Mouse died....what happened....any ideas?

Question
We are starting to breed mice.  We had 1 male and 2 females.  Both females were pregnant, happy, and healthy as far as we could tell.  Then we woke up this morning and one of the pregnant females was dead and didn't seem to be "pregnant" anymore.  I felt her tummy to feel for babies but felt nothing.  Neither mouse is due for at least another week.  I'm not sure what happened.  Could she have given birth early and died shortly after....even though we didn't see any evidence a birth taken place.  If you have any ideas please let me know or if you need more info to answer please ask and I will tell you anything else I can.  Thanks, Jenn

Answer
Don't panic, it is highly unlikely you did something wrong. I am very sorry this happened to you, please don't be put off by this tragic experience.

The fact that she wasn't pregnant anymore indicates a premature labor. She probably gave birth and died shortly after. The other 2 mice would have 'cleaned up' any mess to recycle the nutrients. An clue she gave birth would be a drop or two of blood, usually in the nesting area or wherever you found her.

There is a chance she was never pregnant at all as at two weeks some mice don't show. She may have died naturally for a number of reasons.

Remember to take the male out a few days before your other mouse is due as she can become fertile within a few hours of giving birth.

If you need any help when the babies come or have any further questions please let me know.