HI My name is Dayna Leavens this is my
pPROM story. I am a very active, healthy
person who had an uneventful pregnancy
with a vibrant baby girl delivered
vaginally 11/09/2005. My second
pregnancy ended in miscarriage at 10
weeks August of 2006, this was hard, but
not as devastating as my recent
experience with the loss of my 19 week
baby boy Raymond Thergesen Leavens. I
was happily hiking my way through my
pregnancy, packing my toddler even to
high elevations nursing her at the top
of high peaks and feeling great, in good
shape. I had trained for a marathon, it
never had crossed my mind, or my health
care provider's that there was any
reason to restrict my activity, other
than those that could result in falls
such as horseback riding. Then at 16
weeks I was seeing a patient in my
office for a well child check, and I
felt this ominous wetness in my
underwear. I went to the bathroom and
there was blood. I was rushed to the ER
next to the clinic I work in as a
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I had
great care, the ultrasound looked fine.
NO one could tell me why I was bleeding,
my baby was active, there was no
placenta previa and no leaking amniotic
fluid, my cervix was thick and closed.
The weekend before I had started to feel
the baby move and I was so relieved,
they sent my home on bed rest and a
follow up with my OB in 4 days. I went
home on bedrest, the bleeding stayed
constant but it was old brownish blood,
spotting in nature so I thought it was
not anything to worry about. I went in
for my follow up and next ultrasound and
everything looked fine, I was set up for
my 20 week ultrasound and sent on my
merry way back to work and taking care
of my toddler. 3 weeks later I was in my
office on a Sunday and felt more ominous
wetness, I thought I was leaking urine.
The thought scanned through my mind
"What if it is amniotic fluid"
Nah.....good old denial crept in and I
went home to cook dinner. I was watching
the world series and fell asleep in the
recliner. I got up and felt a small
gush, I went to the bathroom and thought
I must be leaking more urine. I went to
bed, got up and discoverd my underwear
was damp and pink tinged. I called my
OB: she was deeply worried and had me
come in to Labor and delivery
immediately. I live 100 miles from the
hospital so it was a couple of hours
before I got there, no more leaking
happened. The did the fern test,
inconclusive, they did my ultrasound:
fluid level 11cm (good), closed cervix,
happy active baby. I ordered take out
and sent my husband to pick it up, we
were almost giddy with relief, my OB
included. Then brownish water gushed all
over the bed, I cried, I felt jipped by
my friend denial. The OB came in and
nitrizined the pooling in my vagina: yes
I had a grossly ruptured. I had bedpan
priveleges, I was in a fog, and my
husband was in shock. We called the
perinatologist: he advised induction, I
talked to the OB that had taken care of
a miracle pPROM that had ruptured at 17
weeks and delivered at 38 weeks fine
after resealing right at the hospital I
was in, I talked to my OB, another OB,
no one could give me my answer, just
information. I poured over ACOG
Guidelines on pPROM, words like Potter's
facies, Hypoplastic lungs, 4 week
latency periods swam in front of my
tearful eyes. I decided to wait 24
hours, I leaked through 2 chucks pads
(the big blue ones), and on my next
ultrasound 24 hours later there was a
yawning baby, and 6cm of fluid: a
miracle in itself after all the leaking,
and I had stopped leaking. I sent my
husband home to take care of our 2 year
old, and decided to watch and wait
another 24 hours. The next day was
Halloween, I was a basket case. I called
the chaplain and had him pray to God not
to save my baby, I felt it was too
specific of a request: instead I asked
God to take the decision out of my
hands, I was not able to decide to
induce or to keep waiting. I would
relinquish it all to a higher power if
he would please take it on I would
accept the answer. An hour later I had
my next ultrasound: no fluid, not even a
pocket, and then the cord prolapsed, my
baby was still beautiful and perfect on
the ultrasound, and my prayer had been
answered. I accepted it, and my labor
was augmented with cytotec. I had 24
hours of labor and delivered my little
boy still on November 1st, 2007 he
weighed 13.8 oz and was 8 in long. A big
baby for his age, and he looked perfect
and peaceful with his sisters little
face and still closed eyes. I hugged him
and held him and wept at our loss of
him. My 2 year old came in as we were
saying goodbye after his christening:
she showed the nurse as she toddled in:
"mommy's baby" and held him. We said
goodbye and we went home to grieve. That
is our story, I hope that it helps
someone out there who is dealing with
the tragedy of this situation, I
recommend reaching out to your faith and
following your heart. My prayers are
with you, and one of the angels in
heaven watching over you is named
Raymond.
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