again within hours of giving birth so establishing the companion's gender is crucial as to whether he needs to move out or she can stay on.

PS: I have removed the wrong link, so you can now access the sexing link in my first post.

 

[Rebecca01]

Hi

Any sow you have had for less than 75 days could already have been pregnant upon arrival. You can have two sows but still get babies since you are less than 10 weeks into your ownership.

We are just working through all the possibilities with you. The most important is removing any potential dads asap since sows come into season again within hours of giving birth so establishing the companion's gender is crucial as to whether he needs to move out or she can stay on.

PS: I have removed the wrong link, so you can now access the sexing link in my first post.

Thankyou! I do think there’s a chance the vet has scanned the wrong pig! He knew there was another there for company, but she’s come home damp rather than Doodles. I’ve emailed them as they are closing now! Because surely if she is pregnant it would be more clear on na ultrasound if he scanned rn r big pig?

 

[Wiebke]

Thankyou! I do think there’s a chance the vet has scanned the wrong pig! He knew there was another there for company, but she’s come home damp rather than Doodles. I’ve emailed them as they are closing now! Because surely if she is pregnant it would be more clear on na ultrasound if he scanned rn r big pig?

Just sit it out; we call it a pregnancy watch. Not all vets are that experienced with guinea pigs.

Please take the time to read our pregnancy information and take good pictures to establish the sex of the companion.

 

[Rebecca01]

Just sit it out; we call it a pregnancy watch. Not all vets are that experienced with guinea pigs.

No and he did admit that! In my mind they are clearly different pigs but maybe a mix up as he was just doing me a kindness checking!
My plan is to wait another few weeks (by my calculations the latest date had she been impregnated just before we collected would be 15th september ish) and then If no babies, find an exotic vet to check out what is going on with her belly!

 

[Wiebke]

No and he did admit that! In my mind they are clearly different pigs but maybe a mix up as he was just doing me a kindness checking!
My plan is to wait another few weeks (by my calculations the latest date had she been impregnated just before we collected would be 15th september ish) and then If no babies, find an exotic vet to check out what is going on with her belly!

That sounds sensible. If there are babies you are currently at the stage where they become noticeable - as I say, the numbers are working out.

Concentrate on good care (all the advice is in the pregnancy link which we have specially written for owners being faced with an unplanned pregnancy or surprise babies) and ensuring that you have two sows right now.

I would recommend that you also bookmark the link of this specially monitored pregnancy support thread here so you can access it easily without much searching. It will accompany you for as long as needed for any questions, concerns and updates. Unlike social media we can provide personalised support but it really helps both sides if we can keep all cases together so we can refresh our memory without you needing to tell the background every time. We jump between plenty of the threads every single day we are on here.


What you may also find very useful for bookmarking, browsing, reading and re-reading at need is our New Owners guide collection for all the practical how-to advice and more in-depth information. Literally tens and tens of thousands of forum questions and up to half a century of personal owner experience have gone into our guides.

Thread 'Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners'

Feb 27, 2022

Contents Overview
1 What This Collection Is About
2 Guinea Pigs as Pets
- Family and Classroom Pets
- Sourcing Your Guinea Pigs, Common Pitfalls and Your Customer Rights
- Pet Owners with Anxiety: Practical Tips for Sufferers and Supporters
- Naming your Guinea Pigs and Finding Out the Breed
- Guinea Pigs as a Species: Facts, Development and Social Aspects...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Helpful Info Collections for Wannabes & Owners

 

[Rebecca01]

That sounds sensible. If there are babies you are currently at the stage where they become noticeable - as I say, the numbers are working out.

Concentrate on good care (all the advice is in the pregnancy link which we have specially written for owners being faced with an unplanned pregnancy or surprise babies) and ensuring that you have two sows right now.

I would recommend that you also bookmark the link of this specially monitored pregnancy support thread here so you can access it easily without much searching. It will accompany you for as long as needed for any questions, concerns and updates. Unlike social media we can provide personalised support but it really helps both sides if we can keep all cases together so we can refresh our memory without you needing to tell the background every time. We jump between plenty of the threads every single day we are on here.


What you may also find very useful for bookmarking, browsing, reading and re-reading at need is our New Owners guide collection for all the practical how-to advice and more in-depth information. Literally tens and tens of thousands of forum questions and up to half a century of personal owner experience have gone into our guides.

