By Coralee Mitchell, Kamloops, B.C. Canada
PROM at 20 weeks + 2 days. Delivery at 21 weeks.
Story added: 2001-07-28

This story is about my son Jacob. As I write this story it still hurts and I still have tears. Jacob was my 9th pregnancy. I have 2 children today.

Jacob was a perfect, beautiful child still born on April 14, 1997.

Because I have had troubled pregnancies in the past, I was very cautious. Every little thing worried me. So, when I had a tiny amount of leaking fluid, the next day I went to my specialist. He examined me and said "Get to the hospital right away". My husband was not with me at this time, so I was a complete wreck, the tears flowing heavily. We arrived at the hospital and I was put on complete bedrest (I was about 20 weeks at this point). I was told that the sac was bulging and the waters were ready to burst. Jacob's heartbeat was strong to the very end. Each time I went to the washroom, I felt a tremendous amount of fluid leaking. After about 5 days, when I went to the washroom, I felt something protruding out of me. It was the umbilical cord. I was terrified! I called for the nurses, and they put me on all fours, and rushed me to the emergency room, where I began to deliver (my cervical stitch was still in place. As a result, my cervix was torn up pretty badly). Shortly, our perfect little baby was born. I ended up in emergency surgery right after his birth, as placenta would not detach (Strangely, my 3rd pregnancy loss, at 21 weeks was due to plancental abrupion!). After a day, I began to lose too much blood and had a few blood transfusions.

We were able to hold baby Jake and take pictures and just love him. I still look at the pictures from time to time. His funeral was tough for us, as Jacob was our second child we buried. We were able to bury them side by side.

As a note, my first pregancy was to full term. I was a single parent at that time. When I got married, my husband and I desperately wanted to have a child together. My second pregancy went to 10 weeks, my third (baby Jonathan), was born at 21 weeks, May 1/91, he took a few breaths before passing away. We spent time with him and took pictures and kept treasures. My 4th pregnancy went to 8 weeks, my 5th pregnancy went to about 6 weeks, and I lost one tube due to ectopic, my 6th pregnancy went to 5 weeks, my 7th pregnancy went to 25 weeks, 1 lb 13 oz, 12 inches, (He is was born June 24/94, and is a healthy lively, beautiful boy - God has truly blessed us.). My 8th pregnancy went to 16 weeks. And baby Jake was my 9th.

Coralee