I have been carrying Lizzie very high. My belly is big right below my ribs and there is not much below my belly button. Today I am feeling an immense amount of pressure below my belly button and it feels tighter down there. Do you think she has dropped? How will I know?

The pain/pressure feels strange. You know those hunger pains you feel when you have not eating in forever? That is how I am feeling with a little pain in my back. I am not hungry - so it must be Lizzie... I have some pretty weird things going on with my body lately. But - the nurse said yesterday that there were no contractions so it must be something else...

[Mama1234]

I knew that my first son had dropped when I got up one morning and could literally tell that my belly was farther away than the day before. I could breath and eat again, it was heaven!!! The minute I got to work the nice elderly receptionist lady didn't waste a minute to say "HAVE YOU DROPPED, DEAR?" It isn't always this dramatic though. With my other two, I definitely had a "sense" that they were lower or the breathing/eating thing was noticable but I don't remember such a dramatic moment.

[mshel]

Since you are carrying Lizzie really high it will be very noticable when she drops. I carried DD very high as well, and one morning I woke up looked at my self in the mirror and went, WOW! Once she dropped I also started to get those terrible pressure/pain in the groan area...kinda like someone hit me with a baseball- bat

[amy1980]

For me the first thing I noticed is that you can visually tell baby has dropped. You'll probably notice more firmness under your belly button.
And as mentioned above you'll notice breathing becoming a little easier again. MORE pressure down really low, etc. Right now with Lizze high do you get that uncomfortable feeling under your ribs. If so that will most likely go away once she drops.
She could very well be dropping already. It can be gradual.

I bet it is happening.. She made me feel like I had a foot in my throat just a few days ago! I would eat and felt like I had food that would not go down. Now, I feel a little less pressure up top and a lot more down low. My food sits better too. Maybe she is dropping slowly...

[SavannahMom]

In my prenatal class last night they told us that usually the baby drops around 37 weeks (on average - for first-time moms). They said it'll be very noticable that all of a sudden you can breathe much easier and your intestines don't feel as cramped and squeezed, but you will feel a LOT of extra pressure on the bladder (more so than before).
Based on that info, I would guess that maybe she hasn't quite dropped yet. I think it doesn't happen until the baby gets into position with its head right above the birth canal, getting ready for the upcoming birth.
But I'm sure it happens at different times for different people, and 37 is just an *average*

Yea - I think you are right. She might have just turned. I don't think she has dropped down low - but she has moved from right under my ribs. So - I guess she just flipped or something and eased up on my upper torso. Thanks for all of the advice!

[JulieC]

For me its alwasy been the "pressure" feeling that I just knew they were in position. You can also breath alot easier.