How can I tell if my rat is Pregnant?

Question
QUESTION: When I first got my rat she was a normal sized rat, her tummy was squishy..but she was in a tank with a male for about 5-6 days/nights, now her belly is a little rounder and her nipples are a little bigger and her tummy is harder then before...is she pregnant?

ANSWER: The chances are there, yes. Note if the fur around the nipples is falling out. This happens in order to prepare the nipples for the pups. Lack of fur makes it easier for the pups to suckle.  Also, she may begin to nest so look out for those signs too.  

Oh yes, also, there is a chance she could be a bit more tempermental as well....nipping at you or her cagemates, moody, typical female hormones!  :)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: She had 4 rat pups today...they are doing well as far as i know i peeked in at them a couple times today just to make sure that all is well. Oh and I forgot to say that she is a hairless rat so I read somewhere that your suppose to feed them human baby soy formula if she has trobles lactating, but I kinda moved her a little and all the pups were hanging on to her...does that mean that shes lactating? I dont know what "Milk bands" look like so I dont know what to look for. Also I read somewhere that your not suppose to hold/touch the pups for 24 hours, is this true? if not whens the earliest I can hold them?

Thanks
-Sarah

Answer
Geeze your dang mail got lost in spam......hoping things are OK.  The milk bands are like little white lights under their skin, you can tell its their stomach and you can pretty much tell its milk. Hairless may have problems lactating, but some do just fine.  How are things going?
Be sure to handle the pups daily after  24 hrs and for sure, as much as you can when their eyes open!