How do you know when the baby has dropped?

Question

I'm 33 weeks pregnant and I keep having constant period like cramps in my lower back and stomach...the pains aren't really that bad, just constant and they just makes me feel somewhat sick. Also, I've been getting sharp little stabbing pains in my crotch/groin area every now and then, and I have to pee constantly! Sometimes it comes just all of a sudden and I HAVE to go! Also, the past two or three days I've had trouble bending over to tie my shoes, and that was never a problem before until now...and my belly isn't all the big. Oh and the past few days I've started waddling too...

Do you think the baby has dropped already?

How do you know when they have?

♥ Thank you! ♥

This is my first pregnancy.

Oh, and about crossing your legs...yeah, I can't do that anymore! haha!

Answer 1

usually when the baby has dropped you can notice it by looking at yourself in the mirror. your belly might look alittle bit lower and turned more inward. It does depend how far the baby has dropped. the baby enter the pelvis at what they call a -4 station and it works its way through your pelvis gradually till the babys head crowns at a +4 station. so you could have dropped a little or a lot but most women dont usally get to a 0 station until active labor. I noticed mine right a way. I look really low and like a torpedo. its weird. I feel period cramps, and all sorts of weird little sharp pains down there too. afew weeks ago the dr checked and i was at a -2 station which meant the baby had dropped slightly int the pelvis, and then I had horrrible pain down there and felt like my hip was out of place and I could barely walk so they checked me again and sure enough i was at a0 station. i bet ya the baby is just dropping a little. your dr. might check you soon. they checked me at 36 weeks for the first time. good luck. i am still walking around 39 weeks 1 day with all the symptoms you had and ive had them since i was about 33 weeks too

Answer 2

I think it's a possibility you could have dropped. I felt "lower pressure" really bad near the end- and could feel the baby's head even down really low. My husband always hated that term "lower pressure" because I constantly told him I had that when he asked what was wrong. lol Whenever my baby would kick my bladder or hip bones-it hurt pretty bad. I also had troubles bending over- I hated not being able to cut my toe nails very well lol. I had to pee constantly during my entire pregnancy!

Don't worry- you are almost there! I'm not sure if you'd be having contractions or not making you feel sick... maybe even Braxton Hicks? If your belly gets really hard and tightens, then you are having a contraction.

Goodluck! At your next doctor visit, they should be able to tell you if you've dropped- but try to feel for the baby's head.

Answer 3

It is quite normal to experience these things towards the end of your pregnancy. You will get a lot bigger and more than likely impatient. When the baby drops, you won't need to ask yourself if it has. It is quite noticeable. It will feel like it is going to fall out, and looking at yourself in the mirror you will see a big difference with the way the baby is sitting. You may notice changes right up until the baby actually does come out. It is all a beautiful thing, it may seem long or go by too quickly, but in the end you will have a beautiful baby. Try not to stress about things, just relax and enjoy being pregnant.

Answer 4

I would say yes your baby has dropped. I noticed before because my tummy was more slender, and there was shapr pains in mu crotch when my baby moved her head around. If this is what t feels like then I am sure the baby has dropped. Be glad, this means your chances of having a breached baby have nearly gone out the window. Ya. But this does not mean that the baby will be comming soon. You can be in position for up to week 42. I hope things come soon for you though. This is the time when you need to get everything ready for the baby, and get your bag packed, and well get some sleep too becasue after the baby is born you will be glad you did. congrats and hope your bundle of joy comes soon.

Answer 5

you probably have not dropped yet...when you do, you will know! Your belly will obviously be lower than it was, and you will find that breathing becomes much easier. The pain you are feeling may be braxton hicks contractions. In general they are painless, but as your baby gets larger, they become somehat uncomfortable. Keep in mind that your bosy is preparing for childbirth and all of your muscles through your back, belly and lower abdomen are stretching at a rapid pace. This will definately cause discomfort. Try to take it easy and get plenty of rest.
Baby doesn't usually drop until the last trwo weeks or so.
Good luck and congrats to you!

Answer 6

You can tell it has dropped by looking at your stomach, it looks like you have lost weight but it is really the baby moving into position. Your doctor will be able to tell you if it has dropped. 33 weeks is early though you still have a way to go. The pain could be braxton hicks but I also got sick at 35 weeks and I thought that I was just sick and nauseas but come to find out I was in early premature labor. So be careful

Answer 7

Yeah, it could be. I had the cramps a week before I had my baby, and a for a couple straight days beforehand. The having trouble tying your shoes definitely sounds like it! I felt so silly, before we left the house to go to the hospital after my water broke, I had to have my mom tie them for me! How embarrassing! I noticed the waddling too, later on in my pregnancy when I was still working my part time job at night.

Answer 8

Yes it does sound like your baby has positioned itself for birthing.
The quick onset of urination is generally caused by the baby laying on your bladder, the sharp pains in your groin (crotch) is your hips are being forced apart by the baby dropping into the birthing canal, therefore preparing you for giving birth. The pain in your back area could be Braxtin Hicks labor pains. These are false labor pains, but feel like the real thing. If they get to bad, perhaps you should see your doctor to confirm.
THe best of luck to you!
You're family will be growing by two feet soon!

Answer 9

I dont think your baby has dropped... youll definatly know when it does youll be able to breath better and they reduce movement but ur next visit the doctor should be able to tell you what position and if yoour baby has dropped by feeling around

the cramping is braxton hicks more like practice contractions
you have to remeber the baby is moving like crazy so the peeing thing is more likely from the baby hitting ur bladder the waddle is from your hips loosing up get use to it

Answer 10

With my three children they used to like to hang around the bottom of my rib cage and I was sore. I would constantly try to put my hand under my ribs and wedge the kid down, that's how uncomfortable I was. My husband was always buggin' me about hurting them that way, but there's a lot of protection around inutero babies and they turned out fine. All of a sudden that feeling disappeared and my face felt lighter, like I was finally getting air into my lungs.

About the same time, instead of my stomach looking like a puffed-out pancake, a basketball started to form. I couldn't hold my pee in when I laughed or sneezed.

The sharp pinching pains are called Braxton-Hicks contractions and you're gonna get them about now. It's just your body's way of preparing itself for the real deal.

Oh, and one more thing, whenever we'd go out to eat at a restaurant that had booths, I could no longer fit in the booths, I had to turn sideways to fit in. You could say that it was because the baby was growing, but I could fit into the booths up until a few short weeks before the baby was born. Got any restaurants booths you could try to squeeze into to find out? (g)