My Name is Hilary.
My first baby was a FT, 8 pound boy.
Needless to say, I was quite shocked
when 27 weeks into my second pregnancy,
I experienced PROM while rising from bed
in the morning. I had no warnings or
risk factors. My husband and two-year
old rushed me to the hospital where I
was admitted in labor and delivery for
observation and tests.
It was determined my water had ruptured,
but that I was DEFINITELY NOT in labor.
I was not dilated, nor effaced. An
ultrasound of the baby revealed some
water, but not much. After 24 hours in
labor and delivery, I was transferred to
the maternity wing where I remained on
strict bed rest until labor would begin.
I could not leave the bed for ANY
REASON. I was placed on IV antibiotics
as a precautionary measure and had every
culture known to man to determine if
there was a cause for the PROM. There
was none and I am one of those "unknown
causes".
On my thirteenth day of bed rest, I went
into labor and was fully dilated and
ready to push in four short hours. After
two pushes, the heart rate of the baby
could not be found on the monitor and I
was rushed to surgery for an emergency
c-section. Luckily, I had an epidural in
place. It seemed like no time before the
surgical team had Owen out of me and
over to the neonatal team. After working
with him for what seemed like FOREVER,
he was wheeled over to me in his
incubator. A little face peering out of
several blankets will be what I always
remember about Owen's birth. He was 29
wks, 2 1/2 pounds and 16 inches long.
After a week or so on the ventilator, he
was extubated and stayed on CPAP, for
many more weeks. By 35 weeks, he was in
an open crib, bottle feeding my breast
milk, and on no breathing assistance.
Low heart rate alarms kept us from going
home - but right at his due date, after
a hernia repair, Owen left the hospital
and came home weighing 6 lbs 14
oz. and 18 1/2 inches long.
To follow up, our first year was
difficult with reflux and cold and flu
season. However, Owen has never been
readmitted to the hospital *luckily*! He
was 18 lbs at 1 year and 23 lbs at 2
years. He was "caught up" in all areas
at his two year exam, except in weight.
He walks, talks, climbs, runs and
throws just like any other two-year old
boy! He rides his tricycle, eats hot
dogs and has great fun teasing his older
brother. After the horror of PROM, his
early delivery, long NICU stay and that
scary first year, I can truly say he is
a delight now and an absolute
"miracle"!
Hilary
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