What does 4/5 engaged mean please anyone xx

@tiffany84331, @squish86 @raych @georgiegiirl thank you all xxxx@

this is what's in my Book and it's in order to how the head position is I.e free, 1/5th, 2/5th. it would be the opposite way round if what I've been told is wrong. I. e free, 5/5th, 4/5th. not saying anybody is wrong here I'm just going on the info in my book and that I've been given by my midwife xx

In nursing notes it is written as "Fifths above the brim" which means "how much of the baby's head can still be felt above the pelvic cavity"

People often get home and see 4/5 in the notes/comments about engagement and get ALL EXCITED thinking that means they are 4/5ths "engaged"... But it doesn't... Hence:

If the notes say:

5/5th --> means ALL of the baby's head can be felt ABOVE the pelvic cavity, which means none of the head has decended yet. NOT engaged at all.

4/5th --> means 4/5th can be felt ABOVE the pelvic cavity, which means only 1/5ths of the head has decended. Very Slightly engaged.

3/5th --> means 3/5th can be felt ABOVE the pelvic cavity, which means only 2/5ths of the head has decended. Slightly engaged.

2/5th --> means only 2/5th can be felt ABOVE the pelvic cavity, which means 3/5ths of the head has decended. Moderately engaged.

1/5th --> means ONLY 1/5th can be felt ABOVE the pelvic cavity, which means 4/5ths of the head has decended. Very engaged (probably as engaged as one will be up til labour)

0/5th --> means none can be felt ABOVE the pelvic cavity, which means ALL of the head has decended, and generally will not happen at all until the active labour / waters have broken.

I'm 4/5ths and was told yesterday that many is practically fully engaged ! all this info should be in your maternity book

xx

the above Information isn't correct. 4/5 means baby is 1/5 into pelvis but still not completely in birth canal 1/5 is fully engaged xx

Hope this helps x