Avoiding Due Date Disasters: When Planning Replaces Panic

Design your Delivery Day Diary

When Ashley shared his story with us during our latest Spotlight Session, you could almost feel his heart pounding through the screen.

"Puppies' heartbeats had dropped. I'm ringing round for a C-section, only to be told my vet won't take me because I'm 'out of area'. I've been using them for years. By the time I'd finished the call, my head was spinning. What if this had been 2 am? What if there were puppies stuck and I had nowhere to go?"

​Ashley's experience is every breeder's nightmare: finding yourself on the ropes at the very moment your bitch and her puppies need you most. It's proof that disasters aren't just about what happens in the whelping box,  they come from the details you didn't prepare for in advance.
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That's why we ran our most recent Spotlight Session: Avoiding Due Date Disasters – Design your Delivery Day Diary.
For 60 minutes, we dug into exactly how to avoid being caught out. Together we created a three-part A–B–C plan:

Plan A: Natural Whelp at Home

• Stocking your whelping wishlist: emergency milk, sponge and tube feeding kits, calcium, life drops, puppy stim, spare towels and a puppy box.
• Preparing your own essentials: a charged phone, a power bank, a torch, food, painkillers, and an emergency contact list, both in your phone and on paper.
• Personal arrangements: who handles meals, children, and other pets if you're tied up all night? Have you sorted sleeping shifts? Who's allowed in the whelping space? Is it cleaned, bio-secure, and ready?

Recording labour clearly with a logbook and thermometer so you don't miss red flags.

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Plan B: Elective Section

• Reverse progesterone testing with local clinics to confirm safe timing.
• A "hospital bag" ready for dam and puppies, complete with blankets, a heat source, and a transport box.
• Pre-confirmed arrangements with your vet, payment or insurance in place, and a calm, prepped home for mum's return.

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Plan C: Emergency Section

• Knowing the warning signs that Plan A is no longer safe.
• A grab-and-go bag by the door.
• A designated driver on standby (because you can't drive and care for mum at the same time).
• The car is cleared and fueled, with spare clothes in the boot for that inevitable 3 am dash.
• Cover for children, other pets, and household logistics while you're gone.

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We finished with a practical activity, the Delivery Day Diary Sheet. Our Brew Crew members have a template to complete with their own vet contacts, driver options, visitor rules, car preparation details, and backup plans. The result? A customised, written plan pinned up in the whelping area, ready for when the pressure is on.

Why this matters
Ashley's story shows us that you don't rise to the occasion on delivery day; you fall back on your preparation. Breeding is not a role you claim; it's a responsibility you carry. The bitch, the puppies, and your peace of mind all depend on whether you planned for the "what ifs."

How to access the full session
If you join the Brew Crew today, you'll get instant access to this Spotlight Session replay inside the Tap Room, along with:

• A printable Delivery Day Diary Sheet to design your own plan
• Our full library of past Spotlights and Breeder Briefs
• Live B!tch & Brew catch-up calls, where you can bring your personal situations and get feedback in real time

Don't let delivery day catch you unprepared. Step into the Tap Room, where preparation turns into a sense of peace of mind.

​👉 Join the Brew Crew today and design your own Delivery Day Diary before it's too late.