This was a challenging whelping. I was alone, and I'll never whelp alone again - a second pair of hands is necessary!  There was a long wait after Star was born.  At two hours and forty-five minutes after Star was born, I was on the way to the Reproduction Vet, an hour away.  Spangle and Banner were born ten minutes apart in a crate in the van on the side of the road in holiday traffic.  They were big, strong, healthy puppies and the experience didn't hinder them a bit, thank goodness!