39 week update. FTM. Baby not dropping.

[Abbey08]

Had my 39 week appt today. At 37 and 38 weeks there was zero progress other than him being head down. Today she said he is still head down, I'm between 1 and 2 cm and cervix is soft but baby still hasn't dropped. She then said her only concern now is that since he isn't dropping it may be because he's not going to fit and I'll possibly need a c-section... Also said we have a 50/50 chance of something happening this week but might make it til our 40 week appt.

Anybody have any advice or experience with this? First child and have zero clue about this stuff. But not sure how I feel about a scary c-section...

 

[MrsC10]

Hey hun. I've no advice. We're due the same day. I had my MW appointment last week and baby's head was sitting at the rim of my pelvis. I don't think there's been any change since then (got MW again on Thursday). I'm interested to see what other ladies have to say.

There's only so much housework, walking and ball bouncing you can do to help baby along! X

 

[Abbey08]

Hey hun. I've no advice. We're due the same day. I had my MW appointment last week and baby's head was sitting at the rim of my pelvis. I don't think there's been any change since then (got MW again on Thursday). I'm interested to see what other ladies have to say.

There's only so much housework, walking and ball bouncing you can do to help baby along! X

Yeah I've read they can drop last minute so I'm not how big of a worry it is to the doc that he isn't going to fit. I was already getting anxious over giving birth now I'm stressing over c-section a little.

 

[amelia26]

I don't think there's much to base this on at all. Baby's can engage during labour. That's more common in 2nd + banies but can happen in first pregnancies too. The spinning babies website has some tips to help baby engage - a lot of them are how to help baby engage during labour.

 

[NerdyMama]

I don't think my first dropped until active labor. When my water broke I was niagra falls lol I never noticed a drop nor did people comment that I had. I wouldn't fret too much!

 

[MamaLoCo]

Claiming a woman's pelvis is too small for her baby to "fit" through it is just absurd and an excuse used to give women C-sections. Don't listen to that nonsense. Your baby doesn't need to drop until you're in labor so it was completely irresponsible for your doctor to say that and make you worry. She might have just been gauging your response to the idea of a C-section. Even if your baby doesn't come at 40 weeks, that doesn't mean it's because he's too big to find his way out of your body, it just means he's not ready yet. There's no reason to feel like you need to get a C-section.

My baby is measuring in the ***95th percentile for size and I'm a 5'1 petite, small boned woman***.
My baby dropped and nobody has ever said anything about my baby not fitting.

 

[Abbey08]

Thanks SO MUCH ladies!!! Very helpful!! I definitely didn't expect to hear he might not fit especially since they haven't seen him on ultrasound since 20 weeks and my fundal measurement he's never once measured big. And I haven't gained an obscene amount of weight or anything.

Are csections easier and more preferred by docs?

 

[NerdyMama]

By some doctors yes. They don't need to wait through a potentially long labor they can just get it done and over with. Stay strong honey. Your doctor was an asshat for assuming such things.

 

[nicem815]

Hi hunny, somebody recommended Spinning Babies to me a while ago and some of these positions helped my baby to drop. She was pretty high at 37 weeks....check out the site! Perhaps some of them can help?

https://spinningbabies.com/learn-more/techniques

https://spinningbabies.com/learn-more/techniques/other-techniques/

 

[Maggs]

What a load of crap! I think he's trying to push you for one because it'll be easier and shorter. My first never dropped at all until I was in hard labour. He spent all his time as far up my ribs as possible that even my midwife told me I'd go overdue. Wasn't she surprised when my waters broke at 39+3 and immediately went into labour. Don't listen to him, anything can and will happen over the next week or two.

 

[xprincessx]

I wouldn't worry, some babies don't engage until labour.

My DS was breech until he naturally turned head down at 39+4. I was induced with him at 42+2 and he still wasn't engaged and didn't engage until my waters were broken when his head popped down suddenly. I had a vaginal delivery with him.

