My story of infertility, incompetent
cervix, pPROM, resealed membranes, and
a miraculous FULL-term baby!
After 8 years of infertility following
a loss, in summer 2009 we started to
get a serious fertility workup. I had
a HSG which showed everything was
clear. My tubes were flowing, there
was no scar tissue on my ovaries,
everything looked fine. I had a
cervix biopsy to check for cancerous
cells since I go months (9 was the
most) with no natural period. It came
back clear. We had hubby sperm
tested, no issues there as well. So,
they gave me drugs to force a period
and the plan was to start me on Clomid
(to force ovulation).
First cycle: Sept 2009. Clomid 50mg
for 5 days. I had two follicles, so I
DID ovulate, but a BFN.
Second cycle: Oct 2009. I only got
through 3 of my 5 Clomid pills before
my PCP took me off the fertility
drugs. I had significant health
issues found in many scans, we thought
it was cancer spreading. I still
tested at the end of the cycle,
BFN.
Third cycle: Nov 2009. I was told NOT
to get pregnant while we checked out
all the tumors. Lung specialist gave
me the okay. Liver specialist gave me
the okay. However, everyone wanted my
GB taken out before we tried to get
pregnant again. No fertility drugs
this month.
Dec 2009: I have my surgery,
everything goes well, They remove my
GB which was inflamed and had stones,
they cut out the largest tumor from my
liver (left two tiny ones in there),
but all were benign. I was weak but
my dr gave me the okay to drive to TX
for Christmas. Uneventful, but I just
took it easy because I was still
recovering from the surgery. I had
some spotting two days before the
surgery, but I didn't think anything
of it because I had been on my PCOS
medication for awhile.
Jan 2010: I realized I hadn't taken a
PG test in awhile. I wasn't hungry,
the smell of some food was making me
sick, and I was tired. I honestly
though this was all because of the
surgery. at 4:30am on Jan 5 I took a
test (digital) it said PREGNANT. I
was hysterical. I hadn't had any sex
since the surgery which means I was
pregnant during the surgery. I told
hubby but couldn't stop crying. We
ended up at the PCP office that
day. She confirmed we were pregnant
and looked at the surgeon report and
tried to convince me that nothing in
the surgeons report indicated anything
that would have harmed the baby. We
went to the fertility clinic three
days later and saw the HB on an u/s.
There was ONE baby and there was a
HB.
Once I saw the HB I told everybody. I
was 8 weeks that day. I posted it on
FB, sent texts to my family, I just
couldn't stop crying. Then it hit me,
why in the hell had I told anyone.
For the next 4 weeks I walked on
eggshells, stopped drinking coffee,
ate only organic, cancelled my trip to
Puerto Rico, ANYTHING I could think of
to keep it mellow. With PCOS the rate
of m/c in tri 1 is higher than the
typical pregnancy.
We made it to week 13 and my NT scan
was perfect. LO had a HB, no markers
for downs, trisomy, etc... we had
made it!
I still took it easy. I am a SAHW who
works part-time online so I was pretty
much on "light duty".
19 weeks, our big anatomy scan. Baby
looked GREAT. I asked about the
placenta and cervix, they told me both
were fine. We did not find out the
gender, we were team green. I really
breathed a sigh of relief. I
contemplated switching to a midwife
since I wasn't having any
complications. They told me then that
there was a higher risk of IUGR
because of my liver issues and they
wanted a growth scan at 31-32 weeks
just as a precaution. I was excited
to be able to see the baby again.
Fast forward to week 22. I was
feeling uncomfortable. Had trouble
sleeping, some cramping and pain which
I assumed were round lignament pains.
Having lots of discharge, but hey,
that is "normal" right?
THAT DAY
22w3d (Monday). I took my hubby to
the dr that day to get checked for
strep and mentioned the pain to my
PCP. I thought maybe BH so I decided I
would just be sure to ask at my appt
on Friday. We got home and something
didn't feel right. I immediately went
to the nearest ER. Crying
hysterically.
Baby looked great on the NST, no
contractions with steady HB. They told
me that they would send me home in a
few hours if nothing changed. I was
so embarrassed. I was hysterical for
nothing. This was before the internal
exam. Turns out I was 3 cm dialated
and my water sac distended into my
vaginal canal. OB came in with a u/s
and told us delivery was likely
eminent. She was going to contact my
OB/peri to see what they said.
