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Hi all ,
was wondering if your baby belly always drops before labour or if your labour can actually start while your still carrying high ?
Im due in roughly a week , my belly is still high but the midwife wrote in my notes that the baby was 4/5 above brim ( ? ) and i have so much pressure down below that sometimes its uncomfortable to walk.
Or maybe the baby has dropped but you just cant see it on the outside ???
Any suggestions ( and labour vibes hehe ) much appreciated !
Hi, some women actually go into labour without bub even being engaged. Actually this is quite common in second and subsequant pregnancies. I know that this is your first bub though. Have you tried some deep squats to encourage bub down alittle lower? Just a thought.
Sending you truck loads of labor vibes hun, not much longer to go now :)
Do you always feel the pressure down below? Or just on and off throughout the day? It could be that bubs is moving up and down.
I've heard that its quite normal for babies not to engage until you're in labour so your belly may not 'drop' as such.
4/5 above the brim means that if you divide bubs head into 5 equal parts - 4 of those parts are sitting out of the pelvis. Bubs is considered fully engaged once they can't feel the head at all (ie 0/5) When I went to labour I think I was still only 2/5 above the brim (I was induced). I still felt that huge pressure down below as well. My stomach did drop over the last months but nothing 'huge' IYKWIM.
Hope this helps!! Not long to go now!!!
Hi
My baby hasn't engaged either and am booked in for a c/s. Although OB reckons 1st babies don't always engage in labour - however a mw told me all 4 of hers engaged after she went into labour.
I wish now I could ask for just an induction first - seeing OB today but its too late. He reckons I'll be in a for a long and difficult labour so that is why I booked in for c/s (JIC I dont labour naturally). All attempts to induce naturally (via DH and walking) have not worked.
I wish you well.
thanks for all the advice girls - im seeing the midwives today so we'll see how that goes.
Neeny - at the end of the day what matters is that little baby safe in your arms , fingers crossed for you :)
I didn't notice any change in my belly at all, so I don't know if it actually 'drops' or not. I suppose it does in some women. I did notice though that at the end it felt soft at the top whereas before it was hard, which I knew meant bub had moved down, but I don't think my belly actually changed shape or anything.
Enigma,
I have always received comments from strangers saying I am still carrying high.. although I was already 3 or 5 days past my due date...
I am short & so if my bubs dropped they'd dragging on the ground!
I didnt noticably drop & yet I went into spontaneous labour (both girls were born exactly aweek past their due dates!)
I do not drop, well didnt with my 2 pregs!!! But I delivered a week over & naturally!!!
Um, I do remember seeing Indah's entire skeleton through my tummy whilst having contractions during the morning before her birth later that night!!! With each contraction my tummy totally tightened & all you could see was her skeleton, but you could visibly see everything!!! Not that she was a girl, but her bones & legs, bum etc!!!
i just had my midwife checkup and i was told that my belly actually HAS dropped ( even though it still looks like im carrying high ) .. she is nearly engaged and ready to go hmm
so it seems you dont have to look like your belly is about to fall down to have " dropped "
phew! thats a relief
LOL, Thats good to hear. Now you just have to get bub to drop that bit further. Like right out ;)
heheh thats it Trish , just a little bit more .. ie: out ! ! Ive given the baby her eviction notice ..hopefully she'll get the hint soon ;)