• Before engagement, your baby
has been floating in the sac above
your pelvis
• Before engagement you would
have had to eat smaller meals more
frequently as your baby was occupying
too much space; now you are able to
handle larger portions
• In the final weeks of your
pregnancy, as delivery approaches
your baby will assume a position that
brings it lower down into the pelvis.
Most of the time it's the head down
position, which is the right position
for birth. Sometimes it can be feet
down and that is termed as breech
position.
• You will feel 'lighter' from
now and suffer less heartburn; this
change is also know as lightening
of dropping as your baby drops into
the pelvic cavity
• If this is your first pregnancy,
your baby will engage about 2-4 weeks
prior to labor
• If you have had a baby before,
your baby will not engage until labor
actually begins. This is because your
uterus muscles have stretched beyond
and so there will be less pressure
on the baby
• You will know your baby has
engaged when you feel less pressure
on your diaphragm and breathing becomes
much easier
• On the flip side you will
now have to frequent the washroom
more often as your baby will now be
pressing harder on your bladder
• You would also find walking
increasingly uncomfortable
• If your baby is very low you
may feel lots of pressure in the vagina
area which can be quite uncomfortable
There is no conclusive evidence to
suggest that the tips below may help
in settling your baby in the anterior
position but it is worth a try:
• Sit with your knees lower
than your hips whenever possible;
a cushion at the back of your car
seat of sofa will help to tilt you
forward
• Walk around every half an
hour if your job involves a lot of
sitting
• Sit on a hard chair, sleep
on a firm mattress
• Do lots of upright activities
as this will help your baby settle
in an anterior position
• Sit back on your haunches
with a pillow under your knees to
keep your pelvis sloping forward
