By Debbie, New Haven, CT USASoon 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.
PROM at 12 weeksDelivery at 24 weeks.
Story added: 2000-06-19
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.