Babies head not engaged at 37 weeks

user37

Hi,

i went to see the consultant today and my babies head is not engaged yet.Seems on your first baby it usually happens between 34-36 weeks.
If it doesnt happen in the next 2 weeks he said i will have to start thinking about having a c section.....id rather avoid this.

When did your first babies head engage? and had anyone to get a c section because on this?
i know with second babies it happens much later or even when your in labour but he thinks it should have by now with my first.

Sorry for the rant

thanks

Buttercup78

Well mine was barely engaged when I started my induction and that was at 40 weeks. Honestly I wouldn't worry yet, you could have (sorry) 5 more weeks to go. I know women who only had the head engaged when they went into labour. Unless the baby is breech I wouldn't be too concerned and even then they could still turn. I think he's advising a c section a bit too early.

Jerrica

Buttercup78 wrote: »

Unless the baby is breech I wouldn't be too concerned and even then they could still turn. I think he's advising a c section a bit too early.

Seconded!! It's waaay too early to think about a section. Obstetricians can have a tendency to plan ahead unnecessarily, from their point of view it allows them to plan and have some order to their patient list, but babies tend not to follow even the best laid plan My baby's head didn't engage until around my due date and it took another six days for her to decide to make an appearance. Pay no heed to the timeline for now and try and trust your baby to do what he or she needs to do

indigo twist

Is the baby head down? Mine was head down several weeks before I was due, but never engaged, not even the morning of the day I went into labour (at 40+6). The consultant was in no way concerned about it ... this is in Holles St, maybe different hospitals/consultants have different policies, but I really think it's a bit soon for him to be talking about a section! I was scheduled in for an induction if I'd gone two weeks over (whether the head was engaged by then or not), I can't see why they'd go straight to section rather than trying induction.

user37

indigo twist wrote: »

Is the baby head down? Mine was head down several weeks before I was due, but never engaged, not even the morning of the day I went into labour (at 40+6). The consultant was in no way concerned about it ... this is in Holles St, maybe different hospitals/consultants have different policies, but I really think it's a bit soon for him to be talking about a section! I was scheduled in for an induction if I'd gone two weeks over (whether the head was engaged by then or not), I can't see why they'd go straight to section rather than trying induction.

And did you have the baby naturually eventhough the head didnt engage?
The baby is head down and has been this 6 weeks - it just doesnt seem to want to go down any futher!
i do feel pressure but the consultant said the baby was pressing down in the wrong place!
i thought he was talking about it early as well...all he has seemed to do is scare me.
So you can still go into labour on your 1st and have him/her naturally without head ever been engaged....
Thanks ...thats a weight of my mind

indigo twist

user37 wrote: »

And did you have the baby naturually eventhough the head didnt engage?
The baby is head down and has been this 6 weeks - it just doesnt seem to want to go down any futher!
i do feel pressure but the consultant said the baby was pressing down in the wrong place!
i thought he was talking about it early as well...all he has seemed to do is scare me.
So you can still go into labour on your 1st and have him/her naturally without head ever been engaged....
Thanks ...thats a weight of my mind

Yes - my hospital appointment was at 8am that morning and the baby was head-down but not engaged. My waters broke around 4.30 that afternoon, and the head was engaged by the time I arrived at the hospital a couple of hours later, and he was born that night.

By the way, I was still walking around comfortably (well, comfortable apart from the contractions!) even when I was in hospital after the head was engaged. I didn't feel any difference in terms of downwards pressure etc, I was still able to sit and bend etc. So it could well happen in the next couple of weeks without you even realising it! I really wouldn't be worrying about it. And if they bring up the suggestion of a section again, I'd really question them on the necessity of it.

By the way, bizarre that he said the baby was pressing down in the wrong place - sure they're twisting and moving all the time even if they stay head down the whole time; maybe the head just happened to be in the "wrong" place at the time of the scan!

Digs

I went two weeks over on my first and she didn't engage until literally just before (a very fast!) natural birth.

I had been concerned about her not engaging in the weeks previous solely from reading other people on boards saying how their babies head had engaged etc so naturally thought... Well why hadn't mine too?! When I mentioned it to my consultant around my due date (holles street) he wasnt even slightly concerned and said plenty of babies don't engage until birth.

I asked on the gentle birth group on facebook and so many women reassured me their babies didn't engage until they went into labour.

Best of luck

Drdoc

Seems a bit odd for the obstetrician to tell you that. As far as I'm aware an unengaged baby is never an indication for a c section, once the baby is head down.

On a personal note, my own (first) baby never engaged and it was never mentioned as a problem. I was induced at 41+ weeks and he engaged after the first couple of rounds of gel and I felt the difference; I suddenly had to waddle!

So as others have said, I really wouldn't worry about it and in fact if it came up again, I would probably question it.

Best of luck

pwurple

Head didn't engage for me until i went into labour on both births. Had an ultrasound 2 hours before they induced me on second birth, head was high up. I think there are levels on that head being engaged as well... 1/5, 2/5 etc? Anyway, went on to have normal births for both despite it. 42 weeks on first, 39 (induced) on second.

Either way, don't think there is anything you can do about it.

Kaylami

With my first I was induced and baby only engaged after they broke my waters.

Baby no 2 was head down untill 37/38weeks then decided to turn breech.

Baby no 3 head was fully engaged from 36weeks - my god the pressure! I was induced again at 39weeks.

Babies are unpredictable little monkeys so try not to worry too much!

galah

not trying to freak anyone out but....

neither of my two had their head engaged, and both resulted in emergency sections due to failure to progress. not sure if there's anything anyone can do when the head doesn't engage, but in my case noone ever bothered to check why it was the same problem with both kids (they were both at a funny angle, both head down but not straight down, so there was no downward pressure to support the contractions.)

but a lot of stuff can happen between now and then, there really is no reason to worry just now. best of luck!

January

galah wrote: »

not trying to freak anyone out but....

neither of my two had their head engaged, and both resulted in emergency sections due to failure to progress. not sure if there's anything anyone can do when the head doesn't engage, but in my case noone ever bothered to check why it was the same problem with both kids (they were both at a funny angle, both head down but not straight down, so there was no downward pressure to support the contractions.)

but a lot of stuff can happen between now and then, there really is no reason to worry just now. best of luck!

Same on two of my births but the other two the head engaged either after my waters had gone or just before birth. It's different for everyone and I definitely think your consultant is jumping the gun talking about c section this early.

user37

O gush , suppose it seems to be different for everyone.

i will just have to get walking and hopefully that will push it into position!

Will be with my consultant again next week and will be disussing this futher