What are some physical signs of a cat who gave birth?

My cat who I thought was pregnant (we took her in as a stray 6 1/2 weeks ago) escaped on Wednesday because the guy who was installing our internet failed to tell me he let out the cat (I called and conplained when I couldn't find the INSIDE ONLY CAT). So that was Wednesday morning. I came home from running errands this morning (Friday) and she was waiting by the steps. I immediately noticed her belly was smaller (but still there and still a bit round). She had some red discharge but quickly licked it once I let her inside. Her vagina looks a little swollen but her nipples aren't producing milk and they are still pale pink. Any guesses? I tried following her outside to see if she would lead me somewhere but she just wanted to come inside, she ate her kitten food and is now laying on the carpet like nothing happened. Do you think she mated and that's why she had a bit of discharge? I'm so distraught over the fact that there could be a kitten out there somewhere. We are surrounded by woods

Try this,  google new born kitten sounds and play it near her.  If she has had the kittens she will go looking for them.

Okay I played it. She was sleeping on the floor and woke up and went right up on my recliner where I was and looked around meowing. She found where it was coming from (my phone) and then went back to laying on the floor. Do you think this means there is one out there? I'm afraid of letting her out and then her actually having kittens. Do you think maybe she had a stillborn and that's why she doesn't care about going back outside?

@sarthur2any thoughts?

I think if she found the phone and didn't go looking for her kittens she may not have had them yet.

The part that scares me is her belly feels smaller. It's still round but I feel like it was much bigger on Wednesday when I felt it last.

A day or so before a cat give birth her stomach drops.  It will look smaller and feel hard.

It was rock hard on Wednesday and I thought she was close.
The blood looking discharge (only a small bit) on her vagina also scares me. But no milk from the teats or signs of milk.

So she was gone from Wednesday to this morning?

How big was her belly last time you saw her?

Is the discharge continuing?

Her belly was obvious and sticking out on both sides. Now I can only tell if I'm feeling her belly. Discharge isn't continuing. She's sleeping on our floor still.

I believe she may have had her kittens, and that is why she was gone for almost two days. If her belly is no longer hard there is a good chance she already gave birth.

The only way to know for sure is to follow her. You will need to take her outside and play the kitten sounds and see if she will lead you to her kittens.

Cats initially produce colostrum the first couple of days. If she has live kittens she will likely go to them, unless someone took them or a predator got to them.

I think you need to take the chance and go outside with her. If you find kittens, bring them and mama back to the house with you immediately.

Try this and let us know what happens.

She had no extra skin left on her belly on Wednesday and now I can "pinch" some... Do you think she gave birth to stillborns or the kittens died and that's why she doesn't care to go outside? She was trying to go outside all the time before Wednesday. I opened the door a bit ago when she was awake and she looked at me and walked to the living room.

There is no way to know whether she birthed live kittens or not.

You need to take your cat outside and play the kitten sounds and see if she will go to them.

It sounds as though she is no longer pregnant to me.

Or you can wait and see if she asks to go out to feed her kittens. If she is a good cat mom, she will want to go feed her kittens within an hour or two.

Or you can go poking around bushes to see if you hear mewing or see anything.

Occasionally a cat will have kittens and reject them for no good reason. If not fed, they die.

@cityturncountry   here is a link to a thread where someone used the phone to get her cat to lead her to the kittens, maybe this will help you.

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/300627/feral-stray-momma-cat

She either had them, or is about to have them. When the kittens move down to the birthing canal, cats get noticibly thinner and you will no longer see the kittens move inside of her. This also can come with discharge and some swellings (Tho, I never really looked at it myself). If she's not having kittens today, I would suggest going to the vet to make sure there isn't a kitten stuck. He should be able to tell you whether there are still kittens to come or not. 

I hope she didn't give birth outside, though she does sound very calm if she did. I would think she'd try to run outside all the time if she gave birth, unless something went really wrong and the kittens are indeed deseased or her mother feelings never set in (This can happen with first time moms). If you have a leash, maybe you can take her outside with you and see where she leads you. 

I've taken her outside several times since this afternoon. The kitten sounds made her meow and made her ears perk up but she continues to lay in the grass. She has been sleeping or laying a lot. She never leaves. I'm assuming if there were any kittens they are gone now, it has been 6 hours since I got home and she hasn't gone anywhere. I checked her vagina just now and there was a tiny bit of red/brown discharge. Her nipples still don't have milk or liquid in them. She has been grooming her vagina quite often. I'm hoping that she's still pregnant for the sake of the kittens.

Okay. It sounds like she is still pregnant then. If she had kittens she would have gone to them. Thank you for taking her out and trying. That lets me know there are no kittens to go to.

So now I think she may have dropped and is getting close to birthing. I hope so anyway. Otherwise, whatever she may have delivered she is not interested in.

Keep us posted as to her progress. Thanks again!