Five Fifths Engaged on Notes...not much longer??

[Julia]

Hi Girls,

I am due in 6 days time with my second baby.....I went to my midwife appointment today and she laughed and said that the baby's head was five fifths engaged and there was no where else for it to go other than out of the exit!!!!

This surely is a good sign or could it stay in there for another week or so???

She made an appointment for me for my due date but also stressed that if I don't make the appt, not to worry!! Do you think that she is hinting it will be here before??

Julia xxxxxxxx

 

[charlotte_]

i'm fully engaged too, hun. saw my midwife yesterday & she said 'lets hope next time i see you you're at home!', i've got an appointment next monday, so she was saying i might give birth this week. but i think they're just being hopeful! lol.

 

[jolene]

hello,

im a bit confused. I think i may have got things wrong. I was led to believe that 5/5 engaged ment that the baby was free? i thought that it ment that 5/5 of the babies head can be felt above the pelvis and that as less can be felt and the baby is more engaged the count goes down?

Its probably me getting things back to front. This whole pregnancy can be very confusing. think i might google it.

 

[charlotte_]

yeah, you've got it back to front, i think! my midwife never used the phrase '5/5ths', she said he was fully engaged, but last week i was 3/5th's and she said 'there was just a bit of him left to go in', that little it being 2/5th's, surely?

 

[maybebaby]

It depends how they say it. If they say 5/5 palpable it means they can feel 5/5 of the head. If they say 5/5 engaged it's fully engaged. Confusing!

With my som I was fully engaged on my due date and he was born a week later. The midwife did say to me that she had to send my wee off to the lab but I'd have had my baby by the time the results were back

 

[Julia]

Thanks for your replies!

Midwives do things differently apparently - some refer to 5/5 being fully engaged and others do it the other way around referring to 5/5's being free - it really depends on their training. By the look on her face and her comments - she meant fully engaged!

Julia xxxxxxxx

 

[jolene]

I just found my answer. Its easy to see now why i got it back to front. Silly me, sorry

If 5 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as 5/5 palpable or 'unengaged'.
If 4 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '4/5' palpable or 1/5 engaged.
If 3 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '2/5' palpable or 2/5 engaged.
If 2 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '2/5' palpable or 3/5 engaged.
If 1 finger width of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '1/5' palpable or 4/5 engaged.
If your baby's head cannot be felt it is written as 'fully engaged' or 'not palpable'.
__________________

 

[charlotte_]

it's so confusing & silly! they should just say their head's right in there! or a bit on there, or not at all in there, haha.

 

[lea m]

My baby isnt even a little bit engaged lol! She just likes to roam free!!! lmao!

 

[hennaly]

i was always told 2nd plus babies dont engage untill labour.

 

[emmie]

My bubs is breech atm but the midwife freaked me out by saying well its bums not engaged. Lol does this happen then?