4/5 head engaged?????????????

[Hellymummy]

Went for my final midwife appt today, on my notes she had wrote 4/5 ceph engaged! Does this mean most of him engaged and he's nearly ready or does it mean only 1/5 of him engaged and I've still got ages to wait? Anyone any experiences??????

I'm pretty sure it means he's only 1/5th engaged, not sure about the wait though sorry :)

Watching this with interest, too. My notes said 1/5th. Am due next week, cs booked if I do not go to spontaneous labour

Good luck OP, with your delivery

I was 4/5 ceph at 32 weeks, 3/5 at 34 weeks so sounds like he's in the right place but not about to pop out unexpectedly! Have 36 week appt tomorrow so Will be interesting to see if it's the same. Hope that helps.

It depends: if the head is 4/5 engaged, then it's 4/5 down into your pelvis. If it's 4/5 palpable, it's only 1/5 down into your pelvis and so 4/5 of it can still be felt through your abdomen. Different HCPs seem to write it in different ways (ie for one 4/5 will mean 4/5 engaged, and for another 4/5 will mean 4/5 palpable), which isn't especially helpful. Mind, I've read that you can go into labour with the head anywhere from 2/5 engaged, especially with a first baby, so don't go too much off this.

Mine wrote "4/5 Palp" in my notes, I'm 36 weeks, and she meantthat the baby is 1/5th of the way engaged.

The heading in the standard notes is 'palpable'. So it would be 1/5th engaged normally.

But actually, whether it is 1/5th or 4/5th can have very little bearing on how soon the baby will be born. DS was 3/5th engaged for about four weeks. DD2 never got more than 1/5th before I went into labour.

I'm also 36 weeks, was told head down but free so not yet engaged I fear I have another six weeks of this torture