What Pregnant People Should Know About Fetal Station

Fetal station refers to the position your baby is in within your pelvis in late pregnancy and during labor. Your prenatal care provider might check your baby's station as your due date nears or during labor.

Your baby's fetal station will change as you progress through the stages of labor. The lower your baby is in the pelvis, the higher the fetal station number is. Read on for more information about fetal station, including what it is, how it's measured, and what it means for you and your baby.

What Is Fetal Station?

Fetal station is a measurement of how far the baby has descended into the pelvis. More precisely, it's the distance between the fetus's head and the ischial spines (aka the sit bones or innermost bones of your pelvis), which are approximately 3 to 4 centimeters inside the vagina. 

Similar to cervical dilation, fetal station is also measured with vaginal exams. A high negative number means your baby is high up in the birth canal and not close to birth. The higher the positive number, on then other hand, the further down your baby is. A full 5+ station means your baby is crowning.

Fetal station isn't usually measured during routine prenatal care until the last few weeks of pregnancy, if at all. In fact, you may not hear it discussed until you are in labor.

How Fetal Station Is Measured

To check fetal station, a nurse, doctor, or midwife performs a vaginal exam and uses their gloved fingers to feel where the baby's head is relative to the ischial spines. Ultrasound can also be used to help determine the fetal station.

The difference between numbers in the score is equivalent to the length in centimeters. Moving from +1 to +2, for example, is a movement of about 1 centimeter.

How Fetal Station Relates to Your Bishop Score

Fetal station is also one of the five components of the Bishop score. The Bishop score is an assessment tool that your birth team uses to check how "ready" your body is for labor. The higher the Bishop score, the more ready the body is for labor.

The components of a Bishop score include:

• Cervical dilation (opening)
• Cervical effacement (thinning)
• Cervical position
• Cervical consistency
• Fetal station

A Bishop score can be helpful if you need an induction. The higher the score, the more likely it is that your body will respond well to induction. Your health care provider may also use the Bishop score to decide what type of induction would be best for you.

Why Fetal Station Is Important

The fetal station number is one of the signs of progression in labor. Your birth team can track how your baby is moving by comparing your baby's station when you started your labor to their current station.

When labor begins, some pregnant people will have a baby who is still fairly high in the pelvis with a station of -2. Others start labor with a baby that is engaged at a 0 station, much lower in the pelvis.

If your labor and delivery nurse tells you that your baby is "coming down," it means the fetal station has changed and your baby is moving further down the birth canal. It's a positive sign that delivery is getting closer.

Fetal station can change very quickly. So don't get discouraged by a fetal station measurement. Instead, focus on what you can control during labor, like following your birth plan as best you are able and practicing your preferred pain management techniques.

It can help to understand what's happening during your labor with information like your baby's station, but know that every labor and delivery is different. If you have questions or concerns about our baby's station and what it means for you, don't hesitate ask your doctor or midwife.