How do they check if baby is engaged?

[newbump]

Hi all

Just wondered if anyone can let me know how they can tell if the baby has engaged? I have heard they can engage at about 34 weeks and i have got a docs check up tmrw and just wondered if he was likely to check and how???

Thank you

Natalie x

 

[Ragna]

Hiya

They check by feeling around your bikini line as to how low down your babies head is with their hands. Mine at the moment is head down but still loose. They then say its either 1/5 2/5 3/5 etc etc....and 5/5 is fully engaged. With first babies they engage earlier, with second and subsequent babies they might not even engage until Labour starts.

Hope this helps & good luck )

Ragna xx

 

[newbump]

Thank you Ragna

Just wondered really, as my bump feels really low down so wasnt sure if that meant anything or not! i know i have 6 weeks still and trying to rush things too quickly, but getting so impaitient now I WANT TO HOLD MY BABY

Natalie x

 

[hope]

Oh new bump, my bump dropped down around the 35th week. But Im still here(moan). My bump's so low now, it touches the sofa or bed or toilet seat before my bum!!!!!
Makes it easier to breathe, but what a pain when it comes to peeing though!

 

[Kerry]

babies can also go from 5/5 engaged back to 2 or 3/5 engaged - its quite common to go back and forth for a while in those last few weeks. Doesn't mean labour is ages away though as its been said above some people dont engage till the onset of labour.

 

[newbump]

Yep my bump is that low too!! I have heard they can engage and disengage a few times before labour!! just too impaitent

Natalie x

 

[ToriElla]

what does it actually mean when they are engaged?

 

[Kerry]

that the head is engaged in the pelvis, nice and low and ready to make its way into the world!!

 

[littlebump]

I think Midwives may be a little inconsistent with how they describe how engaged a baby is.

A few weeks ago my mw recorded baby was 3/5 engaged. Then a week later she said it was lower down and recorded 2/5 engaged. I asked her about this and she said she records what proportion of the baby's head she can feel outside of the pelvis, therefore as she could only feel 2/5 of the baby's head, it meant 3/5 of it was below the brim.

This week she said I'm almost fully engaged and recorded 1/5 engaged !!

Has anyone else found this? It makes it a little confusing I think - they should all be consistent. Anyway it's worth checking what your midwife means when she records how engaged you are...!

LBxx