Will I know when baby drops?

[is it puppies?]

This is my first and I am 40 weeks today. I think baby hasn't dropped. But I have thought in the past it did... so really I'm not sure. Heartburn and breathing got better, but now are getting worse. Somebody said today that I am still carrying high so it'll be a while. Of course being my DUE DATE I am worried.
MW says baby is "low" and she doesn't seem concerned at all. But then I read that babies drop weeks before in 1st time moms. Baby seems floaty to me and I generally don't seem to waddle or have pelvic pressure (but do have to pee at least once an hour)

And how important is the baby dropping for me to finally go into labour??

[lillymonster]

I have heard some babies don't drop UNTIL labor, so I wouldn't worry. I don't think it means anything you haven't dropped yet. I can't really remember if I felt it or not because my baby was always high, I always had pressure on my diaphragm, so I never felt any relief or different even when my OB told me I did drop.

[2sweetboysmom]

In all my pregnancies (until this one) including my first my kiddos did not drom until I was in labor.
This time I dropped 3 days ago...
It is very much a "your mileage may vary" sort of thing.

[JessieBird]

I was not at all aware of my first dropping. I think I looked high throughout pregnancy and I didn't feel any different at the end. My intuition said I still had two weeks to go so I was totally surprised when labour started and he was born at 39w2d.

However, a friend of mine who is due with her first tomorrow visibly dropped about ten days ago. All of a sudden, her belly went from being "well attached" and high to looking like it was just hanging off of her way down low. The change was incredible! At the same time she became very aware of lots of pressure down there and she developed a definite waddle like a toddler with full pants if you know what I mean. That was ten days ago. No baby yet!

[AFWife]

Mine didn't drop until labor. Of course, he was 21in long... When the OB palpated she felt his shoulders in my hips and I was getting kicked regularly in my ribs. Every older lady that saw me said, "You're not close. You haven't dropped yet!" My water broke at 38 weeks...

[lisko15]

Every older lady that saw me said, "You're not close. You haven't dropped yet!"

Oh yeah, I got a lot of that when PG with DD! I think the last time I was even a couple days overdue... talk about annoying.

I never visibly dropped with DD, though must have during labor. I have a very short torso, so that may have something to do with it. During labor I STILL had heartburn and DD's lil' feet were visible way, way, way UP high.

I am carrying DS lower this time around... and I definitely have more pelvic pressure - but I think that's more position related than anything, since its been consistent throughout the pgcy since like 16 weeks.

So I guess there isn't a definite answer, but Happy DUE DATE anyway (from a fellow June mama)!

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

My first never dropped until after my water broke. So I wouldnt worry about it.

[AmyKT]

You know, this is my second pregnancy and I still don't have a clue about the whole baby dropping thing. I'm currently trying to figure out if it's happened to me this week. I have carried both babies really low both times, so there's not a real visible difference on me, but neither last time nor this time did I ever feel feet in my ribs, but I did (and do) feel lots of sharp pain in my cervix. It's all so incredibly variable.

ETA: and though I carried low with DD1, I still didn't go into labor until 40w4d, so I guess it means nothing.

[texasfarmom]

I didn't feel a definite-the baby just dropped-sensation, but I think she has. I have had a bruised/stretched feeling low down in my pelvis for a couple weeks now. I'm also sure I'm waddling. It sure does [I]feel[I] like I have a head down there a lot of the time.

[aloneinid]

My babies didn't "drop" because they were already down there. I have carried all three VERY low for the duration of my pregnancies. I have also had heartburn and severe reflux in every pregnancy. The heartburn is due to pregnancy hormones relaxing the sphincter at the top of your stomach, releasing acid into your esophagus so you don't necessarily have to have the baby pressing on your stomach.

I think that "dropping" was a popular pregnancy topic when our mothers were having babies, hence, the comments/questions from older women regarding it. My mom talks about it, too, but my midwives never mention it.

[beckyand3littlemonsters]

Originally Posted by is it puppies?

This is my first and I am 40 weeks today. I think baby hasn't dropped. But I have thought in the past it did... so really I'm not sure. Heartburn and breathing got better, but now are getting worse. Somebody said today that I am still carrying high so it'll be a while. Of course being my DUE DATE I am worried.
MW says baby is "low" and she doesn't seem concerned at all. But then I read that babies drop weeks before in 1st time moms. Baby seems floaty to me and I generally don't seem to waddle or have pelvic pressure (but do have to pee at least once an hour)

And how important is the baby dropping for me to finally go into labour??

With my 1st she didn't drop until labour was well underway i'd been in labour about 22 hrs, my total labour was 23 hrs.

[Melly24]

DD didn't engage in my pelvis until labour was well underway. She was floating high the whole pregnancy

[HeatherB]

I have noticed "dropping" in other friends either when their bellies suddenly (ok, sudden when I haven't seen them in a few days!) look MUCH lower, or when the angle totally changes. Depending on how they carried, some start out with a belly looking almost like a little table, then, when baby dropped, it changed to a distinct angle. No way you could set anything on it and have it stay there! Still, that wasn't an indicator of imminent labor -just of getting closer! And, being 40 weeks, you are DEFINITELY getting closer!

[is it puppies?]

Originally Posted by HeatherB

And, being 40 weeks, you are DEFINITELY getting closer!

I sure hope so

Thanks everybody, I guess I don't have anything to worry about... perhaps a very tall baby though.