By Cindie, Wauwatosa,WI USAI lost my daughter (first and only pregnancy) at 24w due to PROM possibly caused from an incompetent cervix. It happened in 1994. I was in the hospital for 3 weeks in a Trendelenburg Position (head down, feet up). I was given absolutely no hope. I am so grateful I found this site. I will be getting married in Feb. 2002 and we will try (God-willing) to start a family. Even after all these years I still get emotional thinking about my experience.
PROM at 20 weeksDelivery at 24 weeks + 2 days.
Story added: 2001-11-08
At 19w I experienced sharp, needle-like pains high in my birth canal. My OB doc told me it was just "growing pains" and opted not to do a pelvic exam. (I've been told by experienced OB MD's that my PROM could have been prevented if the cervical dialation was caught early and treated with strict bedrest and a cerclage.) The following week I was moving some boxes and later that day noticed my underpants were damp. I thought it was loss of bladder control. The next night I woke up at 3AM to a gushing feeling. I panicked when I saw a large amt. of pink-tinged mucousy discharge. At the ER I had a pelvic done where they gave me devastating news. Not only had my membranes ruptured and were buldging, I was dialated 2cm.I had cultures/bloodwork done (all negative/normal), started on IV antibiotics and sent to L&D. A few days later I was seen by a Perinatologist who gave me two options. Either I could go home until that "magical" 24w mark then come back and get readmitted, or stay in a Trendelenburg position at the hospital. I wanted to do whatever I could to save my baby so I stayed. The time I spent in the hospital was emotional torture. I did not want to make even slight body movements while in bed because I could feel the replenished amniotic fluid running out. I was pretty much told that I am just prolonging the inevitable-that even if the pregnancy progresses full term the baby probaly would not be able to breath on her own and have all sorts of medical complications. But I wasn't giving up. I knew she was a strong baby. Her daddy is a marathon runner and I was in excellent health. At 24w I spiked a temp (fever), started feeling those sharp, needle like pains in my birth canal (cervical changes) and had bright red bleeding. I was induced, had a long, hard labor (another sad story) and ended up delivering a very beautiful(but very bruised) baby girl who I named Kathryn.
When (and if) I get pregnant again, I will be followed by an EXPERIENCED Perinatologist and will electively go on complete bedrest after the cerclage.
God bless our little angels.