When did your second baby engage?

[Ashla]

I'm 38w1d and baby is nowhere near engaged. In fact the midwife asked if she could let her students feel his head through my tummy as it was so unusual for a baby to be this high up at 38 weeks

Second time mums, when did your baby engage? Is it true that second babies don't need to engage ahead of labour starting?

 

[lj2245]

My contractions started at 4pm. I was examined at 7:30pm and found to be 2cm dilated and baby wasn't engaged.

He was in my arms 45 mins later

 

[Misscalais]

He didnt until I was in labour he was born 40+5. 1st bub was 32 weeks.

 

[MrsPhez]

Stalking! Also 38+1 and baby swinging around. Mw later so will ask for her thoughts. Was back to back last app so hoping she is at least facing right way but don't think she'll stay put till labour starts (there are lots of stories on web about second babies not engaging till labour begins and no cause for concern).

 

[freddie]

I thought that with subsequent babies it was common that they didn't engage until the very last minute, whereas with first babies they can start to engage weeks ahead of labour... So I don't think you have anything to worry about!

 

[sharan]

At my 34+5 consultant's appointment my son was 3/5th palpable. I could also definitely feel that he was engaged because boy was it chore walking from the hospital car park to maternity.

The following day at 34+6 I had my usual midwife appointment and my walking felt normal. No discomfort what's so ever. When the midwife felt my bump she told me that he was free again. She reassured me that with second and subsequent babies they sometimes do not engage until your contractions start.

 

[loopylj]

I was engaged at 36 weeks I'm now 38. The midwife said it was very unusual for 2nd babies to engage and got the student midwife to have a feel too x

 

[smileyfaces]

My second never did engage until i was in labour

 

[Ashla]

Thanks everyone. This baby was breech until I had an ECV last week to turn him. And now he is posterior and not engaged which is making me think I am going to have a much harder labour this time around. But your storied give me hope! Especially yours, lj2245- wow that was a fast labour!

 

[xdxxtx]

My second baby engaged, back-to-back, at 36 weeks and my body would not go into labor because of it. I did all these spinningbabies tricks to get him to turn around, and then he did, engaged properly, and I went into labor in a day or two.

 

[Itsychik]

My first baby was engaged on and off starting from 36 weeks (and eventually born at 40+2).

Now expecting #2 (currently 39+2) and baby hasn't been engaged at all (and mw told me she still even has room to turn breech!) and have no idea when she'll come!

 

[lj2245]

Thanks everyone. This baby was breech until I had an ECV last week to turn him. And now he is posterior and not engaged which is making me think I am going to have a much harder labour this time around. But your storied give me hope! Especially yours, lj2245- wow that was a fast labour!

Umm yes...I had just climbed into the birthing pool when I started pushing and there wasn't enough water in it for him to be born into so I had to climb out holding his head They rushed a bed into the room and he was born just as I launched myself onto it. No labour kit or anything. I thought I was using Gas and Air but my husband recently told me that I was sucking on a tube that was swinging free at the other end as they hadn't had time to connect it!

Considering the 27 hours of hell that was my first labour, with an epidural...it was a shock to the system!

We are TTC currently and I think I'll have the next at home as we live 30 mins drive from our local maternity ward and I don't want to be having a baby in the car. We only went into hospital because my waters had broken that morning and they wanted to examine me. I'd definitely have left it too late otherwise as I didn't even get any painful contractions until 10 minutes before he was born.

 

[Moolia]

I also was told that second babies don't engage until labour. I'm 37 weeks and was told last week that baby will probably bop up and down but won't stay engaged until labour starts.
Tonight something feels different though, babies movents are lower, I can feel pressure in vagina and bum and shooting pains in pelvis, cervix and legs. So I'm wondering if perhaps she's engaged? She might not stay there though!
My friend who is also 37 weeks with her second has been told she's 2/5 engaged, so it obviously can happen but not usual.

 

[sun]

Neither of mine engaged until labour.