40+5, head no longer engaged - advice please!

[JuneMammy]

Hi girls,

We are expecting our first baby (due last Friday). At my midwife appointment today i was told that our baby's head was no longer engaged, so it must have "popped back out". I was surprised as at my last appointment 2 weeks ago, i was told that the head was 3/5 engaged (2/5 palpable). Anyway, i've now been given the induction info. etc. and am booked for a sweep on Tuesday.

Does anyone have any experience of the head becoming unengaged at this stage? Im wondering what our chances are of having it re-engage and avoiding induction etc? And if there is anything i can do to faciliate re-engagement. I'm wondering if all the "bounce on ball/sex/hot food/natural stimulation" advice is for overdue situations where the head is already engaged . I have been very active all through the pregnancy (have been very lucky so far!) so im not really convinced that walking and bouncing will make a huge difference in reality...though maybe i should be more positive..

Any advice would be really appreciated as i was a bit disappointed earlier and am trying not to worry.

Very many thanks.

Couple of sites that might be helpful

www.spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/flexion-or-a-tucked-chin

www.homebirth.org.uk/highhead.htm

www.bellybelly.com.au/articles/birth/baby-engaged

Selina x

I think as the head has engaged once before it shouldn't be a problem should it? Don't some babies not engage until labour anyway?

When I was pregnant with DS he never engaged, I remember at my 40 week midwife appointment she said it was unusual but not a problem as he would probably engage in labour.

As it was he never did, as we had cephalopelvic disproportion, and although I went in to labour naturally at 41+2 he came the next day by emergency section.

But I don't want to worry you in the slightest, as I say, the fact the baby has engaged once before means he/she can fit, so that shouldn't be a problem for you.

Best of luck, enjoy your baby when he/she decides to arrive!

At 38wks+ my midwife told me head was no longer engaged (GP earlier said it was)[shok]. The baby would def wait till 40 wks and induction is possible. I gave birth 3 days later at 39 wks..
Wish you an easy one

Thanks for the encouraging messages .

Selinadoula - those links are just what i'm looking for, i will study them a bit more in the morn. I hadn't come across the homebirth and bellybelly links before - both look really helpful.

Thanks again!

My dcs were heads weren't engaged - I had easy and fairly quick births, no problems at all.

Hope all goes well