By Leslie, Boise, Idaho USAThis was my fifth pregnancy. All previous were uneventful. I am usually an active, energetic, very busy person. At week 12, my family and I had flown to London. The first day, we walked several miles and then stopped to have dinner. I had a huge gush of blood and ended up hopsitalized with what was presumed to be a placental infarction.
PROM at 22 weeks + 5 days. Delivery at 31 weeks.
Story added: 2000-12-16
The bleeding resolved and we continued on vacation without incident. At 15 weeks I had an amnio because I am 40 y/o. The tap was bloody from the prior infarction. There was no problem, no leaking. Results came back normal.
I continued with my active life, running after 4 kids, working and playing tennis, doing yoga, walking. At 22 + 5 weeks I awoke in the middle of the night with a huge gush of brownish fluid. I knew it wasn't urine. I called the hospital and they told me to come in asap. My dh was overseas, so I had to call a friend to come stay with my kids and take me to the hospital.
When I arrived at triage to labor and delivery, the leaking had stopped. It took about two hours before the doc checked me. There was no pooling of AF, ferning was negative. The said I didn't rupture, the fluid was urine and sent me home. I knew he was wrong.
I went home and cooked breakfast for my family and then played on the floor with my toddler. I had another gush, soaking through underwear, heavy pad, heavy slacks and carpet. I returned to triage, another doc was on call, and again told me it was urine. I was really upset. They did not listen to me, ignored the fact I had already had four kids and I was a physician!
I insisted on being admitted which he did. He decided to insert a Foley catheter into my bladder to eliminate the possibility that the gushes were urine. Sure enough, that night another gush with Foley in. They immediately tested it and it was positive for ferning.
An ultrasound (US) showed severe lack of fluid, AFI < 3. I was started on IV antibiotics and put on bedrest with only bathroom priv. I stayed in hospital for nine weeks. They gave me betamethasone at 24 weeks (2 shots, twelve hours apart), kept antibiotics for one week. US weekly to measure AFI - which varied from 5 to 10. I continued to leak daily. Other than one false alarm of contractions, I was stable the entire time. Occassionally I had a temp as high as 99.6. My CBC's were normal. Fetal monitoring was always fine. At 31+2 weeks, I awoke with rectal pressure which gradually worsened. On monitor, I started having contractions every 3-4 hours. I was sent to L and D and begin to get violently ill, severe nausea and vomiting, violent shaking chills for hours, temp up to 102.9.
I delivered a few hours later with just one push cycle. Baby Blaine came out crying! We sere so excited, exhausted, afraid. He weighed 4lbs 3oz and was 17 3/4 inches long. He was briefly on the vent, on CPAP for the day and then extubated. He never showed any signs of infection. He is doing great in the NICU and we hope to have him home in a month.
Things I learned from this experience:
1. Trust your body - you will know more than any doctor, nurse, relative.
2. Insist on your rights as a patient. Assert your beliefs, strongly if necessary.
3. Do not let the grim stats sour you - many of us have had good outcomes.
4. Bedrest is not all bad, I learned how to play the keyboard, read all of Shakespeare's tragedies, found long lost friends, learned who my real friends are, made incredible bonds with women experiencing the same thing, and most of all how to be patient and still.
5. The presence of blood in AF contaminates the ferning test.
6. Education is key, learn more than your doctors about what is wrong and what the options are.
7. Use this forum
8. Be thankful everyday for your health, your family and your friends.
OK, I am off my soapbox and I am leaving the hospital today!
Leslie