How do you know what position you baby is in?

[swmum]

Would love to hear from people what they are feeling and where? I have what I think is a bum up top, but then it could be shoulders/head? Poor thing is being poked and prodded very two mins cause I am desperate to know what is where! Nearly 33 weeks by the way.
Thanks

[belgo]

i never had any clue how my babies were positioned - they seemed to kick all over the place!

[swmum]

Well this is it belgo. Are those hands or feet that are wriggling around down low?! What I do have is a big solid lump up top - which if it's his head then god help me!
Sometimes I am totally - and I mean totally - lopsided too. Like he's curled up in a ball on one side. Looks very odd indeed!

[belgo]

it can also be difficult for a midwife to know for sure as well, although in my case they were certain of the position.

[Lulumama]

if you can wiggle the head, if you see what i mean, it is a head not a bottom!! might be lying across you in which case it can be hard to tell... MWs can sometimes struggle.. so don';t worry if you cannot find the head or bottom

[swmum]

Lulumama what I can feel is a really hard lump - way to bid to be the head I reckon. It seems to be almost L shaped so I think it it is bottom and thighs? Does that sound about right? Obviously you can't say for sure, but in your experience?
Also when you get very rythmic little pulses down low - like tapping but far too structured to be his hands - is that hiccups? Been getting them low which would make me think he is head down.

And when do they 'engage' ususally?

Sorry - 20 questions!

Thanks!

[MrsTittleMouse]

DD moved around a lot and I was never sure where she was. Except at the end of my pregnancy when DH and I saw what was very clearly a foot by my navel, and we knew that she was OP, the little monkey.

[Lulumama]

swmum, i would not like to say for sure! have not got the experience ! what you describe does sound like hiccups, first babies engage towards the end of pregnancy.. second babies often don;t engage until labour starts..they can bob in andout oyhuh778ytf7otg6870rt67r,t6rto6ro67rto76rto76rto76tr

[Lulumama]

sorry ! my DD finished that message as the phone rang ! LOL!!

meant to say they can bob out of being engaged for a while... ! once they do engage you can breathe a bit better but might well find that you need to wee every 5 minutes.

[ThePFJ]

I am getting rythmic pulses like those down below too.. I am so positive its hiccups. Happening once a day at the moment, for about 5-10 mins. (for about 4-5days)
I am almost 36 weeks and MW says head is engaging, but baby keeps going from one side to the other alot.
Sometimes I think I feel little heels at the top of my bump, but MW says he's in the right position - so his back is to me.
I suppose that doesnt stop him moving around though.
I get 'kicks' I think.. on both sides of my tum, and the big lump I feel moving from side to side I really think is his back/bum most of the time.

[threestars]

My midwife told me how the baby's lying. Head down, with spine on my left, and bum at the top. I can definitely feel the length of her legs going from my left to my right and sometimes catch hold of a foot. The big lump is the bum, I think, and moves from left to right when I am changing sides in bed.
I've definitely had more of a clue this time, thanks to my midwife explaining, than last time when I really couldn't work it out at all.

[pgandsad]

My midwife told me that she is "heading south" which was a relief. Am 36 weeks and she is incredibly wriggly.
Wonder how she can have any room - but she does!
Most lovely moment so far was when I was positive I was feeling the fingers of a little fist

[spugs]

i have a sister who is a trainee mw so she regularly tourtures me to practice her bump groping (never warms her bloody hands up )i can usually tell where babys back is as it feels a bit harder and i can see hands and knees poking out sometimes. the head end is quieter and i get less hand and head movements. baby is generally in the same position though, back on the left and head down. she seems very comfortable even if im not