Confused about labor!

First time goat mama here, so maybe I'm just a little overexcited. I'm starting to get concerned about my nanny Rose, who is 4, and will be freshening for the second time. I just got her about a few weeks ago, along with her yearling doe from last year, a singleton birth. I have no due date on her, so I'm just judging by what I've been reading and learning.

She started bagging up about 2-3 weeks ago, a week after I brought her home. She's had white snotty discharge off and on, mostly in the evenings, for the last week and is incredibly swollen back there. In the last week she seemed to drop and get less wide with a fuller looking belly overall. The past few days her ligaments have been getting reaaallly loose and then coming back a little. Terrible attitude for the past week, to everyone except me. Two nights ago she started panting and kept it up for 36 hours. A little bit of quick breathing now, but not the heavy panting she was doing. She wouldn't let her yearling near her at all when she was doing the panting and having a discharge. I really thought she was in labor! She was even yawning repeatedly and unable to settle. That was 2 nights ago.

Now, she's running around like usual, just incredibly short tempered. Her lady parts aren't nearly as swollen. They were so swollen that when she sat down or strained around to itch with her horns she was opened up the size of a dime and you could see right in her! When she stood or walked normally you could see pink. Not as in a prolapse, but so swollen that the inside rim was sort of exposed, if that makes sense. Now....nothing. WHAT is going on??! After a week off and on of thinking "this is it!", I'm beginning to think she is not even pregnant. Not really. Although, she does look pretty darn skinny for a pregnant doe, right?? If it weren't for feeling the babies moving around 2 weeks ago I might begin to wonder if it was a false freshening.

She doesn't look pregnant from above view (so I am thinking another singleton birth), but I am showing that view so you can see her sides are sunken in and hip bones sticking out. Also, her lady parts are less swollen than they have been, but this is what she looks like today. I am SO confused!

Thoughts???

My oh my you poor dear. Sounds like you have done plenty of homework!

Just reading your post, I was thinking how I went through that mess last month with my doe (same with the yearling doeling daughter as well!) The day I said I give up she doesn't even act pregnant today, that night she gave me twins!

After looking at your photos, I have to admit i do believe it is false pregnancy. She is not pregnant looking from any side. Yes, looks sunken in, but ive heard this happens. Sorry i do not have experience with false pregnancy. her udder does not look extremely full, and she looks rather happy.

I'm hoping someone who has false pregnancy experience can lend some helpful advice!

You said you'd seen discharge. Was it stringy, ropey or colored at all?

She's definitely pregnant! I was worried about the photos not showing it enough. They aren't showing enough dimension, if that makes sense. While she doesn't have a prominent bump from any side, she is extremely FULL. You can see pregnant written all over her. She's at that last stage of misery where she can't get comfortable, can't curl up anymore and has to just lay around flopped out sort of. The discharge has been clear/white opaque egg white looking snotty stuff. Not amber or red or colorful in anyway. These were all just signs that I thought meant kidding was a couple of days away. Then, the whole panting episode made me think it was time. Now, nothing. Her udder started and filled up within the last 3-4 weeks. It's not engorged, though.

If she is pregnant it looks like she has along way to go.

Her udder doesn't look full enough yet. One of my does will completely fill up the rest of her udder the day before she kids. One of my other does had been ready for a couple of weeks, it seems, before she kidded. Have you tried feeling for her ligaments? Once they are completely, absolutely gone, she will kid within 24 hours. They can start softening/ hardening/ softening / hardening (yeah, goats REALLY like to mess with their people! ) about a month more or less before kidding. Here is a link that will * hopefully * help you out : http://fiascofarm.com/goats/prenatalcare.html#labor

ETA: My does will drop their bags about a month before kidding. Filling up with milk takes about 2 weeks to a day before kidding for mine as well. : )

Every goat is different. I would recommend keeping a goat journal of signs and any new developments in it of your does and any you others that are due to kid. In this way, you can look back next year as you approach kidding and see what's up or what stage she's in. I would recommend doing this every year since every kidding/ preparation for kidding may not be the same, but you get a general idea which is so very helpful!