Baby Head Down in Pelvis at 36 Weeks
The thing about pregnancy is that it comes with its own unique language. Y'all wouldn't exist the start expectant female parent to feel like she needs to take a dictionary along to her appointments!
For case: "your infant's head has engaged". Which simply means your baby'southward head has moved downwards to the pelvis – the right position for nascency.
First babies tend to engage early – anywhere from 34 weeks. 2nd or subsequent babies tend to engage when labour starts. Your infant may even move in and out of the pelvis as you virtually labour.
Your baby's head engaging is not a predictor of when labour will start.
How can I tell if my baby's head is engaged?
In your tertiary trimester, you may experience a feeling of being 'total up' and detect it more difficult than usual to breathe deeply. This is thanks to your babe competing for space with your lungs and tummy. As you near your due date and your babe's head drops (or engages), y'all may feel these symptoms ease, or feel a heaviness in your pelvis.
It is important to call up that, as with every part of pregnancy, this may not be experienced by every mother.
"When your baby's head drops," says Tina Perridge, Midwife at Private Midwives, "You may notice that at that place is a little more space at the pinnacle of the uterus making breathing somewhat easier, while in that location may be slightly more pressure downwardly below making long walks less attractive and visits to the bathroom more frequent."
Mum kate3 on our forum describes how information technology felt for her: "Your ribs will be free at terminal and y'all can breathe amend… yous tin also feel baby pushing down very low. I wouldn't describe it as pain (unless I sneeze or cough) but information technology is uncomfortable. I do sometimes get shooting pains when I move as well apace coz of it. You tend to waddle a lot more than. It's a real heavy feeling. You're likewise more likely to need the loo a lot more than before, too."
And RedHead85 says, "I've been getting the same sensation since Sun (on the same day, my mum and my nan commented that my bump was looking lower). Feels like there's a heavy pressure down there! At first, I idea it might be constipation (sorry, TMI) merely everything'south fine on that front."
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When should I expect my babe'southward caput to engage?
"With a start babe, this might start at effectually 36-37 weeks," says midwife Tina Perridge. "While for some women expecting a second baby, it may not occur until just before labour. Either way, information technology is a gradual process."
It is important to retrieve, though, that your baby's head engaging has no begetting on when labour will kickoff.
"Many women find that the baby's head doesn't engage until they are really in labour, and the ability of the contractions helps to push button the babe's head deeper into the pelvis. Once the head is well down and engaged you may experience that your bump has 'dropped' and looks lower in advent," says midwife Anne Richley
What does my midwife mean by two/5 or 3/5 engaged?
Your midwife records your baby's head date in measurements of fifths. If you read 5/5 or four/5, this ways that the head is not engaged however. Notes of 3/5, ii/5 or less means your babe's caput is engaged. That's because – at three/5ths – the widest part of your baby's head is in your pelvis.
Midwives measure it because when they see that your baby can make it to 3/5ths engaged, there'south a good run a risk that your baby volition get in without much difficulty. But please don't worry if you never see 3/5ths on your notes. Every bit we mentioned, your baby may not engage until right earlier birth.
"The phrase 2/v or 3/five engaged simply records the baby's progress and descent into the pelvis," says midwife Tina Perridge. "Some practitioners may record 2/5 or three/5 palpable which means that ii/5 or iii/v of the baby'south head is felt in a higher place the pelvis.
"Information technology is worth remembering that few babies descend further than 2/five palpable before labour because the head is felt at the front of the pelvis and the pubic os is quite shallow at this bespeak."
On our forum, natmarie says, "In my notes information technology has an explanation of engagement which reads: appointment is how deep the presenting function – eg the baby's caput – is below the brim of the pelvis, it is measured by the proportion which can still be felt through the abdomen, in fifths. 5/5 = free, 4/5 = sitting on the pelvic brim, 3/v = lower but most is still above the skirt, two/5 = engaged, every bit most is beneath the brim and i/5 or 0/v = securely engaged, every bit inappreciably still palpable from above. In first time mothers, date tends to happen in the final weeks of pregnancy, in subsequent pregnancies, it may occur later, or not until labour has commenced."
What tin I do to make my baby'south caput engage sooner?
Your baby's head is more than likely to engage if they are in an anterior position, rather than 'back to back'. Anterior means, says Tina, "his/her back is slightly towards your forepart." This position, she says, "Allows the baby to curl up comfortably and to tuck his/her head which, in turn, facilitates date.
"To help with this, it is a expert idea to be active – walk, swim, use the all fours position, kneel and lean forward to aid gravity to rotate your infant. Endeavour to avoid reclining back on a soft sofa."
Mums on our forum advise the same, nicki100'due south midwife brash her to "spend time on my easily and knees". She adds, "Equally if I'k not uncomfortable plenty!"
And Feebs76 says, "Plain sitting on a birthing ball with your legs astride and rocking from side-to-side is meant to assistance – although information technology's all in baby'due south hands as to how co-operative he/she is going to be!"
Once my infant's head is engaged, how long before I go into labour?
It is worth remembering that, just because the baby'south head is engaged, it doesn't mean that y'all will definitely go into labour before long. And so when volition labour starting time? "Unfortunately, nobody tin can reply that." Says Tina. "Some babies like to confuse us by popping out and repositioning themselves. So merely effort to relax and wait for your labour (and your baby) to take its form."
On our forum, mums experienced the same, "My infant engaged early on and I thought she would come up early, but I'm still here at 39+2," reported princess4aday.
WoWbabies says, "DS was 2/5ths from 33 weeks, he never engaged any further and didn't arrive until forty+six."
GlitterBug09 reports a similar experience, "My dd started to engage at 35 weeks, past 39 weeks she was fully engaged just I didn't give birth until 41 weeks!"
Factors that can affect when your baby's head engages include…
- If your baby is in a posterior position – his back to your back – it may be harder for him to engage.
- If your infant has lots of room to move he is less likely to engage. He might be enjoying swimming in lots of amniotic fluid!
- The shape of your pelvis or position of the placenta.
- If you are expecting a large babe it is more likely that your baby'due south head volition engage when contractions begin.
Nigh Tina Perridge
Tina is based in London and has been a midwife for 21 years, with a keen involvement in postnatal care and breastfeeding. She became a midwife afterwards having her fourth child and realising what a difference continuity of care and support can brand to a woman's experience. She is a midwife for Private Midwives , the leading provider of individual midwifery services.
About Anne Richley
Anne Richley is a community midwife and a regular contributor to Made for Mums.
Read more
- How your pregnancy bump drops when your baby's head is engaged – in pictures
- Pregnancy birth and jargon explains
- Pregnancy second fourth dimension around – labour and birth
Source: https://www.madeformums.com/pregnancy/what-does-it-mean-when-your-babys-head-is-engaged/
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