You mentioned that in the past, you had 2 previous preterm deliveries. You're 30 weeks this time, and the doctor said your baby is engaged. And so you're wondering if your chance of delivering early is greater. Just because of your history, the answer is yes. The best predictor of future behavior is past experience, and studies have shown that women who have prior preterm births are more likely to deliver preterm in the future, and often, it happens around the same gestational age. It's not 100% sure though. There are plenty of women who have had previous preterm deliveries that go on to deliver full-term babies, but a past history of that does make the risk for future preterm delivery higher.

As for your baby being engaged in your pelvis, now that's not something that necessarily increases your chances for preterm delivery. When we check your cervix, something we look for is the level of your baby's head in your pelvis. There's prominent points on the inside of your pelvis called ischial spines, and if the baby is at that level, then they're at 0 station, and anything above is negative, and anything below is positive. So in other words, the higher the negative number is, the higher the baby is in your pelvis, so -1, -2, -3. And the higher the positive numbers are, +1, +2, +3, the closer the baby is to coming out. And when the baby is engaged in your pelvis, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're super low, but it just means that when the doctor pushes up on the head when they check the cervix, the head doesn't go anywhere. So it's not just floating away, it is engaged in the pelvis.

The amount of pressure that the baby's head puts on the cervix can cause it to thin out and dilate if you have regular and intense contractions, so that's mostly what you need to watch out for. If you have 4 to 5 contractions an hour, which is only every 10 to 15 minutes, then that's a reason to get checked out, especially given your history. Other signs of preterm labor include constant lower abdominal cramping, constant lower backache, abdominal tightening, pressure in your stomach or in your pelvis, an increase in vaginal discharge associated with the pain, any leaking of fluid, or any bleeding. So if you have any of these symptoms, go to Labor & Delivery and get checked out as soon as possible. After performing an exam, then your nurses and your doctor will decide of any intervention is necessary. I sincerely hope the best for you during this pregnancy, and if you have any other questions for me in the future, feel free to ask them on our Facebook page at [ Ссылка ], and recommend us to your friends and family too.

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