Baby dropping into pelvis

Hi all,

Ok so brief back story. I have had a partially engaged bub since week 32. It has gone in and out a bit over the past few weeks and now at 39 weeks (second bub) is still only partially engaged and head is still partially movable.
My doc said today that it may not engage fully til labour but that I need the head to go down if I can and get it pushing on my cervix to encourage labour. He is a little disappointed that it hasnt gone down further than what it is and I am sort of worried now that labour wont start becuase baby is simply not down enough and doing what its meant to.

Is there any way to get bubs head down further and onto the cervix or rather encourage that to happen?

If bubs doesnt engage more and head doesnt push down on cervix does that mean I wont go into labour naturally?

I am not sure what baby has to do exactly to get labour started iyfwim.

Can anyone help me with this please??

TIA
Lisa

Lisa I wouldn't worry, Elijah was very high even in early labour and once I was in active labour, he dropped right in. Because there is more space in your pre-stretched now, bubs will bob in and out as she/he pleases and it wont have any effect on how well you will labour. There are some things you can do in labour to help baby come down but nothing worth worrying about now or wearing yourself out over. Walking is brilliant, as is climbing stairs. Baby will be fine ;)

Hi Lisa


Dont worry hun. It is very common for the second and subsequent babies not to engage until you are in labour.

The head pushing on your cervix helpes your cervix to open. You do not have to have the head on the cervix to start labour

Thanks guys

The ob had me a little stressed as he kept saying..we need the head to move down and we need it to get pushing on to the cervix. Which made me think labour was still way off and that nothing was happening down there. He sort of almost implied that labour was not imminent based on todays findings.

I always thought second babies didnt engage til later but today the way he was talking it was like..well unless things drop and the cervix is pushed at.then nothing is going to happen.

Thanks for your help.

Will keep squatting, walking, staying active and doing the acupuncture til the baby had decided the time is right,

Lisa

Lisa, I wouldn't be surprised if he starts offering interventions in the mean time since he thinks just that is such a drama ( :rolleyes: ) - but be strong! Baby will come, and it makes no difference where he / she is right now, only in labour it will matter!

Well thats the thing Kelly..he is against me being induced for a while yet...at least he says that now. And while I have had scares with him he is genrally pretty good.
He knows I dont want intervention and I more than liekly wont accept it til I need it.
I hope he doesnt pull a new trick next week at my next appt!!! I hope I dont make it to that appt anyway!

So basically I could still go into labour at any time irrelevant to the position baby is in now?

Lisa

Yes Lisa
You could go into labout at any time. Just remember that anything between 38 and 42 weeks is considered term.
Also just think about breech babies, their heads do not press on the cervix and you can be sure that their bums dont.