When Does the Baby “Drop”?

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I am getting closer and closer to my due date, and I’m curious when the baby drops. What does that mean exactly? How much farther does she have to go before actually coming out? Does this mean labor starts?

—Natalie

During most of pregnancy, your uterus (and baby) are at or above the crest of your pelvic bone. Toward the end of pregnancy — typically two to four weeks before delivery — the baby will drop down and their head will “engage” in the pelvis. You may not notice this. If you do notice it, it may be that it’s a bit easier to breathe, or your belly looks lower down. You may feel more pressure on your pelvis but less on your ribs.

This pelvic engagement doesn’t predict the timing of birth, other than that it generally occurs later in pregnancy. And it may not happen at all before labor. During labor, the head needs to come the rest of the way down through the pelvis, so it’s got a long way to go.
The bottom line is, this isn’t very important and probably will not be very noticeable. Other signs are better for telling you labor is imminent, like the loss of the mucus plug.