By Jamie Maddox, south jordan, Utah USAJamie's PROM story
PROM at 25 weeksDelivery at 27 weeks + 4 days.
Story added: 2002-04-21
This was my first pregnacy and things were not looking good from 13weeks on. I had gone to the ER becuase of bleeding(almost like it was my period). I found out that all they could tell me to do, at that point was to go home and lay in bed for the next 3 days, I made it through those days laying in bed worrying what would happen. I went to my doctor's to have a ultrasound done to see if the baby was moving and doing ok. I was relieved to find out everything was ok, I still had to watch what I did for the next while or so. Finally we found out what the baby was (4 1/2 months) "It's a girl"! We were so excited (it would be the first grandaughter on both sides of family). the next month or so was getting on the downside again.
I was about 24 weeks and all day I was feeling cramps thinking they were normal, (it was my first pregancy). When I finally called my doctor he told me to drink plenty of fluids and lay for the next hour or so, if I was still feeling the cramps then come in the Women's center, So the next hour went by, and still feeling cramps. They started to give me a small shot of (something, can't remember) to stop the contractions. (I found that out when I got there).
So, I was sent home after "contractions" had calmed down, and stopped.
I was now 25 weeks and "AGAIN" was feeling the contractions and they were stronger than before, we called the doctor, and told me to take a warm bath, so I did, all of a sudden I felt this rush of fluid come out, I thought I was urinating but I couldn't see color, so I got out and layed down and was feeling nothing. My husband got home around 6:30 p.m. I told him I was feeling contractions again we called the doctor's office paging our doctor, we couldn't get a hold of him so we decided to go to the Women's Center.
I got a room "again" (third time)and we watched and sat waiting to see the results of the ultrasounds they looked good and also my cervix was not dilated, they gave me the same shot as before, but this time it didn't help, the nurse came in checking my cervix to see any changes, I had dilated to a one, they gave me a second dose and still no changes, 1 hour went by I was dilated to a 4, in just an hour. I had a strange feeling I wasn't about to go home quit yet!
I was given Magnesium to stop my dilating, ( I couldn't tell you what was going on that stuff was horrible)! The doctor asked to send me to the 3 stage of a hospital, that was LDS hospital downtown, my first ride in a ambulance it was pretty small and bumby!
I was put under a High Risk doctor which he could hopefully help me and my baby. I was told then I would be kept there for 48 hours, becuase of the steriod shot they gave me to help shelby's lungs develope. And hopefully wouldn't deliver until then, but the chances were slim.
I made it through the 48 hours and was given a room to stay until I would deliver my baby. There was no fluid around the baby, except for a small amount that let her turn around "BREECH POSITION". I hardley felt her move but I was bedriden for the next 6 weeks or until she decided to come.
I waited it out for 3 weeks and delivered shelby Emergency C-section it was a hard delviery.(I didn't think I would make it through.)Shelby's foot was stuck through the birth canal, then her arm, and her head. It was one thing after another. I wasn't able to see her as soon as they freed her from all that mess. The first photo we saw of her was hooked up to tubes and oxygen. But she didn't need the oxygen, she was breathing well on her own, but it was there in case she stopped.
As soon as I was put in my room again, I was out of it, it was around 4:30 in the afternoon, and I delivered shelby at 6:39 a.m. that morning. Two days went by and I started to get an infection, (which was suppose to happen, becuase of PROM, and they're would be a slim chance to none, of not getting infection.) I stayed in the hospital another week and a half after I had Shelby. I Had CAT scans, ultrasounds, every blood test done you can imagine, I had everyone!! "MY ARMS LOOKED LIKE I WAS A AN ADDICT OF SOME SORT"!!
My doctor didn't know what to do, so they sent me to the Infectous Disease Team. They wanted to reopen my incesion and take the "infection" out. I said "NO" I was not about to go through another surgery again! Later that evening I went to the bathroom and noticed through my incesion there was blood and all sorts of yucky stuff ( WONT GET INTO THAT). When that had happened I felt so so much better my fever was fading and I wasn't so hot. The "oncall" doctor, which was an attending, reopened my incesion without any medication fast enough, before I felt so much pain. There was no pain in the world at that moment, that could be worse than what I felt!
I was finally discharged after 3 days of no fevering, and was put on Home health. I had to be on antibiotics for 2-3 more weeks, I had a PIC line so it wouldn't be any needles through my arms, (OH, HOW I WAS RELIEVED OF THAT)!!! NO MORE POKES OR "REPOKES" . But the PIC line wasn't much better it was like surgery again.
I made it!! I made it through some rough times but in the end I am a grateful parent of a beautiful little girl, Shelby Katlyn, weighing at birth 1 lb. 13 oz. and 14 1/2 inches long. She has no long term effects (so far) and is doing very well. Shelby is 13 months now. She is a bundle of joy and were so grateful to have her, and her mommy (me)!! Thank you for letting me share this story. And reading all your story's were touching and emotional.
Thank you!