which is best im confused

[kaysha_blake]

I thought 2/5 was better than 3/5 engaged????
3 weeks ago i was 2/5 engaged and now im 3/5 engaged so i was dissapointed as i thought that ment the baby had moved back up but upon asking on various sites it seems thats good and that the closer it gets to number 5 the better anyone care to shed some light on this am i heading in the right direction

 

[smile]

1/5 engaged = a bit enaged but 4/5 of the head still palpable (feelable by the midwife)

then 2/5
3/5
4/5
until 5/5 emgaed = fully engaged = entire head in pelvis and 0/5 palpable by the midwife when she feels your tummy.

hope this helps

 

[miffy]

Sorry, but I've be told it's the other way around...1/5 engaged is nearly there - the midwife can only feel 1/5 of the head and 4/5 are engaged.

I found this on the net: To find out if your baby's head is engaging into the pelvis, the midwife feels how much of your baby's head is lying above your pubic bone. The way in which a midwife records engagement can be a bit confusing if you're not a midwife. If she can feel four fifths of the baby's head, she writes down 'four fifths', but this actually means that your baby is only one fifth engaged.
If she can feel two fifths of the head above the pubic bone, the baby is three fifths engaged. If she can feel one fifth of the baby's head, she writes down 'one fifth' and the baby is four fifths engaged. If she can't feel the baby's head at all, the baby would be fully engaged.

2/5 engaged is better than 3/5, but I wouldn't worry too much - different midwives will measure slightly differently. At least bubs is still locked in there! Try to lie on your left side at night, sit astride an upright chair with the backrest facing you, or bounce on a gym ball. These should all help to get baby in the right position. Won't be long now

 

[daftscotslass]

I think we're getting a wee bit mixed up between "engaged" and "palpable" here - smile is right.

Some midwives record it by saying that the head is 2/5 engaged in the pelvis which means that 3/5 of the head can still be felt or is "palpable".

In other areas the midwives record on your notes how much of the head can be felt (is palpable) so 2/5 palpable means that the remaining 3/5 can't be felt as it's engaged in the pelvis.

So to answer the initial question, if the midwife does indeed record it in your notes as 3/5 engaged and NOT 3/5 palpable then this is further engaged than 2/5 so good news all round .

 

[maybebaby]

Removed personal post

 

[daftscotslass]

My midwife just wrote it in a column on my notes and at the top of the column it said "fifths palpable". It's annoying when it's different everywhere!

 

[smile]

it is worth adding that it is almost entirely irrelevant - as long as at least 1/5 is engaged the head is in the right place and the cord can't get in the way and after that it is mainly guesswork and of little practical value until you are in labour.

babes bob up and down a bit - that is normal - don't worry.

 

[Tadpole]

That was WAAAY too confusing to try and understand on a sunday morning!!

 

[BeckyJ]

glad its not just me Tadpole

 

[daftscotslass]

it is worth adding that it is almost entirely irrelevant - as long as at least 1/5 is engaged the head is in the right place and the cord can't get in the way and after that it is mainly guesswork and of little practical value until you are in labour.

babes bob up and down a bit - that is normal - don't worry.

Definitely! Becky was 3/5 engaged at 32 weeks and 2/5 every other week and still so when I was in early labour. Midwives weren't worried at all.

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

That was WAAAY too confusing to try and understand on a sunday morning!!

ive given up trying to understand it to be honset on my notes its just wrote 2/5 in the box no engaged no plalable just 2/5
i think its engaged that afar
all i care about is the little so and so still isnt bloody out