baby dropping in second pregnancy

I have been reading all sorts of conflicting info on this...
The other day at my appointment (Thursday), my midwife told me that my baby still hasn't dropped, and that since I am getting so close to my due date, this is dangerous. She told me to watch out for my water breaking, in which case I would need to come in for fetal monitoring immediately. She also said that I have a chance of my baby's cord "falling out" before he actually drops, in which case to call 911.
However, I have also heard from many many people (mostly moms with more than one kid) that the baby doesn't drop with second pregnancies until just before labor starts.
I ran that by my midwife, and she just kinda fluffed it off....but yet there's another girl in my shared care classes who is having her 3rd, and was told that it could happen just before. I'm seriously confused...

 

I'm afraid my personal experience isn't gonna help you much... this is one of those places my genetic disorder REALLY took over & made things "interesting."

When my hips dislocated to allow my babies to drop... that is what caused/induced my labor. BOTH times. It's because of HOW far & HOW completely my hips dislocated - which isn't "normal" though, so I don't know how normal the whole "baby drops, labor starts" thing is.

But yeah, in my case that's exactly what happened! So I can tell you for sure that this is at least a very real possibility?
love,
mom

 

with me second preg dd didn't drop, and if she did so write before labour i didn't notice. my midwife never seemed concerned about it. if i were you i wouldn't worry

 

i agree...sometimes with second pregnancies the baby doesn't drop until right before labor...i know Porter (my son) didn't drop until right before labor either and he was my first....

what is with this woman and her scare tactics? i'm glad that you are keeping yourself informed and not just blindly following her directions because some of the things she has said just don't make a whole lot of sense...

 

Oh, for pete's sake...cord prolapse is VERY rare, and is more likely with a premature baby, a breech or transverse baby, and artificial rupture of membranes. It can happen with a spontaneous rupture, but is so very, very rare. She's setting you up by scaring you so you'll be more likely to do whatever she says. Compliance by intimidation.


Think about the mechanics of waters breaking, your membranes are tough and not meant to break randomly.....several things usually need to happen, there needs to be contractions that create pressure on the forewaters, causing them to balloon. This usually happens when the head is low and engaged and in active labour. The head in the pelvis acts like a cork, keeping everything inside the uterus. If the baby is breech or transverse, there will be no large presenting part and sometimes the cord can wash out if theres a HUGE gush of fluid.

In subsequent pregnancies, the baby's head typically does NOT engage until right before labour or during labour. This is because your abdominal muscles are looser and don't hold the baby in place until contractions push the baby down.

If you are healthy and have eaten well, your membranes will be strong and not likely to break easily. Truly, cord prolapse is not generally something to worry about with a full term, head down baby.

 

whew, that gives me more piece of mind.
Everything you said made prefect sense.
When you say just before labor starts, do you mean about a day before it can happen, it litterally when the contractions start?
Only asking because my belly seems to have disapeared. My boobs used to sit on it, and I constantly had feet in my ribs, and now I can actually suck in the top part of my belly, and haven't felt any pain in my ribs at all, and my crotch is KILLING me, more so than normal, (since it has hurt the whole pregnancy).
I have my last appointment at 4pm today....hopefully I hear something good.
They don't do internal exams, so I have no idea what's going on down there, but instead they feel around my belly to tell me if he has dropped.

 

Sounds exactly like he's dropped, Kirsten! That is exactly what M did (but ya know, 5 weeks early!)....All of a sudden, I could breathe and my yoni bone hurt like hell no matter what I did. Congrats on a dropped baby!

Go give that "midwife" of yours hell! You know your stuff!

 

HE DID DROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just got back from my appointment, after seeing one of the other midwives, and she definately said he's way lower. Even my mom today asked where the heck my belly went...I look like I'm only 6 months pregnant again! lol She measured me, and said that at most, I'm 38'', where as last week, I was almost 41!!!!!!!!!!!! Usually I could see where his little bum would stick out, and instead of it being right above my belly button, it's right below it now! I feel a lot lighter on the top, but now my crotch, butt and back are all just killing me!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
She did say that they can move up and down sometimes, but for the most part, he's doing well. She said that he still has a little bit to go until he's fully engaged, but that we're progressing well.
We had the portable utrasound in the room by fluke from the last girl who was in there and got to see him, which was AWESOME! She said that everything is going well!
If nothing still by Friday, I'm going back to pick up a tincture they call easy birth...can't remember what the real name for it is, she said that was their nickname for it...but hopefully that will get things ripening. So, lots of sex tonight and I'm trying to walk around as much as I can....without my feet swelling to shit like they have been! lol

 

fingers crossed and baby vibes... oh, and orgasms too! hahaha!

 

Maybe this is kinda late but I just wanted to say that they told me about the prolapsed cord thing in my class too just so that in the very very unlikely event that it happened we would know what to do. But they also told us about how rare it is. very rare but serious. So maybe she just wanted you to know what to do just in case and didn't mean to scare you!

Anyway, congrats on the progress!!! sounds like theres a baby comming soon!!

 

bah humbug, i'm still pregnant. we also found out some really crappy news the other day...
Cody's grandma died on wednesday night, and the funeral is tomorrow 2 1/2 hours away from home. After a lot of talking, Cody doesn't think he's going to go, just because if anything does happen (bah, not likely), he wants to be close to home. I feel bad for him, though. I want him to be able to go.
lucy, maybe that's all it was. I hope. I mean, now that he has dropped and seems to be staying put, it doesn't seem to be anything I need to worry about anyway.
But here I was thinking that because he dropped labor was close....shows what I know. Arg.
And I can't even go pick up that tincture until Monday because my paycheck wasn't ready today and won't be in until next week. $%&*^%&(&$$^...
I'm tired now, I need to go sleepy...... lol

 

Kirstyn, our babies just don't read the same books we do!


Even though you're getting impatient, and want to hold your baby in your arms, please know that EVERYTHING your body is doing is perfect and just right for your baby and your birth. Every cramp, every twinge, every contraction is getting you ready to have your baby.

Your baby will be here soon. Enjoy the short time you have left, enjoy being pregnant, talk to your baby and tell him how welcome and wanted he is.

He'll be here soon, and we want PICTURES!!!!

 

ahhh, sigh, i know
It's hard, that's all. it's funny...with Lea Lea, I wanted her to stay in my belly so bad. I loved being pregnant, so much so that I had incredibly bad depression after.
This time, I know what I'm doing and am not so nervous. I'm just looking foward to all the things you get to do with a newborn that I took for granted, and at times even dreaded, with Leane.
Thanks for all the help and support so far brighid and everyone else, too! It's making this a whole lot easier.
I'll have pictures soon enough, lol.......................................i hope...