Head not engaged

[hedgehog]

I'm nearly 40 weeks pregnant with my first baby & the head has not engaged. My Doctor says if it doesnt engage soon I will have to have an induction or otherwise a c-section. Does anybody have any expreience of being induced with first baby if the head is not engaged? Worried it could be a long & painful process & thinking of opting for a C-section.

 

[jools]

Hi Hedgehog,

Not long to go now at forty weeks, I've still got three weeks to go for my third baby to arrive.

My daughter's head (second child) did not engage until labour started. This is a personal opinion, but I think alot of doctors like to intervene when maybe a bit of patience for nature would actually result in the mother having the birth that she wants. I don't know about the impact of a non-engaged baby on the first labour as my son got himself organised right at the last minute, but I do know, that at no time in the UK did anyone suggest to me to have a C-section or start me off despite that he didn't engage right up until the last minute.

I'm not sure that helps but good luck with whatever decision you make and just think, not long now and you will get to see that precious little bundle.

Jools

 

[loupou]

Yeah, neither of my kids heads engaged before labor started. Is your doctor a bit scalpel happy? What's his or her C-section rate?

Some OBs prefer to give C-sections becauseit's quicker and easier for them, plus more $$$$

 

[Sleuth]

Some OBs prefer to give C-sections becauseit's quicker and easier for them, plus more $$$$

And they can schedule the c-section on a convenient day. In the US most babies are born on Tuesday and the least are born on Saturday because no doctor schedules an induction nor a c-section over the weekend.

 

[joannek]

agree totally with them all.

hedgehog, if you're really worried, then try calling Gianna Buonocore - Acupuncturist at imi.com.hk. she specializes in pregnancy & she has a clinic at matilda. she might be able to give you advice. chinese acupunturist have known to be able to mve baby to engaged position. i haven't tried her, but i wish i had.

 

[jayinhongkong]

A C-section should really be a last resort...the scarring is often terrible. My mother had three c-sections - one for each of us!

 

[saralee]

Dear Hedgehog,
I was 39 weeks and my gyno said I needed to be induced. I went into a cold sweat with all the stories I had heard and would do anything not to be induced BUT it was a painfree experience thanks completely to my gyno who actively managed my pain throughout. I had a mobile epidural which was an amazing drug, not as strong as the regular epidural.

Being your first time, you could go through the induction and then the baby might not fit so you might have to then have a C section anyway but I would really recommend a mobile epidural. No pain afterwards either. It was a win win situation for me...

The only downside to the mobile epidural was that I didn't get to really experience giving birth but a C section would be no different.

 

[ystwu]

my baby's head was not engaged on my 40 weeks' pregnancy and I was end up having a scheduled C section one day before my due date. My doctor didn't suggest me to do it until the last week and he said that it was the safest way although I could choose to wait and try normal labor if I wanted to. I was quite happy with the decision though I still prefer to have normal delivery if allowed.

 

[dudu]

My baby's (first child) head was not engaged until I went into labor.

My OB also advised me to have a C-section for exactly the same reason. My doctor actually advised me to have a C-section at week 38.

Having read a lot about HK doctors prefer C-section over vaginal delievery for their own convenience, I become a bit suspicous about my OB's recommendation. I sought opinions from other two doctors, one in private practice and the other at a public hospital (public hospitals in HK have policies against having any C-section without a valid medical reason) and both of them were of the view that I was totally fine for a vaginal delivery and it is not unusal that baby's head is not engaged until mom goes into labor.

I finally decided to go to another OB for a vaginal delivery. I gave birth exactly on my due date without induction or any other interferences and my delivery was quite smooth.

It is a big shame that some doctors in HK place their own interests before the interests of their patients.