Pregnant sow question

Question
Hello.  We adopted a mom-daughter pair in early January and found out later, from the pet shop, that a male had been present in the cage for a few weeks.  Based on the info they gave me, we estimated March 7 or 8 to be the latest due date.  Sure enough, the mother (her daughter was too young to conceive, thank goodness!!) has become noticeably more pear-shaped over time.  Her belly became round, firm, and heavy..so I figured she must be pregnant.  I have read a lot of books about guineas..and most of the pregnant sow photos I've seen show them to become massive and very uncomfortable.  And well, our sow is big...but certainly not massive by any means.  And I'm wondering if this is normal being that it is so close to the due date.  I know this is hard without photos...but bear with me!

The next issue is fetal movement.  In the books, it says you should feel skeletal structure of the babies and so forth.  We only feel bumps and vibrations..and cannot feel skeletal structure.  Although I am touching her very gently and don't want to start squeezing her to feel anything like this.

So, my thought is that perhaps this is what a one-baby litter looks like.  I'm really puzzled..but since I've never done this before, I have no idea what normal or abnormal looks like.  

I had a pregnant gerbil once who did not look pregnant at all until the day before she gave birth..and she only had two pups.  So, perhaps this is a similar situation?

Again..I know without seeing her, it is tough to say anything for sure...but I'm wondering if what I've described sounds at all normal.

many thanks!

Whitney

Answer
W,

      It takes 65 to 75 days to deliver a litter.  She will get bigger as the day nears.  Sometimes they look big and all of a sudden they are huge.  Now I have had some sows that never look like they are pregnant.  Feed her extra veggies and fruits, and give her plenty of Timothy Hay, not alfafa.  Give her sugar water or some sweet juice daily along wiht her water also.. So that means put 2 bottles inthe cage.  This water prevents toxemia.  Keepit up through the delivery and tehn aboput 2 weeks.  Make the bottles low enough for the babies to reach.  SHe should hvae a box to hide in for the babies and her, especially when delivering.

 I use a box made of wood from the pet shops, or make them myself. It is a top and sides and a back, no floor and front.  Do not handle her much as it can disturb the babies and it is painful to her.    All yoi can do is wait as I said some never look pregnant.  She will drink more as the times nears, or stop for a day all together.