How to Know When the Baby Drops in Pregnancy

How to Know When the Baby Drops in Pregnancy

As the time for delivery inches closer, pregnant women can barely contain their glee and excitement. The eagerness to give birth is often indescribable. Before delivery and towards the end of pregnancy, at a point of time, the baby drops. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here

Knowing when the baby drops is almost as exciting as giving birth itself. Many women look for various signs to know if their baby has dropped. Baby dropping is also known as lightening or engagement.

Baby dropping varies greatly from one pregnancy to the other but if you can read the signs related to it, you would be able to find out when your baby drops. Trust me, that feeling is simply beautiful! It means baby is on the road to delivery and in correct position (not breech).

Here are a few signs that you can rely upon to know if your baby has dropped yet:

The appearance

As the baby drops, your belly bump will be lower. This is the classic sign of baby dropping. The distance from your breasts to your uterus will increase and you will be able to notice it if you look for it.

Sometimes you may not be able to notice that there is a physical change but others will be able to make it out clearly. If your hubby or your mother points out any change in the position of your belly bump, know that your baby has dropped. When you sit down, it will feel like your baby is on your lap.

Your breathing

During your third trimester, you might have a problem with breathing. You might find yourself fighting to catch a breath as you normally do but once you reach the end of your trimester and your baby eventually drops, this problem will be cleared significantly. You will be able to breathe better because there is no more pressure on your lungs.

Eating

Just like with breathing, eating will also become easier once your baby drops. During the third trimester of pregnancy, it can get difficult to eat a complete meal but once the baby drops, things will be easier for you because exactly like the case of the lungs, the pressure you feel on your stomach will reduce significantly. You will also notice that heartburn after eating is reduced significantly in both severity and frequency.

Urination

This problem will become worse for you after the baby drops. Throughout your pregnancy, you will find the need to urinate every now and then and towards the third trimester this will increase even more. Once the baby drops, the pressure on your bladder will further increase and this will result in more frequent urination than ever before. Thus, if you notice that you are urinating much more than previously, know that it may be because your baby has dropped.

Pressure

When the baby drops, the pressure on your stomach and lungs will ease out for sure but your pelvis will take all the weight and thus, the pelvic pressure will be intense. You might sometimes feel like your baby will simply ‘fall out’ of you at any moment but don’t worry, that will not happen. You will also feel wobbly and you will find it difficult to stand for too long. Under such circumstances, you should rest and keep your feet up. That will help you feel a little comfortable.

Constipation and/or hemorrhoids

Along with the pelvis, the pressure on the rectum will also increase when the baby drops. This rectal pressure could cause hemorrhoids or constipation in some women. You should drink a lot of water and eat foods rich in fiber in order to curb this discomfort.

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Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Dr. Renee Hanton, MD | ConceiveEasy
Dr. Renee Hanton is ConceiveEasy's Senior Physician with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Dr. Hanton specializes in the endocrine causes of infertility, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

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