1/5 engaged - really engaged or not much engaged?

[CremeDeSudo]

34+4 with DC2 and getting intermittent periods of huge amounts of pressure.

Just come from MW and she's told me 1/5th engaged. I assumed that meant barely engaged, ie 5/5 would be fully engaged? Can anyone clarify pls?

Yup, not much engaged - it means about 1/5 of the baby's head is in the pelvis.

Googling tells me the opposite hence the query!

She's written 1/5 and a downward arrow in my notes

I asked my midwife yesterday and its how much of babies head is free. It starts at 5/5 which is literally just on their way into pelvis and moves down to 1/5 which is fully engaged.

I always thought it was the other way round but my midwife yesterday ingormed me its how much is free so 1/5th of the babies head is free and 4/5 engaged. Xx

It depends, sometimes the 1/5 means the part of the head that is free and the 4/5 is engaged. Does it say 1/5 palp on your notes?

Either way I wouldn’t worry too much, ds3 was engaged for weeks but was still 8 days late!

Yes, I was puzzled by this as Dsis and I were pregnant similar time but I was due a few weeks before her and she had a mw appoint which said she was 4/5 engaged and came home saying she'd have her baby before me as I was 2/5 but apparently I was closer when I clarified with my mw as it's what they can feel so if they feel 1/5 then the babies head is pushing further down so only 1/5 of room left and 4/5 is more space so not as far on. You are a few weeks away from due date so have that bag packed in case of an earlier arrival.

Good luck, and how exciting for you.

Total cross posted but yes what everyone else is saying.

I can't read her writing! Looks like 'ceph' before it but not sure if it relates to the engagement or not!

I have a cervical stitch so thinking about pressure on that more than anything really.

Different midwives put either the amount that head is engaged or the amount that is “palpable” (ie the amount they can feel and and which is therefore not engaged). 1/5 engaged is therefore the same as 4/5 palpable. If she said engaged then 1/5 engaged is head down, in the right place, pretty much just the top of the head in your pelvis. (Which I understand is good as when I had DC2 I was told often for a second (or more) baby the head often doesn’t engage until much later). This might help - www.nct.org.uk/pregnancy/understanding-your-pregnancy-medical-notes

Ceph is head down.

So 'really' engaged then? So confusing lol

Is this your first baby?

They tend to engage early but it doesn’t really mean much.

Not sure why this is but the smaller the number the more your baby’s head is engaged so 1/5 engaged actually means the baby’s head is four fifths engaged and almost fully. The smaller the number on the engaged ratio the less head is palpable and the palpable ratio is smaller. I think the confusion comes from one is based on what can no longer be felt and one on what can actually be moved
So if your baby was almost fully engaged it might say 1/5 engaged 1/5 palpable

Not that fully engaged means anything in my three pregnancies

I know it can change, I just like to understand what this stuff means and at least I understand why I'm getting so much pressure down there. Also mindful of my stitch as I mentioned. Thank you all 😊

Lol sorry for confusing things, I clearly can't remember properly!