Is she Pregnant?

The first question everyone has is: Is my guinea pig actually pregnant?
The answer? It's hard to tell... disappointing, I know.
It is difficult to be sure whether they are pregnant. Sometimes it takes until they are 3 or 4 weeks out from giving birth to really tell.

​Guinea pigs are fertile about every 13-20 days. The length of the fertile period itself is about 50 hours and ovulation occurs around 10 hours into the fertile period. It is also difficult to tell for sure when they are fertile unless one is regularly looking for signs everyday. If she happens to be anywhere close to her fertile period, it only takes a few seconds for a male to get her pregnant.

A lot of the time, fat is confused with a baby bump. Fat is very squishy while pregnancy feels tough and almost hard under the skin. Of course, in an overweight piggy, it is harder to feel this tough lump.
​Fat is also lower on the stomach and more around the hind legs. Pregnancy tends to be higher up.

Signs she is Pregnant:
  • Her nipples will enlarge if it is her first pregnancy
  • About 4 weeks before birth, you will notice a significant increase in water intake.
  • About 2-3 weeks before birth, you should start feeling the pups move around depending on how many she has.
  • A few days before birth you can feel the vibrations of the pups grinding their teeth.
  • By the time she gives birth, she should have nearly doubled her pre-pregnancy weight.
Picture
April when she was pregnant with 3 pups.
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April 6 weeks after birth. Some would say she is pregnant, but nope. She's just chubby.
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Princess showing off her baby bump. Notice how high and off to the sides they are above her hind legs. This photo was taken exactly 3 weeks before she gave birth to 3 pups.