Katie Van Slyke Finds Bella Resting Alone as Kid Watch Intensifies — Her Appetite and Body Are Starting to Change

Bella is still pregnant.

But Katie Van Slyke’s latest check revealed several changes that have made the waiting game even more interesting.

When Katie drove up to the goat pen, Bella was not standing with the rest of the herd or rushing over to greet her.

Instead, she was lying by herself behind a chair.

That immediately stood out.

Katie said Bella has been spending more time alone and lying down more frequently, and she found it especially noticeable that Bella did not immediately get up when she arrived.

Normally, Bella is one of the first goats to come say hello.

This time, she stayed down.

As Katie put it, at some point those babies have to come out. 17.txtTXT

And after getting Bella up for a closer inspection, Katie noticed several other things:

Her hips appeared more sunken.

Her belly looked extremely low.

There may have been a small amount of discharge.

Her udder remained very full.

And perhaps most notably, Bella’s appetite has not been quite as enthusiastic as usual.

None of those observations were presented as confirmation that active labor had started.

But together, they gave Katie plenty of reasons to keep Bella under especially close watch.

Bella Has Been Spending More Time by Herself

The first thing Katie noticed was Bella’s location.

Most of the other goats were elsewhere, while Bella had chosen a quiet spot behind a chair.

Katie didn’t describe isolation by itself as abnormal enough to prove anything.

But she did call it telling.

Bella has increasingly been off on her own and spending more time lying down.

Even when Blossom approached her, Bella initially remained where she was.

That was unusual enough for Katie to pay close attention because Bella typically gets excited when Katie arrives.

“She’s normally numero uno to come say hi,” Katie explained. 17.txtTXT

This time, she seemed much more interested in resting.

Katie Finally Gets Bella Up for Another Check

Eventually, Bella stood.

That gave Katie the opportunity to perform the same kind of visual inspection she has been documenting throughout the final stages of this pregnancy.

Almost immediately, Bella’s hips caught her attention.

Katie thought they looked “super sunken in.”

She repeated the observation after viewing Bella from different angles.

That appearance seemed more pronounced than before.

Katie also looked carefully at Bella’s udder.

It has been large for some time, but Katie wasn’t convinced it looked significantly more “popped” than it did the day before. 17.txtTXT

That is an important distinction.

Katie has been waiting for the kind of dramatic final udder change that would make her feel much more certain that kidding is extremely close.

Bella’s udder is undeniably big.

But Katie is still reluctant to call every difference the final change.

Katie Thinks She May Have Seen Discharge

There was another observation that made the update interesting.

Katie believed she saw a small amount of discharge.

Unfortunately, Blossom apparently got in the way before Katie could inspect it for very long.

Katie joked that Blossom managed to wipe it onto her own forehead.

It was another classic Blossom moment during a pregnancy in which Bella’s sister has spent an unusual amount of time hovering close by.

Katie did not claim that the possible discharge meant labor had officially begun.

It was simply another detail added to the growing list of things she was watching. 17.txtTXT

Bella’s Belly Looks Extremely Low

The belly remains impossible to ignore.

Katie said Bella looked “pretty dang low” while standing.

And when she got another look at the sheer size of her, Katie jokingly raised an even bigger question than before.

“Are there four in there?”

Katie has long suspected Bella could be carrying more than the minimum number of kids previously seen.

But this comment about four was clearly speculation and surprise at the size of Bella’s belly — not a confirmed count.

The exact number remains unknown.

Still, Bella’s enormous pregnancy continues to make Katie question just how many kids will ultimately appear. 17.txtTXT

Twins, Triplets… or an Even Bigger Surprise?

Throughout Bella’s pregnancy, the baby count has remained one of the biggest mysteries.

Katie knows there are multiples.

She has repeatedly suspected there could be three.

Now, looking at Bella’s exceptionally large body, even the thought of four briefly crossed her mind.

But until kidding happens, nobody knows.

That uncertainty is part of what has made this pregnancy such a closely followed countdown.

Bella could ultimately prove Katie’s triplet instincts correct.

She could surprise everyone in another direction.

For now, the only responsible answer is that the final number remains unknown.

Katie Decides to Put Bella Up for the Night

With the rest of the goats still outside, Katie decided it would be a good opportunity to quietly move Bella into her own space.

That would give her somewhere calm and private for the night.

Katie joked that sometimes Blossom makes separating Bella difficult because she has been so determined to stay with her pregnant sister.

But this time, getting Bella inside went relatively smoothly.

Katie even wondered whether Bella herself might prefer having her babies in the quiet corner she had chosen. 17.txtTXT

Whether that is actually Bella’s plan is impossible to know.

But giving her a private, closely monitored space means Katie can keep an eye on her without the other goats constantly interfering.

Bella’s Appetite Has Changed

Perhaps the most notable difference wasn’t Bella’s belly or udder.

It was her food.

Katie explained that the previous night Bella had not eaten with her normal enthusiasm.

Instead of gobbling down her feed, she had picked at it.

She also didn’t finish everything.

That caught Katie’s attention because it is different from Bella’s usual behavior.

During the latest check, Katie offered her some alfalfa and watched to see whether she would show interest.

Bella did begin nibbling, but Katie still had not seen the normal aggressive appetite she associates with her. 17.txtTXT

Again, Katie did not claim this confirmed labor.

