Fully engaged...what does it mean?

[bearfood]

Hi all. Baby was 'fully engaged' at 32 plus 4...having googled it says 'in first time mothers this means labour will generally start in 2-4 weeks'. Is this really true?!

The baby could move. I went in at 39+2 with bleeding my little one wasn't engaged at all and was told I had weeks to go. I had her 12 hours later!

I'm not sure how true that is, my baby has been engaged since 32 weeks, I'm 38+3 now and am only just started to get twinges in the past 24 hours.
I think they tend to get into position at the start of the 3rd trimester anyway?
I'd try not to worry too much about it if I was you, baby will come when baby is ready.

I was engaged at 33 weeks, baby didn't arrive until 38.

I was told that if it's your first baby it can be engaged for about 2 months before you go into labour?

DC2 was fully engaged from 32 weeks. I was all set for an early baby but it wasn’t until 9 weeks later she finally made an appearance. Her head was a really weird shape though, I assumed it was because she’d been squished for so long!

No, it doesn't mean that you'll go into labour in 2 - 4 weeks.

it just means that none of your baby's head can be felt abdominally.

This can happen when you're 32 weeks. You may not go into labour until you're overdue, though.

When women are having their first baby the head engages prior to labour far more often than with subsequent babies.

Not true. Engagement happens in first pregnancies , much earlier than subsequent pregnancies, for various reasons . Mainly because your abdominal muscles are stronger and they (sort of) clamp down on the baby's head, pushing it into position. When you go into labour is a totally different situation and not connected to engagement at all. You can go into labour at any time - but don't take this "advice" to heart, it just isn't true.

Well I'm 39 weeks with first baby and his head still wasn't engaged at my appt on Friday!

He has been head down since they started measuring but not in my pelvis/engaged one inch

I was 2/5 engaged at 32 weeks, but at 36 baby was back free: I got told in first time mums, when babies are still a while away from term, they are small enough to pop back out!! They were back in by 38 weeks :)

DC1s head wasn’t at all engaged at my 36 week appointment. I went into labour 3 days later! A lady I knew who had the same due date as me was told her baby’s head was engaged at same appointment and she had to be induced as she went a week overdue!

Great, thanks all, was hoping it was rubbish!

I was engaged at 36 weeks and didn’t have DS until 40+6!