How do you know when you drop?

[finleyjudemommy]

Title says it all.... May be a dumb question but I don't think I ever dropped with my other pregnancies.... I've got actual pain in my crotch area and it's freaking killing me! Once I get up and walk around a but it feels a little better. As of last Wednesday, I was 2 cm. I'll be 37 weeks this Friday....

[jennayoung99]

I didn't drop until I was in labour.

[TS8213]

My crotch has been hurting since 25w, so I wouldn't go by that as an indication of dropping. I think most people have always just told me that it looks as if the baby has dropped by the way I'm carrying. Also, I can usually breathe a whole lot easier and there aren't little jabs in my ribs as often. With this baby she's always low, so I'm not sure I'll ever drop noticeably.

[abunchoflemons]

Dropping varies as with all nine 3 right now I dropped a while before I delivered and labor...

[joeslittlewoman]

I'm not sure if mine have ever dropped either, since I have never delivered vaginally. I am carrying lower this round (if you can even distinguish with my short torso), and have had lots of "bowling ball between my legs" pressure for the past several weeks. He's not locked into place or anything, though.and occasionally the pressure lets up.

[Mama_K]

I've been wondering this exact question! I went into labor at 35 weeks last time and the baby didn't drop until labor progressed so I'm also wondering what that's like/ how I'll know. I feel like this baby drops sometimes but doesn't stay engaged yet.

[songbird516]

I have no idea. I don't feel like I ever did with my first, but now I suspect that my pelvis is just big enough to make it less obvious to me. With my second I got a couple of cervical exams for curiousity's sake (didn't have any with the first) and found that baby was fully engaged and at 0 station at 39.5 weeks, so definitely 'dropped'. However, I felt the same and never would have known without someone telling me. I went to 41 weeks and felt pretty comfortable the entire time. I also have fast labors and both of my babes had perfectly round heads, so I think it may be related. There's just lots of space for them.

[nalazimbala]

With both of mine, I definitely went from feeling "normal" to feeling like PP said, having a bowling ball between my legs. I felt like I was walking bow-legged.