Head engaging

[Embracethechaos]

OK, I'm sure I could find this out myself and I have an obstetiatrician appointment next week anyway but I've been reading up about labour and I'm confused by the head engaging. At 29 weeks I had a scan and the babies head was down, i had a midwife appointment at 30 weeks and a student examined me and said the babies head was in the pelvis and the baby was probably back to my back. The baby moves around a lot but I'm pretty sure it's head has not left my pelvis. Midwife said they don't worry about position until 36 weeks, but reading an article has got me worried as it says when the babies head engages you will probably go into labour in about 2-3 weeks. This is my first pregnancy, due in July... I know if there was an issue the midwife would have said but... I'm starting nct course next week moving house in 2 weeks, then I was hoping to have June to settle in and set up. I'm on makes anti anxiety medication which shouldn't cause withdrawals and I should still be able to breastfeed as long as I'm full term...
Basically I'm a bit panicky and want to really understand what the babys head engaging is and feels like. I don't think I've had braxton hicks contractions, I've had various pains but think it's just ligaments stretching as the baby moves. I never got much pain with periods though so is it possible to just not notice?

It might cause mild withdrawal symptoms for a few days but if you breastfeed, but not straight after taking the meds that reduces the withdrawal. But if premature the baby might not be able to break down the drug.

My first babies head was engaged by 36 weeks and he came at 42. Just because they’re engaged now doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll come soon. Try not to panic buy also talk to the midwife

It’s unlikely you’re baby is engaged yet as ‘in the pelvis’ doesn’t necessarily mean engaged. With my first I was told she was ‘really low in my pelvis’ every appointment starting with my 20 week scan. But she wasn’t engaged before labour as far as anyone could tell. I went into labour naturally with her at 37 weeks.

My 2nd was engaged from 34 weeks (unusual for 2nd babies) and he wasn’t born until 40+5.

Thanks penguinChristmas. @mindutopia, I thought that waa the case. Can you feel when it's engaged or is it something you only find out in an appointment. I'm getting a bit of indigestion and it's very tight around my ribs, apperently it's more comftable and breathing gets easier when the baby engages? is that true? I have quite tall legs compared to my body, so feel as though there is not much room and people have told me my bump looks big for 30 weeks.. allthough I know people say allsorts about bump size. As a first baby I have nothing to compare it too. Baby is right on target on average size wise but with very slightly longer legs, kicks are getting stronger allthough a kick in the side I think feels nice than the occasional kicks in the organs I was feeling in the second trimester. Thanks for the reassurance. Some of these online articles are a bit crap, I'll try stick to the NCT and NHS ones I think.

Babies can disengage at that stage for funsies anyway. Mine was 1/5 engaged in pelvis and went transverse... now 1/5 again. My youngest never even attempted to engage until labour, my eldest was engaged for weeks before I went into labour. I also make big babies (9lb11oz and 9lb11.5oz, and this one is charted to be a big one too) and it honestly makes no difference other than probably making Labour a bit longer as pushing them through the pelvis just requires more time as a general rule - still nothing to worry about! And I carry VERY far out and again, makes no difference.

Also indigestion and heartburn sometimes eases but not always, it’s not a reliable method of figuring out what your baby is upto

TLDR; don’t worry about any of this stuff until much later on!

It's quite common for first babies to engage their head into the pelvis early on so I wouldn't be worried. It certainly doesn't mean that labour is imminent.
Unless you are suddenly feeling that you are walking around with a bowling ball shoved in between you legs it's also possible that the head is only a little way in.
Either way I wouldn't worry.

Midwife told me mine was 3/5 engaged last week at my 35 week appt, does that mean anything? There was a bit of an information overload that morning and I didn't ask at the time.

First babies often engage very early and it has little bearing on when you will actually give birth. I think I was engaged from 32 weeks with my first and the baby arrived in its due date.

It's less common for subsequent babies to engage early which is where your 2-3 weeks stat might have come from, but even then it's perfectly possible for them to engage and disengage if they feel like it.

I posted a thread about two weeks ago with similar concerns about DC2 who was 3/5ths engaged at 33 weeks. At 35 weeks I had another appointment and the baby wasn't engaged at all! 36 weeks nearly now and still no signs of the baby arriving any time soon. As it's my second I think I can tell when it is popping it's head in and out of my pelvis just from the way it feels and how I am carrying that day but I definitely couldn't tell with my first.

Thanks bluebirdsky and pastabest.

I posted on here last year re babies head being down and engaged early on (probably about 30 weeks) so I was convinced it would come early, I had 3 failed sweeps (couldn't even do the sweep) and eventually went into labour an hour before I was due to be induced 2 weeks late... I think it's really common they go head down due to their size but it doesn't mean they'll come early x

Thanks again. I could feel the babies head before about 29 weeks, was doing loads of turns and really uncomfortable when it was transverse at one check and wiggling in and out of the pelvis. I'm more comfortable in the pelvis now(except when there's no toilet readily available) but getting less comfortable higher up. Like people say, baby will come when baby is ready and my midwife is not concerned since the baby and placenta was healthy in the scan so neither should I be. Yep, should definitely save my worrying for post 36 weeks. That's the magic date according to my midwife, or the date they book cesareums if nessersary.