3/5 engaged, what do you mean fair midwife?

[RiverSong]

I didnt ask at my appt. But the midwife said baby is 3/5 engaged. What does that mean? Can he un engage? Does it actually mean anything or is it just a snapshot of baby at that time?xx

 

[Loo]

Engagement is when the biggest diameter of babies head (or bum) goes in to the pelvis. The MW can only judge this by feeling the baby's head through your abdomen and estimating how much of it they can still feel (as the bit thats in the pelvis can't be felt through the pelvic bones). If they can feel 3/5 in the abdomen then its not engaged. If they can only feel 2/5 it is engaged.

So she must mean that she can feel 2/5 of it in the abdomen (ie 3/5 hiding in/behind pelvis)

 

[LouLou78]

Midwives either document 'palpable' (what is felt) or 'engaged' (what is in the pelvis). They basically mean opposite to each other. Seeing as she documented that baby's head is 3/5 engaged. Then that means there is still 2/5 of what she can still feel above the pelvic brim as 3/5 is below the pelvic brim, engaged.

 

[lynnikins]

and yes babies can move up and down , more so if its not your first baby , first time babies are normally engaged well before labour starts as subsequent babies might not engage till during labour