Head engaged, regular BH.. should i be nervous?

[lestyrox]

I had my 32+ week check yesterday and the doctor said the baby's head is engaged and she has written that the head is 1/5 engaged on my OB card. I've googled head engagement but it seems there's a lot of contradicting info.. one website said that they measure engagement as follows
If 5 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as 5/5 palpable or 'unengaged'.
If 4 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '4/5' palpable or 1/5 engaged.
If 3 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '2/5' palpable or 2/5 engaged.
If 2 finger widths of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '2/5' palpable or 3/5 engaged.
If 1 finger width of your baby's head is felt, it is written as '1/5' palpable or 4/5 engaged.
If your baby's head cannot be felt it is written as 'fully engaged' or 'not palpable'.

.. does anyone know if this info is right?

I'm getting a little nervous becuase the last few days i've been getting regular BH, Usually towards the end of the day and coming every 20 mins. I've been getting BH since 11 weeks so its not unusual for me but i've never had them come regularly before. It seems that anything will set one off.. i bend down to pick up my son.. wham braxton hicks, i get up from the couch.. Wham another braxton hicks. Its really making me nervous!
I got back from Fiji (yay was sooooo nice, except for a bout of gastro ) on Tuesday and the last 2 hours of the car ride i started getting BH every 20 mins however they stopped when i went to bed that night. Then on Wednesday they started coming every 20 mins from about 5pm untill i went to bed and they stopped. Again yesterday they started around dinner time but stopped again when i went to bed. So far today i've had quite a few but nothing regular. I told my Dr about it yesterday and she didn't seem concerned and just said that if they start becoming regular and closer together to go straight to maternity to get checked.
I guess i'm getting a bit nervous since bub's head is engaged and i've been getting regular BH.. am i worrying over nothing? With my DS i was induced at 40weeks and didn't expereince this.. his head didn't engage untill labour and although i had BH with him they were never regular and never this frequent or strong.

It feels as though bub is sooo low, when i stand up it feels as though his head is just about sitting in my vagina (sorry TMI ) and i've been getting a lot of groin pressure for the last 6 or so weeks.
Has anyone else had their bub's head engage this early? Should i worry about the BH? I still have just over 6 weeks to go is it too early to be experiencing these things? Would love to hear what you think

[~clover~]

I think 1/5 actually means the head is only just starting to engage. Thats how it was put on my ante natal card with DD1. My other 2 didn't engage til labour.
4/5 is almost completely engaged.
Are the BH painful?
If not you shouldn't have to worry, but if they get painful I would get checked.
For now at least I wouldn't worry too much.

[PinkPalace]

It could be a while off yet.
The head can pop in an out of engagement up to birth.
As for BH - i have had them from 20 and really strong! and baby head down.
But i am not expecting bub to come early at all.

[Visitor7]

Nina was 1/5 engaged at 32 weeks. I had her at 37.5 weeks. Emily was 1/5 engaged at 36 weeks, I had her at 40 weeks. Both times I had regular b/h.

[lestyrox]

Thanks for your comments everyone. Just an update, i haven't had anymore regular BH since i last posted so thats good. Still get them quite often though, guess its a good sign my body is getting ready for bubs arrival! I'm starting to get excited now!
Thanks

[satya]

I'm glad they stopped. Some women get regular BH for weeks or months before they give birth so don't let it worry you. Others (like me) don't get them and just go into labour. Try to relax, it will probably still be a while yet.

[Shanti]

I just found this thread while searching and I'm a bit excited!! Had midwife appointment today, told me bub is 1/5 engaged (approx of course) and in a good position.... I'm getting EXCITED!! although i"m pretty sure I've still got at least 4 more weeks to wait but still that's nothing!!! hehe

[Pandora]

DS was fully engaged for 3 weeks before I had him.
AS someone said, lots of people have BH for a while before they go into labour, one GF I know had 13 weeks of BH before she had her DD.

[BekZ]

3 weeks before I was due with DD1 I was told that she was 1/5th engaged, then on the day prior to edd I was told that she was not engaged and that I would be looking at an induction..I gave birth to her the next day. I had strong BH for 5 nights leading up to birth.

Goodluck

[Olive]

im 33 weeks bubs is 3/5 engaged (though that can always change) and been having BH since 14 weeks!!

[Shanti]

I've been having BH's since 19 weeks....

I'm not worried, what will be will be can't change it anyway..... Im just excited as it's my first bub!!! yeah! and so far so good!!

[Olive]

its all good ren!!! means your body is doing just what its ment too!!! exciting isnt it!!

[Toomanytoomany]

Because this isn't your first baby, your baby can engage and then disengage and then do the dance all over again There's a bit more room in the pelvis for them to float around. For sure, the pressure of the baby's head on your cervix might aggravate the Braxton Hicks contractions. Make sure you are well dehydrated and keep an eye on them - if they go away or stay twenty minutes apart, there isn't likely to be anything really going on with your cervix.

[Toomanytoomany]

Oops, check date stamps, LOL.

[bubbadubba]

i just checked my OB card, and for week 38, the midwife has written 3/5, for week 39, she has written 2/5, and for last week, they have written 1/5.

[Pandora]

Make sure you are well dehydrated ....

or hydrated even! LOL

Hope everythings going well, I'm sure its all normal

[lestyrox]

Wow feels like forever since i posted this!
Just an update ladies, Ds2 stayed 1/5 engaged untill around 36weeks and then was 2/5 engaged up untill his birth and i had him at 40+3. I had regular Bh since 11 weeks! I reckon they made a HUGE difference as i had a dream birth..only lasted 5 hours and i arrived at the hospital 5cm dialated. Good luck to those ladies who have a few weeks to go