How do you know when your baby has dropped?

[HaYnSweetie]

Everyone keeps telling me it looks like my baby has dropped, but ive always carried low and i think my belly looks the same lol. Im 35 weeks and have been having some bad pelvic pain and some on and off back pain. My belly has gotten heavier...i can tell because i feel like im about to topple over! Anywho, when does the baby drop and how can you tell??

[HeatherLF16]

I had a very distinct feeling when Franky dropped.  I was 36-37 weeks pregnant, and I had done tons of walking that day.  I come home and sit on the couch and my whole stomach rumbled.  It felt like an earthquake was going on in there not a regular movement my whole stomach vibrated...  then that night I noticed a space underneath my ribs that wasn't there before.  Next week at the doctor I told her I thought I dropped and she could feel the babies head right there and my water bulging like it was going to break any second.  

[chantal21]

The only way I could tell, was because I would waddle more and my pelvis and hips hurt so bad and I would also feel some pressure down there. My belly just looked lower as well, but it was hard to tell from that because I tend to carry low as well. I always felt like I had to hold my belly up and it would feel better if I did that. My first 2 kids seemed to get into position early.

[5n1]

The only way I noticed with all 3 of mine, but, it was more evident with my second was, the feeling of pressure down there..I mean there was times it literally felt like I was sitting on their heads lol...I could also feel it in my pelvic bone, like pressure also...As far as up high, I still had the not being able to breath feeling and all that, but I added that up to having long babies....

[Majikat]

I couldn't tell with my first... Everyone said I had dropped but I didn't feel any different... With my second he dropped with the onset of labour with this pregnancy I woke up 3 weeks ago and didn't have heartburn and I could walk up the stairs without getting out of breath also his bum is clearly no longer in my rib cage lol all his kicks are lower and my belly moved down...