Baby not engaged - advice

[flower1988]

Hiya,

I am 39 weeks and my baby is still not engaged at all. I wondered if anyone has had any experience of this? Is it a bad thing and will it mean I won't be able to have a natural labour?

Sorry about all the questions, I'm just a bit worried! Thanks x

[Cher87]

Im no expert but Im sure its nothing to be too worried about! Im 38+3 weeks and I have been on my hands a knees cleaning my kitchen floor! on tuesday baby was 4/5 engaged! my midwife says that is the best position to get into to help baby get into position!
Give it a go, it is hard work but it may work!

[ShowOfHands]

It's nothing to worry about. They can go from not engaged to engaged in minutes. Sometimes during labour.

My dd was fixed and engaged from 31 weeks. Not a good thing as it turns out. She was actually stuck and delivered by em cs after a very long labour.

[flower1988]

Thanks, I feel a bit better!

I am currently spending most days sitting with my feet propped up because of my shrek sized ankles! I'll give cleaning the floor a go later :)

[rimsky]

I hear bouncing on a birthing ball also helps - that's what I'm doing in a last minute panic!

[BaggedandTagged]

Flower- I'm the same as you- 39 weeks and not engaged at all. Even Obs sounded a bit surprised

"I don't really understand what's keeping him up there"

Not sure if this helps you as policy could be different where you live, but she's going to let me go 9 days over and then book an induction, so I can still have a natural birth.

My friend recently had a natural birth and hers didnt engage until labour either. She had a long pushing stage, partially as a result of the late engagement because the baby turned as he came down and had to be turned back, but all fine.

[BudapestMummy]

I didn't engage until labour started and DD was out within 12 hours and pushing stage only lasted 20 minutes, so I wouldn't worry at all.

[greenbeanie]

With both my labours the baby has not engaged until labour started. My first dc was born at 39 weeks, 2nd dc at 40 weeks.

2nd labour was just 2.5 hours so it doesn't necessarily seem to influence the length of labour either. I'm sure your baby will come when they are ready.

[flower1988]

Thanks :) I am a lot less worried, I need to stop googling these things and freaking myself out!!!

[mum2oneloudbaby]

if i remember my mw also said that even if they are engaged one day they can pop in and out so may not be engaged the next day.

[PinkElephant73]

I dont even know why MWs bother telling you whether baby is "engaged" or not. It tells you nothing about whether labour is imminent or not. All it does is make people like the OP worry for no reason. If they are going to comment on it, the least they could do is actually tell the woman that it means nothing about how or when the baby will come out.

[SamanthaB123]

I am 34 +3 and have had problems with a cyst. It was generally felt that if my baby engaged I would be in a lot less pain. So, at work I sit on a birthing ball (everyone thinks it's hilarious!), I hang over it to watch tv and I don't sit on any regular chairs. Not only did this all help with the pain that I was in, yesterday my baby was 2/5 engaged. Being on all fours also really helps. I may have just been lucky but it's worth a try!

[Libramum]

I actually went into labour before the head was properly engaged. Within a few hours it engaged and I was able to have a natural birth. In the last few weeks of pregnancy I was obsessed with how engaged the head was, thinking it would give me some indication of when I could welcome my baby, but in fact,as PinkElephant says, it tells you nothing at all.