My girl is still holding out!

Well, my Foxtrotter mare is still holding out on me! I guess baby still isn't done "cooking" yet! But she sure looks like she is getting close.

Baby is very, very active. Sometimes it looks like she has an alien in there trying to push it's way out of her abdomen. The muscles are also getting soft feeling on either side of her tail. But her udder still only has watery, clear-like fluid, only slightly cloudier than totally clear. Her vulva looks relaxed the majority of the time now.

So when, oh when, will baby be born? I know no one has the answer, but could this go on for another month or longer? Or is she definitely closer than that?

Here are some current pictures. Her udder has always looked large, so I don't know if that is a good indicator. But it is a bit larger now than it used to be.

(A little history for those who don't know......
I don't know when she was bred because I bought her already pregnant back in October and she was on pasture with a bunch of mares and foals and a stallion. I *think* her last foal was born in July, so she could be due this month if she was bred on the foal heat, but there is no way to know for sure. From what I can research, this will be foal #10 for her! After this she will retire to being my trail horse. )

No affence but she looks like a gelding with her teats like that, you will know when she is about to drop as my mare when we got her 7mnths later she had a foal and just before like two weeks the foal was born her udder went huge! And 24hours before they foal there teats will drain wax from them and then you will know she is due!

This is my mare before she foaled
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And after with the foal
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Well drat, for some reason I can't see your photos.

I did buy several foaling books, so I know most of the signs, it's just that I don't know where she is at on the scale of readiness, if that makes any sense. I don't know if I am a month away, or a week away. I get so excited by every small change, but then she will go for days without a change, so it is hard to know how quickly things will happen.

And the books aren't a huge help on that because all mares get ready at a different rate and some can foal without all the signs being there. So I don't know if I am looking for a sign I will never see, or if I just can't wait to see the baby and I'm getting excited and need to cool my jets for another couple of weeks! I guess the biggest thing is the udder, and if she only has clear fluid, I guess it will be a while. How quickly can an udder change? Over weeks? Overnight? I take a look at her at least twice a day. I keep hoping to see the mucous plug or something really definitive.

Does she let you express milk? If so, do the pool strip tests on them, I posted a link here somewhere that tells how. That way you'll know when she's getting close :)

Yes udders can change over night!! One day our mares "milk" was the clear/cloudy liquid and the next it was definitely milk and she foaled that night! So yes it can change over night lol

We just had one foal after playing peek a boo for a month! LoL! The udders don't look extremely close but as stated it can change quickly. I wouldn't get too excited until her bag looks and feels like it will burst open, her bum around the dock is like a balloon with jello in it, and hopefully you will see "waxing". Her milk veins are starting to pop out though, I would keep a close eye on her

Wow. I just have to say that I absolutely adore the legs and feet on your girl. I love those big boned horsies. Am subscribed now so that I can anxiously await another baby.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh poor Izzy! Has she hit that "I'm miserable" stage yet? Her belly is soooooooooooo low - that must be one big baby! It's deceptive on her because of the enlarged teats, but it looks like her udder still has a way to go. I agree with Chey, do the pool strips or some form of testing the milk - that was my best indication on Freyja. More frequent updates from here on out, please!!

Come on momma!!!!