Your baby won't necessarily drop before labor begins — whether it's your first pregnancy or a subsequent one. If yours doesn't, don't worry.
If you're a first-time mom, your baby will probably drop two to four weeks before labor, perhaps even earlier. If you've had a baby before, your baby may not drop until your labor starts. It's impossible to predict exactly when this will happen, because each pregnancy is unique.
When your baby's head has engaged, the length of time between this happening and labour starting can vary greatly. Some babies don't drop until labour begins, while others may drop a few weeks before labour.
You can also be dilated and not effaced. This is more common in second or third pregnancies.
There are a number of potential causes of FTP, including (1) uterine contractions that are too weak or too infrequent; (2) the baby is not in the right position or placement (malpresentation, such as breech birth); or (3) the baby cannot fit through the mother's pelvis or its shoulders get stuck (shoulder dystocia).
Baby is too large. Birth canal is too small. Pelvis is too small for your baby to move down. Uterine contractions aren't strong enough.
But one woman was pregnant for 375 days. When Beulah Hunter's baby girl, Penny Diana, was finally born on the 21st of February in 1945, she was almost 100 days overdue. Although this is the longest pregnancy ever recorded, pregnancies of 42 weeks, which is around ten months, are relatively common.
FYI: Your Water Can Break While You're Peeing ... or Sleeping. If you think you peed your pants, think again. You've probably seen that cliché movie scene: the pregnant woman is leading a corporate board meeting in heels when her water breaks, or maybe she's mid-fight with her partner and boom — she's soaking.
This can relate to the cervix not dilating enough, the baby's head not engaging with the mother's pelvis, differences between the size of the baby's head and mother's pelvis, or with contractions not being sufficiently strong or frequent to push the baby out, among other factors.
There is also no evidence that acupuncture or trying different sleep positions induce labor, though they can provide other benefits. Sexual intercourse as a way to induce labor has been neither scientifically proved nor disproved. Be sure to speak with your provider before trying any home induction remedies.
According to a studyOpens a new window of more than 656,000 pregnancies, male babies had longer gestations, making them more likely to go past the due date.
“I've seen patients become dilated about 3 or 4 centimeters without active labor,” says Nicole Williams, MD, an ob-gyn in Chicago, Illinois. “They're usually in their late third trimesters.” On the flip side, it's also normal for the cervix not to be dilated at all before labor.
Labour can start very quickly, but is often slow at the start (particularly if it's your first baby). Sometimes it can start without you realising it.
While many miscarriages begin with symptoms of pain and bleeding, there are often no such signs with a missed miscarriage. Pregnancy hormones may continue to be high for some time after the baby has died, so you may continue to feel pregnant and a pregnancy test may well still show positive.
Signs of Baby Dropping
Widened hips. Increased discharge, which might signal the loss of the mucus plug. Lower belly button position. Changes in walking, such as a waddled gait.
There are many reasons: Your baby's head may be too large. Your baby may not be in the proper position. They may be facing sideways or outward when entering the pelvis.
First Trimester (0 to 13 Weeks)
The first trimester is the most crucial to your baby's development. During this period, your baby's body structure and organ systems develop. Most miscarriages and birth defects occur during this period.