Thread 'Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners'

Feb 27, 2022

Contents Overview
1 What This Collection Is About
2 Guinea Pigs as Pets
- Family and Classroom Pets
- Sourcing Your Guinea Pigs, Common Pitfalls and Your Customer Rights
- Pet Owners with Anxiety: Practical Tips for Sufferers and Supporters
- Naming your Guinea Pigs and Finding Out the Breed
- Guinea Pigs as a Species: Facts, Development and Social Aspects...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 7
• Forum: Helpful Info Collections for Wannabes & Owners

Thankyou this is so helpful!
They stayed with my mum last week as I was on holiday and we obviously didn’t know this was a possibility as her tummy was more normal- my mum has likely fed her more pellets whilst there, asi. Told her to just top up a little bit if empty. Would this be a risk? And I hope I haven’t caused her discomfort feeling around her belly! Originally, I only felt one little lump which felt more like a bump than anything else, so was feeling around this.

 

[Wiebke]

Thankyou this is so helpful!
They stayed with my mum last week as I was on holiday and we obviously didn’t know this was a possibility as her tummy was more normal- my mum has likely fed her more pellets whilst there, asi. Told her to just top up a little bit if empty. Would this be a risk? And I hope I haven’t caused her discomfort feeling around her belly! Originally, I only felt one little lump which felt more like a bump than anything else, so was feeling around this.

Hi

Please reduce the pellets to just 1 tablespoon per piggy per day until the babies are safely out (and for the rest of their lives after weaning). Please sprinkle feed them around the cage together with the veg so your piggies have to look for them. It means no peeing and pooing into bowls and a stimulation of their natural foraging behaviour. At other times they should be encouraged to eat hay and - safe - grass which has been carefully introduced in order to not cause tummy upsets. You can find the detailed tips in our diet guide.

Please keep in mind that veg and fresh forage, pellets and dry forage plus any treats are basically one big food group that replaces the supplementary role of wild forage whereas hay and fresh grass make over three quarters of what a piggy needs to eat in a day. Pellets are useful for their added protein in a small quantity but they are still mainly fillers. The more hay and safe grass a piggy eats the better - it can add 1-2 years to a normal healthy life-span. Things have changed massively in this respect.

The good news is that baby mums (which we see a lot of in this section) actually have one of the best outcome rates. The longer they have been in good care, the better.
Your intervention re. reducing the pellet intake will really help with the most common fatal birthing complication: stuck babies and that really ups the success rate further. So please don't panic. A half-way decent vet (and most UK vets actually are upwards from that) should not harm any tiny embryos. Vets are trained to feel but not crush when they palpate.

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...rsing-diet-for-minimising-birth-risks.209804/

 

[Wiebke]

Just take a deep breath and work your way through it all bit by bit.

It is a bit of a shock and a steep learning curve for you right now but we are here to help you through it step by step. You will get there.

 

[Rebecca01]

(Excuse the incoming poo)
This is her cage mate (sister I'm fairly sure)
The vet I think mistakenly did the ultrasound on her hence the wet fur, and thought he saw a ‘tiny skeleton’ however not too concerned about her(?) as she is a more normal shape, weight and can’t feel anything in her belly- she has also been rumblestrutting and having sone discharge every couple of weeks when coming into season

 

[Wiebke]

View attachment 255693

(Excuse the incoming poo)
This is her cage mate (sister I'm fairly sure)
The vet I think mistakenly did the ultrasound on her hence the wet fur, and thought he saw a ‘tiny skeleton’ however not too concerned about her(?) as she is a more normal shape, weight and can’t feel anything in her belly- she has also been rumblestrutting and having sone discharge every couple of weeks when coming into season

Hi

Yes, she is very much a girl. You can see clearly an angular knob coming to a peak nestled in a Y-shaped groove and a nice textbook fleshy 'key hole' seal peeking through at the bottom end. That is three distinct gender markers.
So that is one big headache off the table. The girls can stay together. I would recommend using tunnels or larger huts (ideally with two openings, so babies can escape and mummy has got space when she turns around with each new baby arrival. It also means that auntie cannot back the babies into a corner for a spot of dominance behaviour. The babies don't come to any harm (it is part of piggy society) but having escape routes and things to run through is more fun as well.

Your companion (what are their names and what do the look like?) could be carrying a single pup at the most but if she is clearly coming into season every two weeks then that speaks against it.
Unfortunately, all you can do is wait and see - but even if you knew there is nothing you can change but sows that young don't have lumps on or in their bellies for other reasons fat balls and ovarian cysts won't appear until later on, especially if the balls move around. Unfortunately, with that coat you are unlikely to spot any baby movement. The good thing about our pregnancy diet recommendations is that they are geared for general good health as this is the most important success factor, so whether you are about to become a piggy granny or not, it is the best thing you can do for them as long as you stop having pellets on tap for the next two weeks or so just to stop any babies from growing too large. That is something you can influence now.

