I know. It is so scary when all this is happening and you don't know how to fix it. The fear of screwing up and then something terrible happening is a heady feeling. I am as control freaky as you so I know exactly how you are feeling. I'm sure Kaylee is partially picking up on your anxiety, and that is making her more anxious too.We have a new problem. Now mom is moving them into her littler box. We have Arm & Hammer fragrance free clumping litter. I will go out and get that cat pine stuff today, but that is what we have right now and I worry about them in there. Not to mention she has to have somewhere to go to the bathroom. I tried to move them back once but mom wasn't having that, so I let her be. My boyfriend is insistent on moving them but I don't know - she just keeps moving them back and I don't want her to get frustrated but it can't be good for them in there. But she tends to leave one or two behind. One was screaming for a while during this and noticed he had some poop sticking out a tiny bit, and mom wasn't helping (I gave it maybe 15 minutes) so I stepped in and helped. I know I should probably just let mom do her thing but I couldn't stand the screaming. I have such a weak stomach when it comes to this kind of stuff. I was very close to vomiting and I haven't since I was a little kid (and I've even had the stomach flu not too long ago - that wasn't fun)! Update: We just put in a clean blanket and moved the kittens to the box just to change out the litter to the kitty pine, and one of them had liquid poop literally squirt out while mom was eating. The one I helped earlier looked very mushy but not complete liquid. I just don't know what is normal. It is the same two kitten (#2 and 3) that I have been seeing poop, and I keep forgetting which is which but one might be worse than the other with much more liquid.
And I totally understand just having faith in it.. it is just so hard for me. I'm not one to believe in luck, but my life has this horrible tendency of messing up pretty much everything I get excited over (wow that sounded emo.. I don't mean it to be), so I am just so worried something will go wrong and it will crush me since that is what I have learned to expect. If it is something that I could have prevented it will stay with me for a long time - I am bad at letting guilt go. I understand why she is moving them but I can't have them on my bed since they are very good and crawling around, and I really don't want them in the litter box and I don't know how to get her happy with other spots and I don't want to upset her and then I just get stressed. And I also don't know how good of health Kaylee is in so that worries me since she just doesn't seem to have much energy and she has sort of a "help me" look in her eyes all the time (that is probably me just being insane though). She looks like she has been through a lot. All I really know is she doesn't have leukemia or FIV and her stool sample was good. But thank you for trying to bring me back down to Earth - you are right and I will really try to listen. I guess I am way more of a control freak than I thought I was. Control freak + paranoid = one stressed out, insane chick.
So, here's some things I would try. This one I have never done but I have heard it works for other people. If you have a bottom dresser drawer you can clean out do and line it with towels on blankets. Then, move the babies into there and Kaylee should follow. Close the dresser drawer most of the way, leaving enough room for Kaylee to climb in and out. In theory this will be a cozy den and make her feel more comforted.
If that's not an option, I would maybe try for 24 hours just closing her in the closet. For this period, I would minimize checking in on her and let her sort herself out and find out what makes her comfortable. If she's insistent on being in the litterbox, go buy a second one that she can use to go to the bathroom in. Maybe set some blankets and towels around so she has different options of where to nest. If possible, try to find something covered (even a cardboard box turned on it's side with blankets or towels in it may give her the comfort she needs). If you have the money, a covered cat bed from the petstore works really well. This time will be stressful for you, but just commit to 24 hours and see what happens. Really, for her at this point being confined may be best, as it gives her limited options on where to nest. She may be feeling like she has too many choices right now and can't decide what is the best place. She may just need some quiet time to calm down and reestablish her routine. If in that time she doesn't than, as Clynn said, it may be time for you to step in and help with eliminating and supplemental feeding. That said, I am a big fan of trying to let Mom sort it out, because once you intervene there is no going back. It should only be done if absolutely necessary. I spent my first litter terrified and intervening on everything, I calmed down with later litters and realized a lot of the time Mom is capable, I just needed to give her a chance to get there.
I agree with Clynn that the den moves aren't good for her or her babies. My point was rather that in an environment like yours (and mine), where she can't be totally isolated they are more common, and it is up to you to try and give her acceptable places to nest. Hopefully if that happens she will settle down.
Finally, I think you may need to bite the financial bullet and take her in for a vet visit. It doesn't sound to me like anything is wrong with her (but again I am not there so only you know) other than being stressed, but I think you need the reassurance. The vet can look over her and the babies and give you some peace of mind that they are okay, or alternatively, help you solve whatever may be wrong. They may also have some better tips on how to help her settle down.