2/5 engaged- what does this mean??

[Leilababyno1]

Hi

I had an antenatal appointment today at 34+6 and midwife said babies head is engaged, she wrote 2/5 in my notes- what does this exactly mean?

Is the babies head only a little engaged or quite a lot? Is this a good thing..

Sorry, it's my first...

It means 2/5 of her head is still above your pelvis - the resy is 'engaged'. If you were 5/5 she'd still be floating around, not engaged at all - where as 0/5 would be fully engaged. It's a good thing, means she's getting ready. First babies often engage weeks before birth. Good luck!

oooooh thank-you, that's quite a lot then- seems quite early to be that much engaged. Oh well, as you say it's a good sign- ta!

Other way round!! Usually 2/5 engaged is 2/5 in pelvis, so still 3/5 palpable.

But either way the head is about half way fixed.

Oh?! In my notes it says 2/5 'palpable'- doesn't that mean that only 2/5ths can still be felt above the pelvis?? Sorry, just been reading the 'engagement section' printed in my green pregnancy notes..

This is confusing..

Palpable is what they can feel above the pelvic brim.

MWs seem to vary what they write between engaged (5/5 engaged = fully engaged = 0/5 palpable) and palpable, which is the scale in reverse.

So if you're 2/5 palpable then you are 3/5 engaged. Which is still about halfway!

Wow..it's very confusing! Just googled and EVERYONE seems to have a different explanation- Some people think it's one way round, and some people think it's the other way round!!!

Oh well, thank-you...

Both are correct really, it's just necessary to specify whether the measurement is what is palpable (what they can feel) or what is fixed (engaged). So if your baby is 0/5 engaged then none of the head is in your pelvis (fixed/engaged). If baby is 5/5 engaged then it's descended fully into the pelvis and ready to go.

I am going to have to check my own preg notes now...

My midwife said Im 4/5 enganged which is not very much. I was 38 weesk with 2nd preg. Im now going into my 39 week and fed up! So I guess 0/5 is where the head is fully engaged. 5/5 is not there yet. "Free" means not even engaged at all. I have looked at my notes. She told me ababys head was slightly engaged. So i think your half way. Good luck...