Anyone else's first baby not engaged at 39 weeks??

loubeelou-12634 · Jul 16, 2012 10:43PM

Hi all..

The title is pretty self explanatory really, but basically i'm 39 weeks on monday and my baby is still high and free and not even begun to engage yet. I saw my midwife yesterdy and she wasn't bothered by it, but I have no faith in her at all after a number of blunders on her part (particularly me being anemic for months and feeling awful, and it wasn't until she was on holiday and i saw another lovely midwife it was finally diganosed from blood tests taken months ago! And she said all my symptoms were classic anemia, which my midwife had just dismissed as all part of being pregnant..)

Anyway, back to the subject! (sorry can't help still feeling annoyed) but it says in my pregnancy book that if the baby has not even begun to engage yet a scan should be had to check there is nothing blocking baby such as cysts, as going into labour when the baby is not engaged can cause complications.

So has anyone else been in/are in this situation too and did you have a scan?? I know its common for baby to engage at the last minute with subsequent labours but not with the first. Any advice would be appreciated..i feel totally left in the dark by my midwife. Thanks!!Leanne xxx

lorry-49918 · Aug 2, 2008 5:42PM

Hi hun my son didnt engage till the very last minute I was concerned as books said they should be down and my friend who was a few weeks behind me lo head had engaged.I was concerned liked you as midwife failed to pick up on a growth problem that I had said i was concerned about from 34 weeks. Think the books are very generic . I'm 18wks preg with no 2 and decided not to read this time round as i scared myself alot last time.

Best wishes laura x

gsmummy55 · Aug 3, 2008 4:03AM

My baby never engaged. The problem with baby not engaging is, if your waters break before contractions start, the cord can prolapse. My midwife told me if the waters broke I was to lie down still and call the hospital for advice. Baby not engaging can also be down to baby being back-to-back, or baby being big. Both in my case! These things can make labour more difficult, but it's my no means certain. Lots of women with free-headed babies have perfectly fine labours. x

loubeelou-12634 · Aug 3, 2008 11:29AM

Thanks ladies..I guess I'll just have to wait and see! I'm hoping for a scan anyway as i have been losing weight and my fundal measuremment isn't increasing and when i saw my friend who's a doctor last night she said i should insist on a growth scan to be on the safe side (as my midwife had fobbed me off as it just being one of those things!) so fingers rossed they'll be able to check the lie of the baby and that at the same time.

Tiger Lilly - thanks for the advice on my waters breaking..i hadn't been told anything about that so is definalty worth knowing!

I have been trying to walk as much as possible now, which is hard as I have SPD but i'm hoping it might get baby 'down' a bit! I have also been sitting on my birthing ball all the time..but have a feeling if he dosn't want to budge theres nothing i can do about it!

Thanks again.xx

hayleys1 · Aug 3, 2008 2:17PM

hi
my son didnt engage until i went into labour. his head was floating free a week before my due date and he was born a coouple of days later no problems at birth at all. i didnt know about the cord thing i was never told this but i wouldnt worry about his head not engaging yet. good luck xx

wannababy · Aug 3, 2008 3:05PM

when i was pregnant with my daughter i went to see the midwife at 39 weeks and her head wasnt engaged so she booked me in for an induction for 2 weeks later because she said baby isnt ready yet but is a fair size but i ended up going into labour that night and had her by the next morning. just for peace of mind,my bump was small for dates but it was all baby and she weighed over 8lb!

Anyone else's first baby not engaged at 39 weeks??

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