 

[Rebecca01]

Hi

Yes, she is very much a girl. You can see clearly an angular knob coming to a peak nestled in a Y-shaped groove and a nice textbook fleshy 'key hole' seal peeking through at the bottom end. That is three distinct gender markers.
So that is one big headache off the table. The girls can stay together. I would recommend using tunnels or larger huts (ideally with two openings, so babies can escape and mummy has got space when she turns around with each new baby arrival. It also means that auntie cannot back the babies into a corner for a spot of dominance behaviour. The babies don't come to any harm (it is part of piggy society) but having escape routes and things to run through is more fun as well.

Your companion (what are their names and what do the look like?) could be carrying a single pup at the most but if she is clearly coming into season every two weeks then that speaks against it.
Unfortunately, all you can do is wait and see - but even if you knew there is nothing you can change but sows that young don't have lumps on or in their bellies for other reasons fat balls and ovarian cysts won't appear until later on, especially if the balls move around. Unfortunately, with that coat you are unlikely to spot any baby movement. The good thing about our pregnancy diet recommendations is that they are geared for general good health as this is the most important success factor, so whether you are about to become a piggy granny or not, it is the best thing you can do for them as long as you stop having pellets on tap for the next two weeks or so just to stop any babies from growing too large. That is something you can influence now.

Thought so! Izzles is the littler one with more white on her, Doodles is brown and bigger m- both very fluffy! Older picture of them both together
Yes it is weird the vet made the comment about seeing something if he scanned the wrong pig, but when I got to thinking about seasons I realised I’ve never seen discharge from Doodles and she isn’t as frequent with the rumblestrutting etc
Thankyou so much for all your help tonight! I have no doubt I will be asking more questions or sharing more worries/thoughts so sorry in advance lol

 

[Wiebke]

Thought so! Izzles is the littler one with more white on her, Doodles is brown and bigger m- both very fluffy! Older picture of them both together
Yes it is weird the vet made the comment about seeing something if he scanned the wrong pig, but when I got to thinking about seasons I realised I’ve never seen discharge from Doodles and she isn’t as frequent with the rumblestrutting etc
Thankyou so much for all your help tonight! I have no doubt I will be asking more questions or sharing more worries/thoughts so sorry in advance lol

They are both very gorgeous indeed. And seeing some distinct colour markings lines, yes they are also definitely closely related in some way - litter sisters or cousins.

Rumble-strutting is mild dominance and not just connected with sows in season (or boars on a daily basis).


We are here for the friendly and lively piggy community (you can find it in our Chat sections) as well as for any questions, concerns or moral support in the Care sections. It is our forum ethos which is fully carried by our members. this thread here is open for you for as long as needed.

If you have questions on other aspects of ownership and care, please ask them in the various Care sections and if you would like to chat about or show off your beautiful little girls or other members' piggies, then the Chat and picture sections are for that. Some of our regulars run their own little piggy blog threads in Guinea Pig Chat.

Because we cannot type out any advice in full every single time (seeing that we are doing this for free in our own free time), we have created guides with all the practical how-to tips and in-depth information and link them in whenever needed but they are also there for our downtime or if you want to learn more about guinea pigs behaviour as a species, their care or illness care.

 

[fluffysal]

I have no advice just wanted to say good luck and they are gorgeous

 

[Rebecca01]

Hi everyone! Apologies in advance for being annoying but my anxiety levels are through the roof!
I go back to work tomorrow (teacher) and am just so worried about my possibly pregnant piggy. Knowing I won’t be home between 7 and 4/5 during the week, and am not there to keep an eye on her! I also just want her to be OK- sounds mean but these are surprise babies I did not expect, and I really do just care about my Doodles being okay! I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her, and her leaving her sister behind. I love her so much already!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone! Apologies in advance for being annoying but my anxiety levels are through the roof!
I go back to work tomorrow (teacher) and am just so worried about my possibly pregnant piggy. Knowing I won’t be home between 7 and 4/5 during the week, and am not there to keep an eye on her! I also just want her to be OK- sounds mean but these are surprise babies I did not expect, and I really do just care about my Doodles being okay! I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her, and her leaving her sister behind. I love her so much already!

Hi

Many births happen in the night/early morning hours when you are asleep anyway. You cannot be there all the time and stay awake round the clock for a couple of weeks.

However, you can even be in the same room with another task and not notice until you get the very distinctive smell of the amniotic fluid; a birth can be that quiet! Fact is that I have missed the majority of births here at home (even though I was at home and once while I was in the same room working on my computer).
But every time everything has gone well anyway. The good news is that most births go without a hitch and that with good care these hitches are even less common.

