4/5 engaged at 36 weeks - Does this mean I will be early?

[pastalady]

Saw my midwife today. She's a bit fauge and not very reassuring. Told me the head was engaged and that was a 'unusual' at this stage in a second pregnancy. Wasn't until I got home a looked at my notes when I noticed she had written that I was 4/5ths engaged.

Anyone gone to full term while being this engaged before? Just wondered.

Sorry to tell you but apparently it makes no difference. One of my friends was fully engaged at 33 weeks and was still induced 2 weeks overdue.

But you never can tell- maybe your little one is wanting out sooner than later.

Good luck

My DS (also 2nd pregnancy) decided to engage from about 33 weeks but only turned up 2 days before due date. Felt like I had a bowling ball between my legs forever

My baby was 1/5 engaged 6 weeks before my due date (2nd baby). I was also told this is very unusual for a 2nd baby. But he didn't arrive until 5 days before my due date. It was very uncomfortable. I looked at my notes from DS1s birth and the head wasn't 1/5 engaged until I was 10cm dilated!

I believe that 4/5 means that they can feel 4/5 of the head, not that 4/5 of the head is engaged, so you are only slightly engaged, iyswim.

My first was 3/5 engaged at 33 weeks, and 4/5 by 35 weeks - he was still induced at 42 weeks! Like you, I thought he'd be early, and walking around for 9 weeks with a head between my legs was soooo uncomfortable. You may be lucky, though - the things is that you can never tell with babies.

(4/5 engaged means that 4/5 of the head is down in your pelvis.
4/5 palpable means that the midwife can feel 4/5 of the baby's head above your pelvis, so only 1/5 is engaged).

Palpable was obviously what I was thinking of!

Realised today that it's 4/5 palpable - so head is only a bit down there!

Nice to know 4/5 engaged doesn't necessarily mean early though as well!

Thanks for all your posts

it did mean early in my case pastalady dd born 38+3

good luck for the birth xx

Sorry, I know this is an old thread but I'm confused about being engaged. I saw my MW on Monday and I asked if the baby had engaged (I'm 35 weeks) because I've been getting a sharp pain which feels like something pressing down on my cervix. She said the baby wasn't engaged. But when I looked at the notes I noticed she'd written 4/5. Doesn't that mean that it's a bit engaged ?
Sorry if I'm being dense!