Baby is engaged but what does it mean?

[Wishing84]

Been for my 34 week appointment today. I am apparently 4/5 engaged. What does this mean? X

 

[El1en]

As far as I'm aware the midwife "splits" the babies head into 5th's. She then measures how many of those 5th's have moved down into the pelvis. Ie if she can feel almost all of the babies head you would be 1/5 in and 4/5 out, over time that will usually change until she may only feel a little and would say 4/5 in and 1/5 out.

Is this your first baby? They can go in and out quite a lot. At 34 weeks I was 3/5 in, then at 36 weeks baby was free (all the way out), at 37 weeks baby was 4/5 in and at 38 weeks was 2/5 in Id hoped once it went in it would stay in but apparently first time babies go up and down quite a bit so it's not really an indicator or when labour will happen

Hope that makes sense

 

[kitten2014]

Hi wishing, like El1en said, they mark on your notes out of 5ths, usually that is the amount of the head they can feel above pelvis but I know some midwifes do the other way round (as in how much has gone in to pelvis) so can be confusing. This is my first too and she keeps going 4/5 (forehead in) then free, thing is her head dims are quite large now so dont think she could fit until during a contraction which will squeeze the head through encouraging the overlapping of the skull to take place...also baby needs to line their head up right for engagement i.e. either left or right facing is best, back to back or back to belly makes it harder for head to engage as dims are larger...

also despite being told 36-38weeks as average for ftms, its actually more common 39-42...dont worry if they dont til labour though as thats quite common. by the scans we have had think our lil girl likes stroking her hair (yes she has 1.5cm length hair already!) and touching their face/sucking thumb etc a little too much hence why she has bobbed in and back out again lol... so long as they do engage during labour you'll be fine...

 

[Wishing84]

Yes first baby so its all new to me. Hope it doesn't turn round then! X

 

[kitten2014]

yeah I only had one panic attack few wks back she had turned breech but was mistaken, she has stayed head down...