She was simply documenting a behavior change.

And at this late stage of pregnancy, any noticeable change becomes worth monitoring.

Sometimes Katie Just Needs to See It Herself

That theme has appeared throughout Katie’s livestock updates.

A goat can look fine on camera.

A calf can appear to be resting normally.

A pregnant animal can behave only slightly differently.

But Katie often wants to physically go out and see what is happening herself.

This Bella check was another example.

She looked at the hips.

She checked the udder.

She watched Bella walk.

She looked under her tail.

She offered food.

And she observed whether Bella seemed comfortable.

There was no dramatic emergency.

There was simply a heavily pregnant goat whose behavior is gradually changing as the end of pregnancy approaches.

Bella Is Set Up Under a Camera Again

Once Bella was settled in, Katie made sure she had what she needed.

She had water.

The area had been cleaned that day.

A fan was running.

And Bella was positioned under a camera so Katie could continue monitoring her remotely.

That camera system has become a major part of Bella’s final pregnancy watch.

Katie can check her throughout the day and overnight without having to physically disturb her every few minutes.

For a doe that may want privacy as she gets closer to kidding, that balance is useful.

Katie can watch closely while still giving Bella room. 17.txtTXT

Katie Doesn’t Remember Bella Losing Her Appetite Before

Katie also admitted that she doesn’t clearly remember Bella going off food during her previous pregnancies.

That makes the reduced appetite particularly interesting to her.

Every pregnancy can be different, and Katie wasn’t presenting this as a definite predictor of labor.

Still, because Bella is usually such an enthusiastic eater, the change is difficult to ignore.

Katie encouraged her to continue eating the alfalfa and said she would keep watching through the cameras.

For now, Bella was still willing to munch.

She just wasn’t attacking the food with her normal enthusiasm.

Blossom Continues Her Strange “Midwife” Behavior

Blossom also continued to play a role in the update.

Katie has repeatedly commented on how unusual Blossom’s behavior has been during Bella’s pregnancy.

She stays close.

She rubs against Bella.

She follows her around.

And she has become so involved in every pregnancy check that Katie repeatedly jokes about her acting as a midwife.

This time, Blossom’s involvement included getting directly into the middle of Katie’s attempt to inspect possible discharge.

Katie jokingly called her behavior strange once again.

Whatever Blossom thinks she is doing, she remains committed to staying involved.

Katie Still Can’t Believe Bella Is Pregnant

There was also a sense of disbelief running through the update.

Katie has repeatedly said that she keeps thinking Bella simply cannot go much longer.

Then another day passes.

And Bella remains pregnant.

The doe has grown tremendously.

Her hips are changing.

Her udder is full.

Her belly hangs low.

She is resting more.

She is spending time alone.

And now she is eating less enthusiastically.

Yet the babies are still inside.

Katie acknowledged that at this point she keeps thinking Bella cannot possibly stretch the pregnancy much farther.

But Bella has repeatedly proven that she controls the schedule.

The Biggest Change May Be Bella’s Behavior

Physical changes are easy to photograph.

Behavior is often more subtle.

That makes Bella staying down when Katie arrived particularly noteworthy.

The Bella followers have come to know is typically ready to get up, investigate and be first in line.

Seeing her remain off by herself gives Katie another comparison against what is normal for this specific goat.

It does not automatically mean labor.

But combined with everything else, it is enough to keep the cameras running.

Katie Has Her Overnight Setup Ready

By the end of the update, Bella was set up for another night of close observation.

Her space was clean.

Her water was available.

The fan was running.

She had food.

And the camera was positioned to let Katie watch her.

That is about as prepared as Katie can be without labor actually beginning.

The rest is up to Bella.

Could This Finally Be the Last Waiting Update?

Katie has thought they were close before.

Followers have thought they were close before.

Bella has spent days looking like a goat who couldn’t possibly carry that belly much longer.

And somehow, she has continued.

That is why Katie remains cautious about announcing anything too definitively.

The hips look more sunken.

The belly looks low.

There may have been discharge.

The appetite is different.

Bella is resting alone.

But she has not yet produced the babies.

So the story remains a kid-watch update, not a birth announcement.

The Mystery of the Baby Count Continues

And then there is still that question:

How many babies?

Katie has repeatedly leaned toward three.

This time, Bella looked so enormous that Katie jokingly wondered about four.

The answer will come soon enough.

When it does, one of the longest-running mysteries of Bella’s pregnancy will finally be settled.

For now, Bella remains one extremely pregnant goat keeping an entire audience guessing.

Bella Will Have Them Eventually

Katie ended the update with a line that perfectly captures the mood of this entire countdown:

“She’s gotta have them at some point.” 17.txtTXT

That much is definitely true.

Until then, Katie will keep checking.

The cameras will stay on.

Bella will have a quiet place to rest.

And every small change will be watched carefully.

The latest signs don’t guarantee that babies are coming immediately.

But Bella is increasingly acting and looking different.

She is resting alone more.

Her hips look deeply sunken.

Her belly is extremely low.

Her appetite is quieter.

And Katie may have seen a small amount of discharge.

After days of thinking the babies had to be close, the waiting continues.

But with every new Bella update, one thing feels increasingly clear:

There cannot be many chapters left before this pregnancy finally becomes a birth story. 🐐❤️