How long head engaged before labour

But why is this measured? The symptoms for each mother and baby vary, with some mums not getting any symptoms at all when their baby goes into their pelvis.

The nerves at the top of the thighs and vagina can get a little irritated and, when the baby moves, mums feel a short sensation like a tiny electric shock. The way your baby is facing can also have an impact. Sometimes the engagement process is quick and sometimes it is slow. With a second or third or umpteenth baby , it is not uncommon for the baby to stay out of the pelvis, or just a little way in, until you get into labour.

Then the baby goes into, through and out of the pelvis in one fell swoop in labour! Women vary enormously in their experience of labour, and the time it takes for engagement to happen can be extremely different, even with the same woman with different babies. However, with a first baby, the head going down even if it doesn't fully engage is a good sign that your pelvis is a good size for birth. Your midwife or GP is the best person to advise you, not your mates on Facebook!

The truth is, there is no answer to this question that is the same for all women. In first time mothers it usually means labour is weeks away. It can even vary for the same woman with different pregnancies too. The truth is, no. Again some myths surround ways to help your baby engage, but there is no medical evidence to back it up.

During this time you might exp erience significant emotional changes as the hormonal balance of your pregnancy shifts. These anxieties tend to fade in the final weeks of pregnancy, and women often become quite fearless and confident about the adventure ahead.

As labour approaches, the balance of oestrogen and progesterone changes and the natural level of prostaglandin increases. Because oxytocin levels are highest at night after 37 weeks, these tightenings tend to happen when you are trying to sleep. Being able to catch up on sleep during the day in the final weeks is important. Research has shown that women who have had more sleep in late pregnancy have shorter labours.

Pre-labour or Braxton-Hicks contractions, will be softening and thinning your cervix and working to move your baby into a better position for birth. On the whole, they are not powerful enough to start to open up the cervix. The key difference between pre-labour or Braxton-Hicks and early labour contractions, is that pre-labour contractions do not change over time.

They do not increase in length or get stronger or closer together. In the last weeks, some time before birth, the baby's head should move down into your pelvis. When your baby's head moves down like this, it's said to be "engaged". When this happens, you may notice your bump seems to move down a little. Sometimes the head does not engage until labour starts. Pre-eclampsia is a serious pregnancy-related condition.