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Pregnancy

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Original poster

41 weeks head not engaged

11 replies

BumbleBeeeeeeee · 27/12/2023 21:13

Hi all

I am 41 weeks pregnant with zero signs of labour. No pains, no show, no waters - nada. I had a midwife app on my due date and she couldn’t do a sweep as the head was “free” - moving around and not engaged. I went again today and the same situation so I couldn’t get a sweep!

I am booked in for induction on in a few days time but I am worried that the head not being engaged means induction won’t be successful. My mw said it’s fine but reading online there are a lot of risks of cord prolapse etc. has anyone had the same situation before? I assume they scan you before induction to check positioning?

OP posts:

Dontbesaft · 27/12/2023 21:27

Had the same at 42 weeks. Went into labour, head still not engaged. Ended up with an emergency c section.
would you be willing to consider an elective cs? If so tell them.
My second was planned section. Much better experience.

Good luck

Original poster

BumbleBeeeeeeee · 27/12/2023 21:34

Thankyou so much for your response. Was there issues due to the head not being engaged which led to the emergency section? Sorry you had a rough time!

I definitely would go down the CS route, when I go in for the induction I will discuss this if baby is still not engaged. If there are any risks of induction at all I would rather avoid and go straight for the section TBH. At this point I just want the baby here safely!

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TrudyProud · 27/12/2023 21:56

@BumbleBeeeeeeee sorry you are going through this. I had something similar with my first DD - head down but not engaged fully.

I had an induction with gel, pessary then pitocin but it did nothing for my cervix (I had a 3 day induction) . They offered to manually break my waters in an attempt to kick start something but instead I bowed out gracefully and requested a CS.

It's registered as a cat 2 because I'd already started the induction process (cat 1 is elective) but honestly it felt like an elective. Was so calm, I was awake through it all, my DH took lots of pics/videos, DD never left my sight and we were discharged home 24 hrs later. Really straightforward recovery (walking independently without catheter day of CS, brunch with DH and baby D3 pp, exercise(running) by 8 weeks pp. exclusive breastfeeding for 18 months.

I'm currently 38 +3 weeks with a very posterior cervix so not sure what will happen. Because of a previous CS (babies size - >7lbs at 36 weeks and no prior experience of a vaginal birth) my consultant advised me not to go beyond 40 weeks so have booked an elective CS for 40+2 weeks in the event DD #2 hasn't arrived by herself.

In the meantime, raspberry tea, pineapple, dates and sweeps are my friend in the hope I can encourage my cervix to dilate and move anterior/forward .

Good luck with whatever you decide

Fipfop · 27/12/2023 22:34

I would decline balloon induction if not engaged. I've had it twice in those circumstances and it didn't work, and was told afterwards that it needs babies head to help it work.

Original poster

BumbleBeeeeeeee · 28/12/2023 00:02

Thanks @Fipfop. I think you can only get the balloon if atleast 1cm dilated and I am assuming if babies head is still not engaged this won’t be the case. I may be wrong though. Iv no idea the state of my cervix as MW won’t check due to the head being so high.

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Fipfop · 28/12/2023 08:36

Yeah, I don't think mine should have been fitted at all, was barely dilated either.

If you are dilated and they can go straight for breaking waters they will do a controlled breaking of waters. They did this with my first. One person will push the baby down and the other will break the waters. They will check your cervix within a hospital environment, they just don't like to do it in the community. I also had to have all stages of induction at hospital, I couldn't go home once fitted due to the risk of cord prolapse.

There definitely are options of you want to try for a natural birth!

Hope everything goes well for you, fingers crossed baby engages before then!

Dontbesaft · 28/12/2023 22:50

Just a little more info from me. I did end up 10cm dilated they broke the waters (no balloon mentioned). Head still not engaged. Now a healthy, happy grown boy.
If you feel strongly that a c section would the best for you, be a bit of a pain. They try to keep the numbers down so you might need to be v firm . I wasn’t and have advised anyone in the same situation to insist.

annlee3817 · 28/12/2023 23:06

I was induced with DD2, when they broke my waters, cervix was high and they struggled, took me into theatre to break in case of cord prolapse, all was fine, they broke them and she was born five hours later, she didn't engage until I went from 3cm to fully dilated, which took all of five minutes

EarringsandLipstick · 28/12/2023 23:09

Just wanted to add that the head being engaged is not necessarily linked to the start of labour - labour can start without. We still don't know exactly what starts labour.

As you note, no signs at all may reduce induction options & require a section.

Good luck!

MendaciousMabel · 28/12/2023 23:10

I was in the same boat, my induction took 5 days and they tried everything and I was still only 1cm. They just about broke my waters, I laboured and ended up in c section anyway as baby wouldn't move down. I wish I'd been more insistent on an elective c section when I wanted one after the third day of failed induction! I really think baby just wasn't ready and there was nothing that would have worked. It's up to you but if you feel strongly about something please tell them, midwifes are pretty good at backing you up too with the consultants if you explain how you are feeling. Good luck with it all - it's amazing even if things don't go to plan!

Original poster

BumbleBeeeeeeee · 01/01/2024 20:14

@Fipfop @Dontbesaft @EarringsandLipstick @MendaciousMabel I thought I would give you all an update. I came in for induction last night at 8 pm (24 hours ago) baby’s head still “free” so the drug of choice was the prostin gel. I was at a bishop score of 1 at this point.

6 hours later, examination and another dose of the gel, bishops score 2 and baby’s head moved down further although not fully engaged. I started getting pretty strong cramps / contractions.

6 hours later, another examination and another dose of the gel, no change in Cervix readiness.

i was then checked again by the doctor after the 3 doses and although cervix seemed thinner it is nowhere near ready for water breaking. Doctor advised she couldn’t even get a finger tip in!

As I am now 41+5 days, the suggestion to wait another 24 hours and then try the 3 gels again was not well received by me. Cooks balloon also will not be able to be inserted as no where to put it!

I am on the “list” for a section tomorrow however no space for elective. I need to be basically on stand by but if an emergency comes in then I am put to the back of the que. Overall I am glad just to be going down the caesarean route and getting this baby out asap.

thanks for your help!

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