Soon after I found out that I was
pregnant I started to bleed, and
continued to bleed unitil 11 weeks.
Every time I had a change in the type
of bleeding I rushed into the doctor's
office for them to reassure me that
there were still two heartbeats (I was
pregnant with twins). On a Monday night
when I was at work I felt a gush of wet
fluid and was scared that it was blood,
but it was a rusty yellow color. I
called the OBs office and they had me
come in the next morning. Well I wasn't
too concerned since I had many u/s in
the first trimester and the babies were
always okay.
This day however was different. When
the technician did the u/s she said
that the first baby was okay, then she
just paused. I knew something was
really wrong when they tech and the mid-
wife rubbed my leg. They told me that
the lower of the two sacs ruptured and
sent me over the the high risk clinic
at the local hospital.
The doctors there confirmed that I
ruptured. I was put on bedrest with a
follow-up appointment for several days
later. In that appointment they saw no
reaccumulation of fluid-and were very
grim about the chance of having a live
birth.
I read all that I could about PROMs and
got consults with other doctors. I got
mixed opinions as to whether or not I
should terminate the baby in the
ruptured sac. Basically the risks of
miscarriage were the same, albeit for
different reasons.
I stayed pregnant. Sometimes I had some
fluid (always low) and sometimes I had
no fluid. I was still undecided about
the choice facing me when it looked
like I may have resealed at 18 weeks. I
still felt some leaking, but the fluid
level was normal. I had an
amniocentesis. After five days of
moderate cramping I gushed a large
amount of fluid while I was asleep one
night and when I went to the doctor the
next day my worst fears were confirmed.
I had no fluid in the ruptured sac.
By that time we knew that the baby in
the ruptured sac was a boy and we felt
that we could not terminate him. I was
put on bedrest at home with bathroom
privledges only. I continued to leak
fluid in bed at night so I was confined
to a recliner for the next 6 weeks so
that my legs could be elevated. I still
leaked fluid, but not as much.
I had a series of UTIs that were
resistant to treatment. I was on my
third trial of antibiotics when I woke
up bleeding. It was Easter Sunday. We
called the doctor and I was told to go
to L&D at the hosptal.
I was placed on the monitor and found
to have contractions, which I didn;t
even feel. I was given terbuteline to
stop the contractions and a steroid
injection. I was admitted to the
hospital and given a second steroid
injection. I was also given IV
antibiotics for the UTI and fluids.
Three days later I felt crampy after
breakfast. I was placed on the monitor
and found to be having contractions
that were not stopping. They sent me
down to L&D where I was found to have a
temperature of 100.2, an elevated white
blood count, and the babies heart rates
were elevated. They told me that the
babies needed to be delivered and
recommended a c-section (In part to
enhance their chance, but also because
the first baby was breech). They wanted
to give me general anesthesia for the c-
section due to the temperature, but I
told them I wanted an epidural (only so
my partner could be in the delivery
room with me).
Michael Angelo was born first at 1.75
lbs with apgars of 5 and 7 and we heard
him cry loudly. Alyssa Ann was born
next at 1.2lbs with apgars of 7 and 9
and she cried loudly as well. The next
several hours were a haze-I was
medicated, physically exhausted, and
scared about what would happen to the
babies.
They let my partner go in and see them,
but I couldn't see them until I could
wiggle my toes so that I could be
transported to me room. They brought a
picture of Alyssa to me, not Michael
since they were working on him.
They both made it though those first
critical days with few problems. They
have had some of the normal preemie
problems-chronic lung disease, PDA,
blood transfusions, and infection
scares but no serious problems.
We are grateful for every day that they
get to be a part of our lives.
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