How long from head fully engaged until birth?

[ashiramartin]

I'm only 33 weeks and hospital have confirmed that head is indeed fully engaged. The sensation makes me feel like I could just push baby out. Its making me so tense would love to get to at least 35 weeks, but don't feel much confidence!

The head is supposed to be engaged at this point isn't it? The heavy feeling of something pushing down is normal from what I remember & doesn't mean baby will be born early. Don't worry you will know when you really have the feeling you could push him/her out!
Try and relax in the meantime x

That does sound incredibly early to be fully engaged. Are you sure you have it right? Has your mw actually said the baby is fully engaged? What does it say in your notes?

With my first I don't think DD was fully engaged till I was in labour. With my second she was fully engaged after my waters went. So both times it was hours before giving birth.

Well, in my case about 20 minutes.

But that low, heavy feeling doesn't necessarily mean much. Unfortunately you could just be in for an uncomfortable few weeks.

My babies have always engaged early; dd1 and 2 by 32 weeks and dd3 at 36. They were all born between 39 and 40 weeks. I'm now 36 weeks with dc4 who is also fully engaged. It's nothing to worry about, but you will find it can be an odd sensation!

Babies can disengage. DS1 was fully engaged at 31/32 weeks, and then he disengaged and managed to turn himself so that he was stuck. Of course no-one realised that so I had 24+ hours in labour before an EMCS.

In short - don't panic, it doesn't necessarily mean you are about to drop.

8 weeks for me!

DD was engaged fully from about 30 weeks - born at 37
DS about 31 weeks - born at 38
DC3 31 weeks - still waiting at 38 weeks!

Both mine engaged fully at around 32 weeks and stayed there, and both were born after their due dates - there's no reason to think that engaging early means early labour, it says more about the particular shape of your stomach muscles. The only thing is that it is VERY hard on your pelvic floor, so you want to keep up those exercises!

Both mine were engaged at 33w and stayed that way until their due dates (1 day before in dds case)
I distinctly remember my first engaging, I had been ok up till then, but quite suddenly one afternoon I felt really uncomfortable like the baby was about to fall out of my fanjo, I rang the mw in a panic and said I don't know whether to stand up, sit down or have a crap, I feel like I have a melon wedged in my fanny. She explained what was happening!