When did your 1st babies head engage??

[Leilababyno1]

...Had my 34 wk antenatal today and baby is head down but not engaged at all.

I know this is quite normal for 1st baby...but just wondered when other 1st timers babies started to 'engage'?? Also, are there any exercises I can do to kick start this process?

Ta!

[tiokiko]

I think it was basically at 40w (had DD at 40+10) - after being really panicked by the stupid MW who told me at 34w that the head hadn't engaged because it was so big and I would probably need a c-section.

DD was 7lb 15 so not exactly a whopper - don't worry too much at this stage. I'm pretty sure that babies heads often don't engage until labour is actually underway so you have a while to go yet.

I think one of the best things you can do is to sit on a birth ball at home as this helps align your pelvis correctly.

[Leilababyno1]

Thank-you tiokiko- that's also why I am interested, as baby is predicted to be on the large side and only turned head down a couple of days ago..was breech up til now.

I'll get bouncing on my birth ball I think- I'm longing for some relief on my poor ribs- drop baby drop!

[tiokiko]

Good luck - I was obsessed with the birth ball for the last couple of weeks.

Hope it all goes well and don't worry about the predicted size, think they are often wrong. I remember reading that bigger babies can be easier to push out - not sure if that's true but I clung onto it in case DD was big!

[msbossy]

DD1 didn't engage until labour started. DC2 is following the trend (am 40+2)

[CBear6]

DS didn't engage until I was in full-blown labour, 6cm dilated to be exact. I told the midwife "I can breathe!", she had a feel and he had dropped (and I was 10cm with my waters still intact, he was a slow mover!)

[cockle84]

I was 3/5 engaged at 38 weeks but wasn't any further at 40 weeks. I'm now 40 + 5 and got midwife tmw so hoping for some encouraging news.

[ShowOfHands]

At 31 weeks, fixed and fully engaged. She was born 8 weeks later. I could breathe again but had the most uncomfortable nerve pain in my cervix and actually the rib pain was preferable.

[Cyclebump]

I'm now 38 weeks with DC1, he's been engaged since my 36 week appt. His head is now completely in my pelvis, but apparently that's weirdly early!

[SnapFrakkleAndPop]

Lots of exercises - deep squats, pelvic circles and sitting on birth ball as it aligns your pelvis correctly.

However I wouldn't necessarily be in too much of a hurry for baby to engage. I think mine has started to and the pain in the cervix is eye-watering rather than the feeling-slightly-squished I had before.