URGENT - Ewe stopping labour between twins?!

[shepherdO]

Okay, so I went out at 3:30am (about an hour ago) and Sabine was chortling over a newborn ewe lamb. Sweet. Brought them inside the jug.

However, there's another dark bag peeking out - only started protruding after I held her against the wall so that lamb could nurse (first time mum, very small udder).

Okay, is this the afterbirth coming out already, or another lamb? B/c she is NOT pushing/straining at all... it if was this long between twins (an hour since I went out, and she lamb was on its feet - let's say an hour and 15?) and she was PUSHING or in discomfort, I'd go in (not that I've done it yet, but from what I've read and all.)

So - IS this another twin coming about? It's a dark red-dy bag, but only out a couple inches, not going any farther, she's not pushing at ALL. Will a first time mom (who is a twin herself if that means anything) complete stop labour/pushing in between twins?

HELP!

ShepherdO

 

[Hens and Roos]

tagging people with sheep knowledge for you. @Mike CHS @Sheepshape @Baymule

 

[shepherdO]

 

[shepherdO]

That's the bag. Looks like she's concentrating hard and not worrying about the first one , so I think it is a twin... Should I go in?

 

[Sheepshape]

Sounds like the afterbirth.......take a look on Google images. The afterbirth often has subsidiary sacs, often containing old blood, and 'liver' like bits attached to it.The placenta itself has separate cotyledons not attached to each other, unlike the human placenta. The ewe may give a few perfunctory pushes, but the afterbirth tends to pass fairly easily as the passages have been dilated by the lamb.

A second twin can come straight away, and the process is very like that of the first....sac containing clearish fluid, sac lengthens, bursts, then the lamb is born. If possible keep an eye on ewes with multiple births as two front hoof/nose presentations are the norm, but rump first is also quite common. In the case of rump first, pull the lamb out, as a slow birth may mean that the lamb breathes during birth, inhaling fluid and dies. Pull the two back legs down, one at a time, then, ideally timed with a contraction, pull the lamb out in an imaginary arc down from her rear end. Clean the lambs' mouth and nose straight away and give to ewe mum.

Second twins are sometimes born after an interval of minutes or even hours.

Complicated presentations may involve twins being twisted round each other, one leg forward and one back etc. If you have a friendly local farmer, call him/her, but the key is to untangle twins by pushing them back up the birth canal and bringing them down one at a time, or getting two front legs and a head, or two back legs and a rump, so they can be delivered.

I'm thinking that you have a placenta, so this 'lamb stuff' is probably superfluous.

Good Luck.

p.s Don't worry if it's the placenta and she promptly eats it!

 

[Sheepshape]

Just seen the pic.......could be a twin.

Just stay with her for now and watch.

If it's a twin, then it'll be apparent pretty soon as the second birth in twins is usually much faster than the first.

 

[shepherdO]

Okay so I went in and felt nothing... Seemed like lite bits of poop or something which I think was the placenta She started pushing haeed while i was in the re and something came out more, looks like a clues or something so I'm thinking it's just the afyerbrth

 

[shepherdO]

Okay but it's been 2 hours since the first

 

[shepherdO]

She's pawinf the ground a bit? Do they do that when passing the afyerbrth? She's pretty sunken in the hips so I don't know if there's another one. She seems pretty content

 

[Sheepshape]

Two hours is fine.... Little lumpy bits sound like cotyledons.

Relax and just keep her company for now. It will all be obvious fairly soon.

Generally speaking I give an injection of penicillin/streptomycin if I 'put my hand in'....maybe consider this when everything is finished (and if this is the suggested practice from your vet).