Anyway, if your anxiety is through the roof, get a camera for the cage that you can access remotely in between classes. Quite a few forum members use this also for when they are away with work or holidays and have somebody coming in to look after their piggies. I have done this occasionally when away for a family visit.

 

[fluffysal]

Also, please don't apologise for being "annoying". You on posting on a forum of people who are dedicated to the point of obsession about their piggies.

 

[Rebecca01]

Thanks all! I’m trying to do the best I can to support her lol
I’m aware when I was away they only realy had lettuce and pepper, so for the last two days I’ve tried to give them a mix more varied and higher in nutrients so they’ve had lettuce, pepper, coriander, parsley, rocket and a bit of kale. I’m aware not to give too much parsley/kale etc due to calcium but wanted to make sure they were getting something with it in! Now they e had it a couple of days in a row, I will switch it up tomorrow so they aren’t getting too much! Although everything on the internet says such different things about the needs of younger piggies in terms of calcium!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks all! I’m trying to do the best I can to support her lol
I’m aware when I was away they only realy had lettuce and pepper, so for the last two days I’ve tried to give them a mix more varied and higher in nutrients so they’ve had lettuce, pepper, coriander, parsley, rocket and a bit of kale. I’m aware not to give too much parsley/kale etc due to calcium but wanted to make sure they were getting something with it in! Now they e had it a couple of days in a row, I will switch it up tomorrow so they aren’t getting too much! Although everything on the internet says such different things about the needs of younger piggies in terms of calcium!

Most calcium comes into the diet via pellets and drinking water so they were still getting calcium when you were away regardless of their veg portion of their diet
1 tablespoon of pellets per day and a small amount of high calcium veg just once a week is plenty to meet their needs.

 

[Rebecca01]

do people generally remove bridges etc when piggies are pregnant?
She just tried to jump up whilst her sister was already on it, lost her balance and fell forwards. I think she managed to put out her front legs, although didn’t entirely see- she made no noises and has since jumped back up there.
They do love their bridge and both of them spend a lot of time lying on top of it, so I don’t want them to go without, just also don’t want her to hurt herself! I could also put a folded up blanket either side of if?

 

[Rebecca01]

Hi all
Watching piggy today from the sofa and noticed sone quite obvious movement from her tummy area - almost like big twitches? Not sure if they just looked more intense because of the amount of fluff! Is this usual, could it be her coming to the end of her pregnancy and almost ready to give birth?

 

[Rebecca01]

Hi all just a couple quick questions!

Will it be likely that there are risks to the babies if piggie has likely been impregnated by either dad or brother?
Will she be okay age wise? I know pelvic bone wise she will be better but she isn’t even 4 months yet and close to giving birth! Just want to make sure her growth development and health doesn’t suffer

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all just a couple quick questions!

Will it be likely that there are risks to the babies if piggie has likely been impregnated by either dad or brother?
Will she be okay age wise? I know pelvic bone wise she will be better but she isn’t even 4 months yet and close to giving birth! Just want to make sure her growth development and health doesn’t suffer

Hi

Please follow our diet advice link. It is even more important that the babies are not too large for a young mother because babies are always normal-sized whatever the age the mother is. That is the biggest - but manageable - birthing risk.
Apart from that, survival rates are higher than average but there is never a guarantee for a total success rate. But however good your care, it always comes down to an anxious wait at the end - and it never gets any easier, I can tell you.

Please take the time to read this very practical link. It tells you in detail what to do and how to minimise the risk of large babies getting stuck at birth or being born with badly damaging the mum.
Please accept that we are doing all this for free in our own free time on here, around our own guinea pigs, jobs and private lives and that we cannot type out the whole advice in every single post. For this reason we have created the guide links.

https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...rsing-diet-for-minimising-birth-risks.209804/

As to your in-breeding question: It is a matter of whether there is a defective gene in play or not and whether a pup inherits it from both parents. That is something you can never predict.

I have adopted a dumped family living rough in dog walking wasteland wholesale two years ago. It was a mother, son and daughter, both sows pregnant by him and giving birth 6 weeks apart. The daughter gave birth in rescue not all that long after and the mother 6 weeks later; she must have been impregnated by her son just days before they were caught by a forum member.
Each of the sows had two pups; one baby girl (who now lives with one of her younger half-brothers or uncles, depending on whether you look at dad or mum) and three baby boars. So far, they are all healthy and doing well.
From how similar how limited by limited by their parents' appearance all the babies are, as well as the fact that both the daughter and one of the mother's sons (and technically a half-brother of hers) have comparatively small eyes, I suspect that the in-breeding must go further back or there would be more of a variation.