Head engagment in subsequent pregnancies

[riamay2011]

Hi

I have a history of premature labour and i went to see a consultant on Monday as i thought my waters had gone and he felt baby and said it was 2/5th engaged and he would give me about 2-3 weeks before labour....
The thing is i have read on the net and there is mixed reviews on engagment. Some say babys dont engage until labour but i assumed this was with 1st babies and some are saying with subsequent pregnancies if it engages then it can be any time!
I am having awful back pain and pains in my lady bit and just wondered if i should take what the consultant said as 'it'.
Thanks

oh i am 33 weeks now 34 on friday

well my babies heads ALL engaged really early and i went overdue with all 5 of them! i dont think it has much to do with it tbh.

its common for first babies heads to engage, and subsequent babies often dont engage till labour, mine were all engaged for weeks before the birth, well over a month infact, tho they would bob in and out a bit. but i am small and had big babies, so i wondered if they had to engage from a space point of view? no idea.

i guess it may be diff because you have had a previous prem labour, but it certianly doesnt seem a very scientific way of assessing whether you would be likely to go into labour. i would have thought an assesment of your cervix may be more helpful? but even then you can be a few cm dilated and not go into labour for weeks! and again in subsequent pregnancies you often are a cm or so dilated.

i would take the back pain etc as a sign that your body wants you to rest and take it easy (as much as possible) and obviously anything that concerns you or signs of labour get checked out asap, but i dont thin the babies head being engaged has anything to do with when you are going to go into labour.