You are 39 weeks and 4 days

Don't worry if your baby hasn't engaged yet; it has no bearing on when you'll deliver.

3 days until your due date

There are many reasons why a baby may not have engaged. The shape of your pelvis may mean the pressure of contractions is needed to bring the head down. Very athletic women tend to have babies who engage late, because taut muscles hold the baby in a different position. Second and later babies tend to engage later because the abdominal muscles are looser, so the baby can move freely without needing to get her head down. And a big baby may not descend into the pelvis until contractions start.

Good to know

How your baby is positioned

Once your baby is head down and moves into the pelvis, she can take up several positions, defined by where her back and occiput (the back of her head) lie. The most usual is LOT. (If the baby is breech, the position is defined by how the bottom is lying.) The six most common are:

LOT (left occiput-transverse): back and back of the head on the left side of the uterus, at right angles to your spine.
LOA (left occiput-anterior): back and back of the head toward the front of the uterus on the left side.
LOP (left occiput-posterior): back and back of the head toward your spine on the left side.
ROT (right occiput-transverse): back and back of the head at right angles to your spine on the right side.
ROA (right occiput-anterior): back and back of the head toward the front of the uterus on the right side.
ROP (right occiput-posterior): back and back of the head toward your spine on the right side.

This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.

How your baby is positioned

Appointments and key dates around now