sick newborn kitten??

Question
my moms cat had two kittens sometime late last night early this morning. One is EXTREMELY small (over half the size of the other) as far as we have seen mom won't lay down long enough for kittens to nurse unsure if this is d/t her age (1.5 yrs# or inexperience #this is her 1st litter). I was just informed by my mom that it appears to her that on 2 occasions the smaller kitten has passed but when she picks it up it starts breathing again and acts as if it is choking/gagging. we are unsure if this means that the kitten is going to pass or if maybe the kitten aspirated amniotic fluid. as a nurse I know what signs/symptoms to look for in humans but unsure of how to help this poor kitten. any advice you have would be very helpful. I know my mom is planning on getting KRM tomorrow morning. but not sure what to tell her to do to help till then.

Answer
Amber,

Mama will settle down, but as important as nursing is, it is more important that they stay warm. Kittens cannot regulate their body temperatures until they are a couple of weeks old, and, so, must rely on mama's body heat. I would not use a heating pad, but make sure they are in a box (with the original bedding mama used for birth) which should keep the kittens out of any drafts.

I would suggest getting everyone to the vet to make sure that the mama is finished and, also to check on the kitten. The vet can also tell you if mama has milk. I would make sure mama and the kittens are separated for transport, in case she gets jarred and rolls over on one of the kittens.

Please let me know what you find.

Best regards... Norm.