 

[Whatme]

What a stupid midwife! Heavens knows why she would say that? Babies can engage in active labour.

 

[spicyorange]

I can't believe they are suggesting c section based in it not dropping at 39 weeks, seems madness to suggest baby won't fit at this stage

 

[MindUtopia]

Like others have said, don't worry about it at all. My daughter never 'dropped' and wasn't engaged before labour. I had her naturally at 37 weeks. Many babies don't engage until you're in labour and it has nothing to do with the size of your pelvis.

But yes, unfortunately, in many places doctors do prefer to do c-sections. In the U.S. especially, they make significantly more money from them compared to vaginal births and they can schedule them around their office appointments, so it's just more convenient. It shouldn't be a reason to offer clinical advice, but it is in some cases.

 

[icegurl470]

My first baby didn't "drop" until the day I went into labor. I literally felt her shift and my bump got noticeably lower and heavier and it happened that night. It's too soon to resort to the possibility of your pelvis being too narrow. Sounds like she's counting you out before you've even begun to fight. I would watch out for her.. she sounds knife happy.

 

[nicem815]

But yes, unfortunately, in many places doctors do prefer to do c-sections. In the U.S. especially, they make significantly more money from them compared to vaginal births and they can schedule them around their office appointments, so it's just more convenient. It shouldn't be a reason to offer clinical advice, but it is in some cases.

This makes me so sad that we are known to offer more c-sections in the US. It reminds me of wisdom teeth removal....my husband, my sister in law AND myself were all given the total cost of services with anesthesia already included in the bill. However, I was the first one to get mine removed and I told them I did not want to be put under and that I was fine with just being numbed and having them removed. Guess what? MY bill (and my husband's and SIL) was WAY lower when we opted to not go under. It's just infuriating that it's the first option they give you! I understand that some c-sections are medically necessary, but for doctors who just want more pay-out from insurance.....that's just sad.

 

[Bumblebee2408]

Try not to worry when I had my son he did exactly the same never engaged and we got concerned. He just decided he wanted to drop and engage during labour!

 

[oneill614]

It's not only the higher cost of C-sections that motivates doctors, but the threat of lawsuits and cost of their malpractice insurance. Vaginal births are statistically riskier as far as things that can go wrong with the baby. Of course I'm not trying to scare anyone but most of us are aware that with squeezing through the small birth canal, the baby goes through stress. Heart rates drop and babies can sometimes be deprived of oxygen, leading to all kind of health problems. Doctors like to strong arm women into C-sections for all kinds of BS reasons like "having narrow hips" or in your case, baby not dropping yet, because they'll take any sign of a longer labor as an opportunity to avoid a lawsuit.

If you actually want a C-section, more power to you. Sometimes they are medically necessary. But they are absolutely not necessary as often as they are performed in the US, which is a shame. Our bodies were built to go through vaginal labor, and for most women that should be an option, even if it's going to take 30 hours. Don't let your doctor talk you into something you don't really want, and ignore him or her when they tell you the baby not dropping means you might need a C-section.

This is why I'm staying at home til my contractions get close together. I'm not going to go to the hospital and let them put me on a monitor, then give me some BS about fetal distress to talk me into a C-section when they haven't even let things progress how they should. /rant

 

[Twag]

I had my first at 40+10 after 3 sweeps and an induction and it wasn't because baby was too big (although he was 8lb 7oz and 91st percentile) he just wasn't ready

Don't let them push you into a c-sec just because it is easier for them

 

[nicem815]

This is why I'm staying at home til my contractions get close together. I'm not going to go to the hospital and let them put me on a monitor, then give me some BS about fetal distress to talk me into a C-section when they haven't even let things progress how they should. /rant

That's what I'm doing, too! My hospital, thankfully, is very pro mother-baby and tell us to wait until contractions get closer together because they are pro-vaginal delivery there in all cases possible.