Can you go into labour with first baby before it is engaged?

[Megsy]

I'm due with my first baby in just a few days, but my ob has told me her head is still quite high. He said if it hasn't dropped by next appointment (when I'm officially one day over) then he will book me in for an induction.

With the weekend looming (and my doctor not on this weekend) I just wondered if anyone knew the likeliness of me going into labour with my first baby before she has actually engaged. I understand this happens sometimes, but mostly with second and subsequent births.

Has anyone had personal experience with going into labour before engagement takes place with number 1? I have had no other signs at all that labour is near, and to be honest I would prefer to get through the weekend so I have a better chance of getting my own doctor to deliver as he is really nice!

[Inertia]

First bubs usually go over. You probably wont get any labour signs over the weekend. Bub will engage when they are ready to - so its no need to speed up labour with an induction, imo. They are far more painful than spontaneous labour, so worth discussing in more detail (and reading up on) before making the appointment.

[Heaven]

Tell him to bugger off!! Your body and baby know what they are doing and you don't have to be engaged before labour.
My DD wasn't engaged and I went into labour at 10 days over.

[Nelle]

The day before I had my first, the midwife checked me and said 'yeah I think it might be awhile yet'. I felt fine, had had NO niggles that I noticed (and you'd think I'd have noticed since I was watching for them), and said to my birth support partner that I thought I'd go a week over.
I went into labour at 2:30 the next morning.

So....you never know, but your body can generally be trusted with its timing, and while it's often simpler for an ob to induce so they can keep tabs on things, it's not necessarily the most fun for you.
Just don't forget you do have a choice, it's your body.

[STARRYSKY]

hi! I had prelabour for WEEKS before my jbaby was born, when I went to my last appt at the hospital I was 3 cm dilated and bubs was only 3/5 engaged and that was as far as he ever got! I ended up being induced but wished I hadnt. but thats my story, you do what feels right for you.

[~clover~]

I had an OB say exactly the same.
My induction with DD1 was booked for 2 days over due. My mum chucked a fit about him oushing me into it & told me to discuss it with my gp. I did & he rang my ob to see if there was any medical reason for the induction.
There wasn't, so I didn't do it. Went into spontaneous labour at 8 days over.

[~Kim~]

Neither of mine engaged and my waters broke spontaneously with both, so def possible. Tell him to bugger off!

[Tancy22]

Never hear about to do a induce because the baby have not engaged!!! I have my DD 2007, and when I was in labour she was only half engaged and I was 3 days over due. My OB tald me that sometimes the baby will not full engaged until you are half way through pushing, which was my situation.

Hope this helps.