how low can baby's head get before labor starts?

[ccasanova]

Is it 0 station or can baby's head be lower and any of the + numbers? OB checked me yesterday and baby is at 0 station. I've got a week left before my guess date, and was just curious if baby can get any lower than he is now. I do waddle, but have been doing that for months, probably because of the achiness in my upper inner thighs more that because of how low baby is. And I definitely don't feel like he's about to fall out like some other mamas. Maybe they had they're babys sitting lower? Or maybe some feel it one way, others another? Oh and I'm dialated to 3 cm! Horray! Only 7 more cm to go!

[boobyfeeder]

I *think* anything lower than 0 is pretty much crowning, so that's the lowest baby can be before labor. I'm not entirely sure though. I've got the waddling due to pain also, as soon as baby dropped (which the other two never did) I started waddling.

[spiderdust]

Sometimes babies don't drop before labor, especially if it's not the first baby. But yeah, I think zero is the absolute lowest one could drop before labor.

[GoBecGo]

On some scales +3 is crowning and on other +5 is crowning. 0 means baby's head is at the ischial spines inside. It is possible for babe to drop lower before labour if mom has had several babies or is dilating painlessly (i know a woman that was at 6cm for the last 3weeks of labour and her DD hit +2 before she felt a contraction!

[slgt]

My friend's baby was at a + station (forget what) for several weeks before she was born - and was 2 weeks early but unrelated to that. My friend had an awful cold with sever cough, and the coughing pushed babe down.

[Mamato3wild ponnie]

Hey maybe we should all start coughing real hard all day....i love it! Anything to get this baby to come.