My hospital refused to take me as a
transfer. The OB sent me to another
hospital where a doctor was willing to
examine me and possibly attempt a
rescue cerclage. I made it without my
water breaking to the new hospital.
After a discussion with the dr and an
amnio that came back clear he told me
they could do it. They pushed the sac
back in my cervix and stitched it
shut. Plan was wait & see with 7 days
in hospital because of the high risk
of infection. Then I would go home
for home bedrest.
Plan changed when my water broke on
Wednesday. The cerclage held and the
leak appeared to be slow. Insurance
insisted I be transferred to my
regular hospital. There everything
was relatively quiet. With the
exception of a large gush on the 3 or
4th day and some non-reactive NSTs my
stay was pretty calm. I was given
steroid shots at 23w1&2 days.
Baby always had plenty of fluid (8cm-
13cm on weekly AFIs), but she was
measuring small. After my last gush
on April 25th I really didn't leak
anymore. I was officially declared
resealed on May 28th following a fern
swab, speculum exam, and u/s fluid
check. So hospital bedrest turned
into home bedrest. I went to the
hospital every Friday for a NST, MFM
visit, and fluid check. I also had a
home healthcare nurse on Tuesdays to
give me a NST and check my
vitals.
Fast forward to week 36, as nothing
much happened since my release, they
removed my cerclage and there was no
spontaneous rupture of my water or
contractions that immediately
started. SO DISAPPOINTED!
I went to L&D twice with false labor
but I was at 4-5cm 80% effaced with no
additional progress.
Come to August 10th, sorry background
is so long. I woke up at 5am with
cramps which I quickly realized were
pretty regular and quickly turned into
full-blown contractions. I REFUSED to
time them as I assumed they would
fizzle. My home health nurse came for
my regularly scheduled NST and she
told me they were 3-4 min apart but I
didn't feel they were increasing in
intensity. This turned out to not
matter as Chloe failed her first home
NST. One one accel that was 20x20 in
the first minute and it took another
50 to get a second one. I called
hubby he came home and we headed for
L&D after my home health nurse
confirmed with the hospital they
wanted me to come in.
On the way I felt her move ONCE. I
was getting very worried but about
halfway through the 45 min drive she
kicked three times and I burst out
crying. I was really trying not to
worry my husband and wondering if we
just just have gone to the closest
hospital or ours.
We get to L&D where she passes her
strip. Honestly she still wasn't
getting 20x20s as she normally does
and her movement was really decreased
but they seemed satisfied. I tell
midwife I have been contracting since
5am and she decided to check me before
they sent me home. I was then 6cm,
100% effaced and at -2 station. She
went off to speak with my high-risk
fellow. She came back and said I was
being admitted. YAY! However, they
had no rooms as a lady on her 7th
child just took the last one. I got
my antibiotics for GBS and then walked
the halls for what seemed like HOURS.
I got checked and I was still at a 6,
but she was now 0 or even +1 stage.
So the walking did make her drop.
They hooked me up with pitocin and I
started off. Quickly I was at
contractions 2-3 min. I got checked 1-
2 hours laters and I was at 8cm.
Pitocin was turned up gradually from 1
to 4 by the end. Another hour later
(after shift change) I was doubting my
ability to do this natural. I wanted
to know 1) if I had made anymore
progress 2) if they intended to break
my water to speed things up and 3)
what my pain options were.
I decided against IV drugs as they
cross the placenta. I was trying to
decide on an epi and when they told me
I was still at 8cm, 9 with
contractions I decided to have them
break my water and see if it led to a
speedy remainder. Can you believe
they actually had to BREAK my water???
I pushed for an hour and 20 min
total. I was having trouble
breathing. Chloe's heartrate dropped
a few times. I was scared as
hell.
I was actually delivered by a 1st year
medical student and a 1st resident.
In the room was an attending, two
nurses, and a 3rd or 4th year resident
as well. So my team was 6 people. No
NICU/pedis.
Total "labor" 14 hours 20 min.
Pushing 1 hour 20 minutes. She came
out and they placed her on my chest
and I broke down and cried worse than
I did this entire pregnancy and just
kept crying. It feels so good to have
an outside baby. Hubby cut the cord
what seemed like 5 min later and then
they went to work on me while Chloe
laid on my chest skin-to-skin.
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