Are you engaged?

Constipation has never been one of my life's problems and luckily enough it hasn't dogged me in pregnancy either, even after I started iron supplements. Since the last 2 weeks my doc has added an extra dose of iron supplement as my hemoglobin has fallen from 12 to 10. This has managed to create some problems in bowel movement, so much so that since yesterday I have been feeling pressure and some pain in the lower pelvis. It goes away on lying down and increases on walking around or getting up from sitting position.

Since we are just two days away from entering the 9th month, I just read the 9th month chapter in What to Expect (the pregnancy Bible) . It says that 'engagement' can happen anytime 4 weeks before labour - and reading about the symptoms makes me wonder if it must have happened in my case - leading to the pressure symptoms, extra sensitive bladder (night time loo calls gone up from just once to two times now) etc.

Another site gives some detailed info on the pressure symptoms which seems to sum up my case very well -

Pelvic floor pressure:

Once the baby has dropped into position or engagement has occurred, you may feel pressure on the pelvic floor. The head of the baby is pressing very snugly against the cervix now and will continue to do so until birth. You may feel as if you need to move your bowels, the pressing down of the head causes a feeling of fullness and pressure very similar to that. Some women who have had several children might experience some pain. Many women might have trouble walking or feel as if their hips are not working properly. A hard feeling to describe even to doctors, if you are experiencing this odd and painful experience you might feel at the end of your rope trying to find an answer. This pain is stemming from a large tendon that weakens in each pregnancy. The tendon forms a sort of 'saddle' and the stress of engagement may cause pain after sitting or lying down, then standing. To help avoid this pain, try to walk and get exercise to strengthen this area early in your pregnancy.

This is exactly what I told my doc on phone today - that I just cant explain what exactly is happening, because it is all too vague. Anyway, after a dose of Duphalac laxative tonight, we are planning to see him tomorrow - 3 days before our scheduled visit.

Has anyone else experienced similar symptoms when your baby's head got engaged? Please share!

I have managed to make the final list of things to take to the hospital and the bag packing will start today...will post the list tomorrow for benefit of those who might be looking for such information!

A before-schedule doc visit and before schedule USG

Last week thanks to a mild stretching kind of pain in the nether regions, I decided to ask doc if it is of any concern. According to my own research it could have been the normal stretching of the round ligaments due to increase in size of the uterus. The round ligaments are supports which originate on the sides of the uterus, run through the inguinal canals, and insert on the side walls of the vagina and even inner thigh. This description quite matched the region of my pain and a piece of advice on storknet.com further confirmed it.

Round ligaments are the ligaments that support the uterus, and they get stretched (like a rubber band) during pregnancy. This stretching is worse when you move or bend, and less when you lie still, particularly on your side with your legs curled up. Try moving slowly, taking a warm bath, or using a heating pad. Knowing that this pain may be severe but is not serious or problematic for you or the baby may help, too.

Anyway, my doc asked me to come by and see him for my mental peace - as we always take any info from the web with a pinch of salt. On examination, BP was still on the higher side of normal, due to which I was started on AlphaDopa immediately. Plus on examination of my belly, he found the head on the lower side due to which he also put me on uterine relaxant Bricanyl (which is also a druf for asthma). Two steroid shots were also prescribed one that day and one on the next for fetal lung maturity, all this just to be on the safer side.

The next day was another story. Bumble who used to kick and box frantically all day long until then suddenly decided to go lazy - making me wait and watch for kicks like a maniac and I didn't find them coming with the same intensity or frequency, despite turning around, poking around and even pleading to Bumble! This is going to be one stubborn baby with a mind of its own! Friday morning, I lost it. S was traveling from work and I couldn't take this. Called doc and told him I want to go for an ultrasound, even though the previous day he told it could be because i had started taking a uterine relaxant, but I just wanted to very sure that Bumble is OK.

After making 5-6 calls, I finally landed an appointment in NM Bandra. It was such a relief to lie on the table and watch Bumble doing his/her thing inside, tumbling around, kicking around and doing vague hand gestures, as if saying "Hi Mama, I just wanted to get you on this table, now go back home and relax". At my doc's recommendation, we also did a colour doppler to check blood flow aroudn baby which turned out A Ok. So I came back home with plenty of thanks in my heart that Bumble is fine, just having one of it's lazy days. Needless to say, now the kicking is back in full swing and aren't we happy to have that mode of communication with Bumble back!

Just entered the 32nd week, officially 6 more weeks to call this journey FULL TERM!! So our countdown is on!