First baby. Head 1/5 engaged. 39 weeks.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Am I doomed to go massively overdue? Is there anything (scientifically proven) I can do to encourage baby to move down or is it just a matter of playing the waiting game?

Lol i'm 40weeks on thursday and when i saw midwife lastweek my baby's(1st baby) head was not engaged!

My son never engaged and was induced at 41+5, don't know any tricks for getting baby to move down. Hope all goes well for you!

I was 1/5 engaged at 39 weeks - DD was born at 40 + 3 ( and I went into labour at 40!) So I don't think you can really predict from how engaged baby is.

Good luck!

Maybe going for a long walk or standing upright for longer will help the baby come down, with the help of gravity? I have no idea if it makes sense, but I would google something like that...

my dd didn't engage at all until they broke my waters at 6cm, she was completely free until that point. she came at 40+5.

My first baby did not engage until I was well and truly in established labour and he arrived at 39 weeks. Sometimes it just doesn't happen even though the books suggest that for first pregnancies it should. Good luck, plenty of pineapple, hot curries, long walks and sex should help get things moving!!

1/5....does that not mean nearly fully engaged??
5/5 means free in the pelvis, ie, you can feel five fingers at either side of babies head.
Could have that completely wrong though...

chaptersmum Nope - in my notes is down as 4/5 palpable i.e. one fifth engaged. Been the same for the last four weeks and doesn't feel like baby has dropped any more. I'm a bit gutted to be honest - I really want to meet baby now and cannot be arsed going overdue!

greenbeanie sex?!? [laughs sardonically]

r.e. the pineapple thing does it have to be fresh or will canned do? And do you insert it (IYSWIM) or do you eat it?

[joke]

Fresh is better but I read when pregnant with my first that you need to eat a whole one a day to make any difference! Still ate it though, just in case, along with curry, walking, bouncing on birthing ball and sex, I think when baby's ready it ready. Good luck