By Connie Horowitz, Dallas, GA USA
PROM at 21 weeks + 6 days. Delivery at 32 weeks + 5 days.
Story added: 2002-08-26

Here is our story. When we found out I was pregnant we were surprised but very happy. We already had a 3yr old girl and a 1 yr old boy. This baby would complete our family. I started bleeding on new years eve, I was 15 wks 2 days. It was brown spotting but it didn't let up. At my next appoinment with my OB I was still spotting, he thought that it looked like a lot so he scheduled me for an ultrasound the next day.At this point I was told the baby was fine . It was another boy, but I had a marginal tear. The tear was 5 cm long and 1 cm wide, not too big and it should hopefully heal on its own, just take it easy the next few weeks. I stopped bleeding shortly after the ultrasoundand but continued going to weekly OB appts. At 19 wks and 3 days I had a followup ultrasound and was told the tear had healed itself, at this point we thought we were out of the woods. Boy were we wrong. On February 15th, 21 wks and 6 days I thought I felt some leaking.I of course denied that my water could be broken .My sister was visiting for the day and I told her about it and she told me to call the Dr. I said I would if it didnt stop by lunch time. On the way home from picking up lunch I had a big gush of fluid. At this point I could not longer deny that my membranes had ruptured, I called my Dr. and my husband. My husband picked me up and we went to the Dr. My OB did a sterile speculum exam and said he could see pooling of fluid. I was told things didn't look good at this point, I would need to go straight to the hospital. I went to the hospital but at this point things begin to get kind of hazy for me probably due to the stress I was under at the time. Basically what happened was I was given IV antibiotics for two weeks then oral antibiotics for two weeks. I was told if I get and infection or begin bleeding that they would have to deliver. If I go into labor that they would not stop it. These things were all very frightening and overwhelming. I was told by the neonatologist that at this point the baby would not be viable. If I made it to 24 weeks it would be up to me and my husband whether or not to try resusitation because this is a white male child. If I made it to 25 weeks they would do everything possible to save the baby. We were also told that most women who have ruptured membranes go into labor within 48hrs to two weeks. But,that the earlier you rupture the period before onset of labor might be extended, naturally.We were also told numerous times about the risk for hypoplasitic lungs and skeletal constrictures. I do remember that at this point we just began to count the weeks until viablity. It became a daily and weekly count down.I was given steriod shots at 24 weeks to help with lung development. I never did leave the hospital. I was allowed to shower and go to the bathroom and the ocassional wheelchair ride, but I won't bore you with the details of my 11 week 2 day stay except to say that it was for the most part uneventful and my fluid level seemed to stay at about 5. I missed my children and our family life like crazy and figured I would be insane by the time I left the hosital. During this whole time the baby was breech so when I went into labor at 32 wks and 5 days I had a c-section. Evan Taft Horowitz was born at 11:05pm 5-2-02, 17 in, weighing 4 lb 12 oz large for a 32 weeker. When he was born he received 2 doses of surfactant and was on the ventilator for 12 hours. He never needed anymore breathing assistance. He left the hospital 11 days after his birth without any monitors or medications weighing 4 lbs 10 oz. To us Evan represents the power of prayer, faith and patience. This web site helped me tremendously while I was in the hospital and I am so thankful to everyone for sharing their stories regardless of the outcome. They really helped me accept the lack of control I had over the experience. You feel so alone but this web site lets you know that other people have gone thru the same things. Remember, miracles do happen.