By Catie, Tuscaloosa, AL United States
PROM at 22 weeks + 1 days. Delivery at 31 weeks + 1 days.
Story added: 2012-10-09

I had the picture perfect pregnancy; No nausea/vomiting, no mood swings, no fatigue... everything was perfect except for a small bleeding episode when I was 13 weeks pregnant. On July 14, however, the picture perfect pregnancy became an absolute nightmare. My husband and I were on vacation at the beach when my world turned upside down. I was using the bathroom when I noticed that something wasn't quite right. I thought that maybe I was just urinating on myself so I didn't want to go to the hospital because I was afraid that I would get laughed at and told that I was peeing on myself. I finally talked myself into getting myself checked out just in case. We went to the closest hospital.. keep in mind that we are on vacation and 4 hours from home. I expected to be in and out of the hospital in an hour... little did I know that I would be stuck in a hospital for 9 weeks. The nurse checked me and had this HORRIBLE look on her face. I knew right away that something wasn't right. She declared that at 22 weeks pregnant, my water had broke. I automatically assumed that we would lose our little boy. How could this happen to us? We loved him so much already...I was absolutely hysterical. I got transferred to a hospital with a Level 3 NICU immediately. We were still 3 hours from home. I started having contractions in the ambulance. I got to the hospital and they started me on Magnesium (HORRIBLE STUFF) for 48 hours and gave me steroid shots to help develop little Levi's brain. I continued to contract for the first whole day that I was in L&D but my cervix never changed. Finally, after 48 hours, they took me off the Magnesium and sent me to the High Risk OB Floor. Of course, the risk of infection is extremely high with ruptured membranes and the doctors expected me to get infection ANY day. Every single day that I didn't deliver, the doctors were amazed. I continued to leak fluid and have contractions every day.. my level usually stayed between 2cm-4cm. I stayed on bedrest and just counted down the days and prayed my little heart out. At 28 weeks, I was sent back to L&D b/c Levi was having a lot of heart rate drops while I was on the monitor. I got to L&D and started having contractions that were 3-5 minutes apart for 7 hours. However, my cervix still wouldn't change. The doctors just KNEW that I would deliver that day. A few days went by and my contractions started becoming further apart and my cervix was still closed so they sent me back to the High Risk floor. How I made it through those few days without delivering my baby, I don't know. God was in COMPLETE control.. and always will be! After that weekend of fun, I continued to leak fluid and continued to have contractions every day. Still no cervix change and the doctors wouldn't deliver Levi until I started dilating. On September 15, my husband and I were watching the Alabama football game (ROLL TIDE!!!!) when I started having pretty regular contractions so I asked the nurse to put me on the monitor. I was on the monitor for a few hours when the doctor walked in and decided to check my cervix. UH OH! Sure enough, I was 1-2cm dilated. The doctor sent me down to L&D just to monitor my baby better.. she never said anything about delivery. I get down to L&D and was expecting just to stay the night down there when the doctor walked back in and said they were doing a C-Section in a few hours because they didn't want the cord to prolapse since I was dilated. We automatically called our family and told them to get down to Mobile ASAP. On September 15 at 8:18pm, at 31 weeks pregnant, I met my miracle! He weighed 3lb 4.7 oz and came out screaming and breathing on his own!!! I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life. He was on CPAP 21% room air for 4 days and then was taken off oxygen all together. That lasted for about a week and then he was put on nasal cannula 21% room air due to heart rate drops. He's currently a little over 3 weeks old. He's taking a bottle twice a day ( the rest of the feeds are tube feeds), still on the cannula and over all doing GREAT! No surgeries, no brain bleeds, no lung issues, no eye problems, NOTHING wrong with him besides just being a preemie! He now weighs 4lb 1oz! He has a lot of maturing to do before he goes home but he'll get there! It just amazes me that he has no complications due to low fluid. He is a TRUE miracle of God! If i can give you any advice if you're currently experiencing PPROM; it would be PRAY, surround yourself with family/friends, stay on strict bedrest, drink plenty of water, and don't get discouraged b/c God is surrounding your baby in your womb.. who needs fluid when God's hands are wrapped around your baby?! As I said, Levi has no complications due to low fluid. The NICU nurses are just amazed by him! STAY POSITIVE!!! I know it's hard to be stuck in a bed.. I was there for 9 weeks but just keep a positive attitude and don't be miserable b/c that will do nothing but stress you and your baby out! I hope this story helped and gives people hope. It certainly helped me to read success stories. Oh, and I never developed infection. The only reason they delivered Levi was due to my cervix dilating. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. I know how hard it is to have so many questions and needing answers!